If alone in the class I will let the student vent until they run out of steam. I never interrupt them and during their rant I listen and try to determine what is the true reason they are angry. It usually is something unrelated to the your topic but you just happened to be in the way. Once the student is calm I will try to work out what ever problem they have so that we can move forward.
I ask the student to step out of the classroom. We talk in either the hall or in my office. I make sure the other students are aware of where I will be.
I then, sit at eye level with the student or slightly below, and I listen.
We do have security, but thankfully have not had to use them in this type of situation.
I find most student issues result from feeling as if they are being treated unfairly or disrespected in the classroom,or at home.
Hi Robert,
I concur! We have students that have had some hard knocks in life, and most of the time their anger is not with the instructor.
Patricia Scales
First of all, I disagree with the module that says males are the majority. At our career school, I believe the angry student tends to be female. Everyone wants to be heard, and that is the first step. Acknowledge their anger, but not that they are correct. ALso, try to find out what is going on with them. Many of our students come from situations that involve single parenting, hunger and safety needs. Realizing this sometimes helps let the student know you are concerned about them. Also, never take their anger personally.
Hi Amber,
I concur, and I have been teaching for more than 22 years! Females can give you a fit with their anger.
Patricia Scales
Hi Jennifer,
This is so true. I've been teaching for more than a decade and every "angry" student has in fact been female that I have personally encountered. I find that even though men can become angry, I have found that the "me generation" of students primarily consist of very angry and bitter woman.
I do the same thing. I remove them from the classroom so there is no audience. This usually reduces some of the verbal lashing from the student. I also have them explain to me first what is happening from their perspective before I speak to them. This usually lets them calm down faster and then they listen more easily once they get it out.
the very first thing i would do.. is listen to them and validate their need to express themselves.... they just want to be heard and no their opinion matters.... then i would have them sit at at a tableor desk and try to write out thier complaint or the issue causing the anger, if i can ... then address it. then go from there.
Listening! I have found that their anger is usually rooted in some other problem, most often having nothing to do with class or class work. By listening I can direct them to our student resources that can better assist with the actual problem
Common problems are financial, transportation or lack of child care.
I use classic dialogue with them and it seems to work.
Always listen and try to put yourself in their shoes. Show them that you understand where they are at and that you care.
I never retort back to them with anger or accusations. I use explanations for things and reasons why we have to do things a certain way. Finally I always ask what I can do for them. If they understand that I want to help and I am not the enemy this can usually calm them down. Often times people are angry because a need is not being met. I have found that the response to this question is usually nothing. Just the fact that I am offering something to them is enough to let them know that I care and I am willing to help them out.
Hi Esperanza,
I agree! What a great way to make a student feel that he/she is important. Listening is key.
Patricia Scales
Sometimes anger is a good thing. Try and find a way to turn that negative into positive energy. If a student is angry about a situation at school, ask him/her what she thinks is the best solution for the perceived problem. Make them understand that their suggestion might not be applied but at least when you listen and ask for their opinion, it makes them feel that somebody is willing to listen to their ideas.
I don't take it personally. If I become defensive, then the situation becomes involved and personal. Using therapeutic communication, I state the obvious: " you seem to be upset/angry/displeased, about a situation/assignment/policy, etc. What can I do to help.
Offering help when a student is expecting an argument works most times to diffuse a volatile situation.
Many times, students need somebody to vent their frustrations on. Active listening is an art worth developing.
One of the things that I try to do when dealing with an angry students is to seperate them from the class. Many times, having an audience can add fuel to the student's rage and only intensify the situation. I also be sure to take time and really listen to what the student says. I might be the only person the student is able to talk to, so I look at this situation as an opportunity to help the student.
To confront angry students I try to isolate them to preserve their privacy and then discuss the situation with them in a calm and quiet manner to help facilitate their calming down. If that doesn't work and they are mad at me I will go get a middle person to act as an objective person to mediate. This allows them to give them a constructive outlet and way to express their displeasure and hopefully leads to a quick resolution.
I would try and make a rapid assessment of the situation and if I felt there was no physical danger I would give the rest of the class some work to do and then have a private conversation with the student to endeavor to determine a possible problem. If I felt the student might be a physical risk, I would alert security before engaging the student. I think as there are many degrees of 'anger, there is no 'one rule fits all' fix.
Make an appointment with the student where they can come prepared with their complaints written down for discussion.
I have learned it is best to remove the student from the class and quietly listen to his complaint giving him your full attention while remaining calm. After the student is finished with his explaination express your concern for the disruption and suggest in the future to wait until the end of class and discuss the situation privately with the instructor.
I prefer to ask the angry student to talk with me during the class break, which is a fifteen minute time regularly scheduled for a three hour class. That way the student knows I am setting aside private time for them, have not actually singled them out re. their anger, and that this also gives them some cooling off time. If the anger is after the break time, then I ask them if they could meet with me between classes.
I do like to remove the student from the class and have one on ones.Removing the audience.
