I believe in student privacy and would give them a chance to voice their opinion. then we can proceed to see how can we resolve this issue.
I first listen to the student as a lot of times it is the student just letting off a little steam. If it seems to be more I have the student put their concerns in writing and then we discuss them after class. This gives the student the opportunity to get the anger off of his/her chest and together we try to find a solution to their anger.
This can be a very delicate situation and needs to be handled in such a way. Keep in mind that there are a lot of outside factors involved when working with angry people in general. I am normally able to kill anger with kindness. However; I had one student that was not responsive to my kindness. I found out through management that this particular student had been a problem for every person she came into contact with at the school. I finally explained in an email to her that if she did not learn how to be nice to people then she would never be able to find a good job and "keep it". It was harsh but necessary and I hope it opened her eyes (although, I doubt it did).
Hi Meighen,
Nicely stated! This is exactly how I handle angry students. If I am unable to provide a solution, I get the experts involved.
Patricia
Hi Robert,
I hear you loud and clear. You have to vent to your colleagues in a private setting behind closed doors.
Patricia
Usually the student is letting off steam from a previous event that happened before he or she entered the classroom. Therefore, during a break I try to talk to the student in private to find out what is really bothering them. I may be able to offer solutions to their problem. This method normally works and it eliminates any further outburst or disruptions from the student.
Yeah, and I tend to be a bleeding heart - lol. It would be nice if teachers had a way to vent -- sigh...
I think that the most important strategy of working with a student who is angry is making them feel that they have been heard. So the first thing to do is to listen to the student's situation and issues. When they are finished talking paraphrasing their statement back to them will reassure them that you were listening and often will calm them down. Then it is more possible for you to talk to them and find a solution to the problem.
I think the enviroment is important to allow students to reach their full potiential. You learn where you are comfortable.
Hi Robert,
In my 22-year tenure of teaching, being gentle is a sure way to calm an angry student as well as listening. Some angry students simply need to vent.
Patricia
Hi Wanda,
Absolutely! The environment has to be conducive for learning.
Patricia
I like the "gentle" approach too, though I suppose we don't want to be so gentle that we become passive. Regardless of what external influences are affecting them, angry students breed animosity within the classroom, and it needs to be curtailed. I always assume the best of people first, so I might ask them, "is there something troubling you, which is contributing to your frustration?"
Exactly. The management of the classroom environment is key to the learning process. By managing students in a positive manner, learning is more like to be engaging and fostered in the classroom. It's key to make sure that the classroom is safe and sound for all students. Wanda
First I try to make sure they are calm and listen to them carefully. Obviously when someone is like this you want to listen and make sure they realize you have their undivided attention. When someone behaves like this you want to resort to something gentle and let them know that does matter how they are feeling. Once you have them calm and ready to listen they might change their opinion or what has made them behave the way they are acting. Trust me I have learned this from experience.
Lately, I have had some near confrontational situations in the classroom. I believe that most of it can be traced to difficulties in the student's personal life.
Sincerely, I am sometimes timid about curtailing this behavior because I worry about upsetting a person to the point that they withdraw from the program. With retention as another part of my responsibility, I find that I ultimately temper my response in ways that support curtailing the anger while still supporting retention.
I would sincerely welcome other suggestions.
Hi Donna,
Thumbs up for holding these students to the same standards as for other students. Your colleague should not make you llok like the bad guy by letting these students get away with murder. These type students can be intimidating, but they should not be granted preferential treatment. Keep holding EVERYONE to the same standards.
Patricia
This has happened to me twice -- Once I reminded a student of her angry abusive mother (in appearance only), and once I had a male student who had serious issues with women. In both cases I did my best to listen to the students and meet with them outside of class, but in both cases it became necessary to have outside intervention, and I only spoke to them with witnesses present. I also made use of peer pressure, as other students grew tired of the angry students taking time away from their learning experience. At all times I had to make sure that I remained calm and reasonable, because these students were constantly on the edge. I wasn't the only teacher affected by these two, but I was the only one who held the students to the same standards that I hold for all students. Many times I note that teachers allow angry students to run all over the class, because they can be very intimidating.
Hi Julie,
Great way to teach students appropriate professional protocol. I like the idea of the outline.
Patricia
our students have a "chain" of command that they follow....first the teacher, then the dean of students, then the director of the program. we have what we call an ssp. student support plan. it is a generalized outline of what is expectecd from the student when a repremand is in order like anger management ect.
Hi Ramon,
I hear you loud and clear. I've heard these type of concerns a million times over my 21 years. I tell the student to stop that type of conversation and to come with me so that we can talk. I tell them how the chain of command works if they have any concerns. I also let other instructors know what the student's concerns are with them if they mention another instructor. In addition, I tell the student to go to the instructor, that's proper protocol.
Patricia
