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There might be times when a teacher faces a difficult or problematic student and it’s of critical importance that you keep your composure in such times. Students are always watching the behavior of the teacher and they will pick up on your reactions. This is why you must always stay in control of yourself and remain level headed, no matter what happens. When dealing with problematic student behaviors you might feel disheartened or intimidated, but there are ways to de-escalate the situation and help the students correct these behaviors. The most important thing to remember is to maintain your own self-control. Try to visualize yourself in a relaxing environment to maintain an appearance of calm. Silence can also be used as a de-escalation tool, allowing you to remain in control and not lose your temper. If you feel a student is actively challenging your authority, try waiting silently for about 10 seconds and see if the student calms down. This will also give you time to take a deep breath and re-orient yourself, and when you talk to them again remember to mind your tone, posture and volume. Use a calm tone of voice, square your posture and use a lower voice volume. These cues will show the students that you are calm and collected and will allow you to diffuse or de-escalate the situation. Not all behavioral problems are aggressive however, and many of these might not be obvious to the student. Behaviors like texting openly in class, snoozing with their head on the desk, or mumbling to their classmates, should be corrected quickly and politely by speaking to the student privately. The behavior is corrected and the student does not become the center of attention. If this behavior repeats itself, you might not feel like being courteous to the student, but you must always remember to be professional and calm. You should always bring a positive attitude to the classroom and assume the best about your students. You might feel frustrated or angry at the student because they are displaying a chronic negative behavior that seems disrespectful or defiant. Their behavior might be their way of asking for more help or clarity, so we must take advantage of this and use it as a means to give them the assistance they need. Remember to build rapport and earn your students’ respect. As mentioned previously this has to do with your behavior, posture and vocabulary. Remember that respect is not demanded, but that it’s earned, especially when dealing with an audience older than 10 or 11 years.Try to establish common ground. You may be able to do this by communicating that you understand why the student is upset. You are not excusing the behavior but simply telling them that most people would be upset if they experienced a similar behavior. When a student repeats these behaviors repeatedly with you, you should also check your own behavior to see if you have a certain way of communicating towards that student that needs to be improved before the situation escalates. Once you are able to connect with the student in a productive way, encourage him/her to take responsibility for monitoring his/her behavior. Finally, remember not to take things personally, try to empathize with the student and keep in mind that the misbehavior may be caused by factors beyond their control such as stress, physical symptoms, or something happening at home that you are not aware of.
