When I'm confronted by an angry student I find that speaking in a quiet calm voice and attitude gets me further than getting upset myself.
Hi Karen,
Never let a student's attitude dictate your attitude. The instructor is to keep their composure/professionalism at all times.
Patricia
Hi Therese,
I like your pyschological approach! Listening is key as well.
Patricia
I try to remain calm and composed. I give them the opportunity to "say their piece" and let them vent. If the anger continue I will ask to speak with them in private and ask what they think needs to be done to resolve the issue. If this doesn't calm the problem then I will ussually ask them to leave class until they can compose themselves.
Hi Robert,
I like to always handle the angry student behind closed door whenever possible. I have found that angry people tend to be a lot calmer when they are not surrounded by others.
Patricia
This particular situation was the only female student in a class of 23. It was an evening class when admin. personel were not on campus. I felt that a private conversation, in light of her attitude was not a good call. This incident resulted in the student been dropped from the school, as it was not the first one.
I try to see if it is personal or professional to determine if I can address it as a group/class
The best course is to find out what is making the student angry by listening to his or her complaint. However as a teacher you need to be careful and protect yourself and the other students while in the classroom. If you don't know why the student is angry than you don't know what the student might do. Is the student displaying violent tendencies such as bothering other students or cursing or making threating comments? In that case you need to call security and have the student removed. But if the student is approachable and not displaying any kind of violent behavior then of course as a teacher and mentor you should ask the student what is wrong and listen to their answer and not try to immediately solve their problem. Sometimes they just want to vent a little so listening is the best answer. Finally, you need to make sure you don't over react to the student's angry behavior and waste a lot of time on the student's individual problem because you have a whole class to attend to and the other students might feel slighted that this person is taking up all of the class time. If able, talk with the student after class or during a break or have them set up a meeting with you in your office outside of the classroom.
The most important first step to take with an angry student is to listen. It is possible that once the student is able to express himself to someone who is listening, he will satisfy the desire to do just that. At the very least, listening may prevent the student from repeating or causing disruption to the entire class.
Taking the complaint seriously and asking the student what he sees as a solution will help clarify his thinking and allow the instructor to, thoughtfully, respond.
There may not be a readily apparent solution. The instructor may need to consult the program director or followup discussion may be proposed. Ending the initial discussion with "I'll keep you informed," or "Let's give it a few days and discuss it again," may be the correct course. The key point may be to show the student you take his issue seriously.
I currently have a student in my class that I would put in this category. She fits the typical "chip on her shoulder" profile. She comes to class everyday and appears to get along just fine with all of her classmates, however, when I speak to her she replies to me with a sarcastic answer and a hateful tone in her voice. She has not only spoken to me in this manner but also my program director. I believe she has problems when dealing with authority. She does not take constructive criticism at all and I fear that she will not be successful in this program nor in this career field. I have made many attempts to try to discuss this with her in which I could listen to her but she says she does not want to be bothered. I am at a loss and have all but given up. She makes the classroom atmosphere a very difficult and unhappy one for me, as I am sure it is for many of the students as well.
Tammi Smith
I will ask the student what is bothering him/her. Listen to the student and acknowledge the students feeling as valid. then i will ask the student what he/she would like me to do or how I can help them. If it is in my power to help, I will. If the student is not being accountable for something they cause, like a bad grade, then i will review the test with them. show them why they made the mistakes they made and assist them in preparation for the next exam. this will at least let the student know i am fair.
Hi Tammi,
Wow, someone of higher authority needs to remove this student from the institution if she can't get her act together. Her supervisor will not tolerate this type of behavior in the workplace.
Patricia
Hi Timothy,
You are definitely on point as to how to handle an angry student. Instructors should never put themselves in harms way with any student nor should other students be put in harms way. A violent student is way too dangerous and must be dealt with quickly and swiftly.
Patricia
An instructor should never handle the angry student if front of the whole class. I like to take the angry student behind closed door, or in my office, and I let the angry student vent until he or she is done. Normally venting eases the situation and bring peace to the classroom.
Elizabeth
First of all, I establish very early on in the equation that I have a zero tolerance level for unprofessionalism. Communication at all levels is essential to prevent frustrating situations from occuring. However, I do inform my students that at anytime we need to discuss a situation because of miscommunication on my part or on their's it's best that we discuss such situations in private quarters.
Listen effectively, so that you can get the full reason, look out for key words that may trigger the anger, repeat what is said so there is no nebulous interpretation, ask questions, and hopefully a resonable resolution can occur
i always first get them out of range from the class, this allows them to speak freely about what ever the problem is. Second I always let them vent, listen and I generaly do not speak until I have a full understanding of what is bothering them. Third I ask them for the soulition, which they never really have.
I completely agree that turning off the defensive switch is the best strategy. Getting defensive or even trying to immediately explain the topic could add fuel to the fire. Allowing the student to vent and get the anger off their chest will frequently reduce the volatility of the to such a degree that further discussions are usually calm and far more reasonable.
I always try to pull them aside and listen, this way they don't disrupt the whole class. I never argue with them, but sometimes I give the student other objectives to think about.
Hi Lorraine,
Listening is key! Sometimes angry students simply need to fully vent.
Patricia
