I think the best thing to do is take the student aside calmly and ask what is wrong. Ask them to remeber to be professional and appropriate. You can aske them what they think would make the situation better.
I have experienced that listening is the best method.
Managing angry student can be challenging, first you should listen and offer support the best way you know how. But sometimes they continue to be disruptive, which can get the instructor and class out of focus from their objectives.
Managing angry student can be challenging, first you should listen and offer support the best way you know how. But sometimes they continue to be disruptive, which can get the instructor and class out of focus from their objectives.
Just as the module declares; Listen. What I've learned is that the student feels that they aren't being heard. Give them the opportunity to express themselves and then give them guidance.
Yes, verbalizing something to someone else is usually a much better way to solve ones own problem then mauling it over in your head alone. thoughts put into words will often validate or discredit themselves almost automatically.
Ask them what you can do for them and hear them out.
Hi Todd,
Sometimes angry students just simply need to vent. After venting, the student feels much better.
Patricia Scales
I have experience in customer service as well as teaching emotionally disturbed students. For one, I do not engage the student. I listen and determine the source of the conflict. If I am the person they are angry at, I establish the parameters within which I am willing to address the matter. In other words, not with high emotions, not during class time and not in front of others. If the student can't do this, I involve a third part, most likely my supervisor. I explain that if they can't deal with me in the fashion I set forth, they can speak to my supervisor and my supervisor will speak to me. If the student is angry with another, I at least try to position myself as a neutral party so they can calm down and see me as an ally.
When confronted by an angry student, I give them an opportunity to speak in my office so that others are not infected. I listen and take notes of their concerns. In most cases, I am able to list their concerns and possible solutions with a time-line of associated to each resolution. The student sees that I am hearing and wanting to resolve their concerns. A copy of this document is given to the student. As each concern is resolved, I have the student sign-off that they are satisfied with resolution.
I agree with not having you and your angry student alone.Without a witness the student can be very unprofessional and inappropriate in their behavior and you have no recourse because it's your work against theirs. I believe with another instructor or administrator present, it can diffuse the situation.
We're training students for a career where they have to develop highly technical skills also work in an environment where they have to maintain supreme calm and neutrality around sometimes high-drama clients.
It's a key part of our instruction: leave your own emotions and drama outside when you come to work. I immediately remind angry students that they're exhibiting the exact behavior most likely to get them fired from a gig. Technical errors can often be corrected without anyone realizing the problem. Flashes of anger make you unsuitable for the career.
I do also agree that you have to be able to listen to a certain extent. If the student is angry, there is usually a reason behind the anger. I would not want to deal with an angry student alone. I do also agree that if you have respect for that student, the student realizes that you are trying to help come to a solution.
Hi Patricia,
Listening is key! We should always respect every student.
Patricia Scales
I agree that you must listen and gain the person's respect. I also agree that you should always have another instructor or staff be present when addressing an angry student. Another important point is to remove the student from the environment/classroom. Usually an angry student wants to prove to the others that it's not his fault but the instructor's, so if you remove them from the class, usually they tend to not try to be too demonstrative.
Depending on what the students behavior is like in class at that time, I would pull the student out of class and simply talk to them. I have found that most students will not concentrate until their issue has either been resolved or at the very least able to talk to someone about the issue.
The best way to handle an angry student is to listen to them. Often times the student will calm down just by having someone listening.
Listen and if the student remain angry remove them from the class!!
This module has proven true for our school when confronting angry students. Our instructors are coached to listen without interrupting. They meet with the student outside of class and allow them to fully verbalize their concerns. In certain cases, the students are required to write out their complaint/grievance and submit it to the Director. This allows them to clarify and specify their concern, and also tends to dissipate their anger. They are able to vent & truly decide whether their concern is valid or as serious as they first assumed.
My first step is to have the student exit the classroom and go into the hallway. When there is no longer an audience, the student often settles down. I talk to the student and make arrangements to meet with the student after class to discuss the issue.
