On top of being extremely stressful for the teachers, a classroom with out-of-control students is detrimental to everyone’s education. Luckily, there are some ways that a teacher can deescalate the situation and provide an effective learning environment for everyone present.
This post will outline 7 tips that teachers can use to keep their classrooms calm and focused on learning. These tips will also apply when situations arise outside of school hours or outside of the classroom; they are all universally applicable as long as they’re used with respect and sensitivity – something every single person deserves.
7 Tips For Teachers If Your Class is Out of Control
In the event that one of these steps alone doesn’t work, it can be a useful tool to try them in combination to get the best results. However, three is never a reason to use force with a student, no matter how out of control they may seem.
- 1. Identify What’s Happening:
The first step toward controlling an out-of-control situation is to identify what’s happening. Whether you’re in the classroom or out of it, if you don’t understand what’s causing the situation, then it will be difficult to resolve it. Think about what’s causing the disruption and where it comes from. Is there a real danger to their well-being, or are they just simply exercising their rights?
- 2. Make Sure Everyone’s Safe:
If the student is displaying signs of aggression and isn’t in immediate danger from the situation, then it’s extremely important to try and deescalate the situation while ensuring that everyone else who may be impacted by the student’s behavior is safe. It may not be possible to ensure their safety in every situation, but it is more likely that you can get a handle on a student’s emotions than you can if they are in significant harm.
- 3. Treat the Student with Respect:
While a degree of respect may be lost in certain situations, you need to try and maintain it. For example, if one student is displaying signs of aggression or is being disrespectful, the situation may not be able to be resolved that day or perhaps even in the same room, but you can still keep their emotions in check. Just because they are not behaving in the right manner doesn’t mean that they don’t still need to be treated with dignity and respect.
- 4. Talk to the Student:
One of the best ways to calm a student down is to talk with them. Not all situations warrant a conversation, but it’s better than trying to force them into submission by screaming at them or pushing them away, which will only escalate the situation. It may be impossible for you to talk to a student, and at other times you shouldn’t; however, being able to acknowledge that there are multiple sides to an argument is important in order for us all to understand each other properly.
- 5. Try and Change their Mindset:
Once they’ve calmed down, it’s important that you try and change their mindset and show them that they are not alone. Many students experience bullying and harassment at school, so by acknowledging their feelings, you’re helping them to cope with the situation and express their anger in a healthier way.
- 6. Pre-emptively Respond:
Once you’ve determined the cause of the disruption and calmed down your students to a certain extent, it’s important that you take action before they can explode again. In order to do this, it’s important to be prepared to respond if they do explode again, rather than waiting around for things to go wrong. If a student is out of control, then this is an opportunity for you as a teacher to demonstrate leadership skills as well as discipline and control over your classroom.
- 7. Deescalate the Situation:
In most situations, a good teacher will know how to act in order to deescalate the situation by using an assertive yet non-confrontational approach. A non-violent approach is best, but if it’s not possible or appropriate, then you can always use physical force in order to stop a student from causing further trouble. However, one thing that you absolutely need to remember is that you shouldn’t ever try and use physical force when it’s not necessary.
If all of these tips fail or aren’t applicable, then perhaps this is a good time for you to call on your school counselor or the principal of your school. It is important that you are able to identify and resolve the issues in your classroom, whether they are caused by a student or not. A class that’s performing well, where everyone is working hard and getting along, is something to be celebrated, not condemned.
Setting rules and expectations for students and being firm with them when they breach those expectations can encourage them to follow your instructions and make them feel like they have a voice in the classroom environment. This may seem like common sense, but it’s amazing how many teachers neglect this aspect of classroom management – especially in more chaotic classrooms where their rules aren’t regularly enforced.
It’s also important to remember that you can’t control every single aspect of your classroom – if a student is out of control because they have a problem at home, then there’s little that you can do about that. You may still be able to help the student by showing them compassion, but if the root cause of their behavior cannot be addressed, then you might need to report the situation to someone who can find a solution. This applies equally in situations such as when students are displaying signs of post-traumatic stress or other forms of mental illness.
Final Note
Some students may display signs of conduct disorders, which include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and intermittent explosive disorder (IED). Classplus is an education technology company that helps educators. You can get all the benefits of new technologies while you are committed to your work. Create your own app custom-built for your needs, which helps your harness the power of technology as you wish. So, do not wait, be updated with technology with Classplus.
