Moody Students
What can you do about students whose mood changes on a daily basis?
Mood changes in students I have found sometimes come from outside influences. Some times it maybe be caused by medication or the lack of. It may come from home dealing with $ or the lack of due to the student being in school and not working a steady job to support the family. Each day before class start when I have a student like this I will attempt to talk to them to see what type of mood they are in and try to motivate them and get them excited about what the day will hold for them.
Hope it will help
Ed
Hi Jacob,
There are so many factors that come into play with student moods that it is hard to answer in a general way. My experience has given me the insight to hold the course and standards of the field and try and work with the students as they come in. Some days certain students require more attention than others and then another day it is a different group. If it is one student and depending upon the nature of the moods I look for help in the mental health area. Bipolar illness strikes most often in the 20s age range and if this is the case you are dealing with a situation that requires outside assistance.
Another cause of changing moods is avoidance of work. Students want to deflect and not complete an assignment. They are imature and not dedicated to the field in which they are training. These students need to have a direct confrontation on what is and is not acceptable behavior in class. They then can decided to continue their training or relocate to another setting.
Gary
First, I never let their mood influence mine. I try the plan of attack of ignoring them for the first minutes of class, then going
directly at them with a question I know they know the answer to.
By giving them the opportunity to participate and make sure they feel secure with their answer, I give them the opportunity to
change their mood.
Hi Michael,
You hit upon a key point. Taking the positive approach to the class and helping the students to come along.
What are some of the ways that you encourage the students to change their moods?
Gary
It does seem that extraneous factors can affect students' moods, but I often ignore moodiness in students and focus on the positive students in the class....
Hi Amber,
Good strategy. You really can't do anything else or the students will dictate the content and direction of the class each time they don't feel good or are in a bad mood.
Things do happen that influence students but they have to learn to rise above that if they are going to successful in their careers.
Gary
Don't you just LOVE it when one comes in droopy or so agitated that it seems the chair may be in danger from collapse or from sheer friction! Once in a while I will take a student like that outside and walk around the building because "I" need that student to help me--help me understand what I can do. We try to find the bare factsof the problems--anything from PMS to a divorce--before we begin to see if there are any possible solutions available. Our students appreciate the logical approach to problems in their lives. It seems most of them have spent a lifetime simply reacting, so it is a shock to them to find that someone has another approach. And for some, it works. For others, ingrained habits don't go away too easily.
Hi Nancy,
You have had some great experiences in your teaching. It is so true about the mood variations that come into your class each day.
Your point about reacting to life is a good one. The easiest thing to do as an adult student is to fail. Failure elminates the need for decisions and planning. Failure can be blamed on someone or something else. Success requires that desisions be made about the future. This requires some thought. This is why the students are enrolled in the first place to create a future and yet they want to fail so they don't have to make decisions.
Keep up the good work, I know you are making a difference.
Gary
Mood changes are for the most part external, however if may be frustration with themselves or the class. Either way the only clues we can get are from them or their peers. Dealing with what we find out cannot affect you as an instructor. Your time and interest may help the student's motivation.
I think some students are there just for nothing and whatever you try to do their mood is hard to change. Even if they change one time, they normally come back to same next day.
I USUALLY REMIND THEM WHAT THEY ARE THERE FOR AND STEER THEM BACK ON THAT PATH.
I try to observe the students mood throughout the day. If I feel that they are not participating I try to talk to them and find out what the problem is on a positive note and try to tell them not to worry about what is going on outside of school and focus on what is going on now. Sometimes I feel it is also the students way of getting attention.
Hi Susan,
A key part of class/student management is keeping your finger on the pulse of the class. Your observation method is a good way of being able to adapt to the changing students situations.
Gary
There are myriad reasons a student comes to class moody. I know this because I too am prone to moodiness. In my experience practically all of the factors that grate on students are externally based. Granted, class performance can factor in, but 9 out of 10 times the attitude comes from exposure to "stress factors" during the day. Maybe it's lack of sleep, maybe someone just cut them off in traffic, maybe they are having problems in a relationship. The list is practically endless. Ideally your class can be an oasis where they can put these "grump factors" on hold for awhile. It's very important to identify the moody student and try to make something positive happen in his or her life during the class. You know, there are GOOD moods, too... and maybe you can generate one.
Hi Johnny,
Good point about generating a "good" mood setting in your classroom. The instructor is the leader and guide and must reflect a professional approach to encouraging the learning of students. Keep up the good work on making your classroom a place students want to come and learn.
Gary
More often then not it means a great deal to students when you give them one on one attention by expressing your concern for their well-being and their "emotions" that they bring with them to class. Addtionally, I like to express my concern, as well as, subtly express appropriate professional student behavior. I find that they come in with a slightly better attitude.
I often deal with students that do not know how to separate the personal from the professional. An outside factor influences them and it is impossible to get them to turn their mood around. I find it is best to stay as neutral as possible and concentrate on the positive students. By concentrating on the positive, it may help to decrease the negativity.
