Controlling Student emotions
Hello:
I work in a very small school. Many of my students have strong emotions and often bring them from one class to the next. I ask that they refrain from openly criticizing instructors-- as this leads to a volatile situation many times.
I will ask them to stop it and then after my class. I will see if they need to vent some frustration. I will encourage them to stay focused on their goals.
If this does happen I will alter my lesson plan some to bring in a motivation tool to lift up the spirits in the classroom.
Greg,
Emotions are strong tools that can be used to focus students on their goals. Keep working towards activities to focus them in.
Philip Campbell
I understand when students bring strong emotions to class. I have a system I use to try to keep personal emotions and the goals of the class in check by using a "parking" system. If a student addresses a class-related topic, but it is not what we are covering at the moment, I designate a spot on the board to write it down to cover at the end of class so the student feels they were acknowledged and we stay on track. If the student raises a very personal issue, I will stop them, acknowledge them and let them know I am there to hear their concerns/issues but they would be better addressed at the end of class when we can speak alone and figure out a resolution/plan to address their specific/personal issue.
Appears we have one or two (thankfully not more) "high spirited" students in each class. Many come forward to let us know they are on medications, having difficulty regulating them, missing sleep and other complexities typical to college. Being available before and after class helps. I like the idea of writing thier questions on the board to address after lecture. Pat J
I just had an incident in which a student got angry with several other students. I noticed how her anger escalatated by the minutes. I knew she was not only working herself up but working up the other students as they became fearful and seemed very tensed. The energy in the classroom changed dramatically. I tried to calm this student down by speaking with her in a very soft tone and eventually asked if she needed some time to control herself. She opted to take a brake, at that time I addressed the class, and we were able to fiqure out what was so upsetting to this student. When she return, the entire class wtih my direction talked about the situation, and how it all affected all of us. This time it worked out great, but I have known some incidents in which the outcome was not so postitive.
Catharine,
Thanks for sharing. I am sure this was not a good situation to be and can go either way. I am glad it turned out positive for you. Be careful, as you said it could go bad. Good facilitation is what makes it work.
Philip Campbell
Most of us, I believe, have at times had to work with and try to manage students who are not good at controlling their emotions. It can change the entire dynamic of the class as a whole. One thing I have done is to remove the student who may be volatile and simply change the environment. I walk with the student one on one, allowing him or her to "vent." I listen at first without comment. Then I try to offer constructive feedback to the student on how to properly handle emotions or his/her own reactions. Many times the situation is diffused by just showing the student that someone is willing to listen.
James,
Listening is the key most times. I agree lending an ear is the best thing sometimes. Just don't allow them to think that because you are listening that it means you agree with them. Give them feedback on what they say.
Philip Campbell
I have noticed that there are very few classes in which all the students behave with no issues. As teachers we learn how to spot various emotions in students and learn how to deal with them. In most cases I have learned that most of these emotions are due to outside influences. I have found that talking with students after class or after school about the issues they are having builds new lines of communication. Very often I notice a change in the students behavior, and they become more tolerable. Sometimes the student needs to vent their frustrations. This allows them to do it in a more constructive manner.
