Emotional outbursts, temper tantrums, yelling, lashing out.
Severe misbehavior like this needs to be dealt with differently than typical rule breaking.
How you respond goes a long way toward gaining control of the incident, keeping it from affecting other students, and lessening the chances of it happening again.
An Ineffective Response
Like parents who rush wide-eyed whenever a child falls and scrapes his knee, it’s a mistake to be in a hurry to intervene when students lose their cool.
The inclination to jump in and fix the problem can make matters worse. In response to an angry, verbally aggressive student, here is what you should never do:
Enforce a consequence.
You must hold students who act out in anger accountable—without a doubt—but not right away. You risk escalating the problem if you immediately try to pull them aside or put them in time-out.
Get angry.
Aggression on aggression is an explosive mix. Never yell, scold, or attempt to use the power of your authority to stop emotionally charged students.
Touch the student.
It’s common for teachers to place a hand on a student’s shoulder in an attempt to calm. But you don’t know what students are thinking in any given moment or what they’re capable of. It’s best to keep your distance.
Talk with the student.
Angry students are not open to conversation. So during and up to a couple of hours after the outburst, leave them alone.
An Effective Response
When a student acts out in anger in the classroom, here is what you should do:
Stay calm.
Keeping your emotions in check is the first step to gaining control of any situation.
Observe.
Stand firmly where you can observe the student in question and show the class you’re in control, but far enough away to keep an eye on all of your students.
Shield.
Your other students must not talk to or otherwise involve themselves with the angry student. Your first priority is to keep them safe, calm, and uninvolved.
Nothing.
Often, it’s best not to say or do anything. If the angry student stops the behavior, simply continue on with what you were doing—for now—allowing the student time to cool off.
Calm the student.
Rarely, you might have to use calming language and reassurance to settle the student down. Say, “Take it easy… I know you’re frustrated… We’ll talk about it later…” or words to that effect.
Wait.
Don’t speak to the angry student until he or she is in a calm emotional state. Continue with your day until you know the student is ready to listen.
Document.
As soon as you are able, document the student’s behavior. Write down everything said or done and interview all students near or involved in the incident. Make a copy for your records—muy importante.
Contact parents.
Severe misbehavior must be reported to parents. However, resist the urge to offer opinions or conclusions. Just give the facts. You do your job and let parents do—or not do—theirs.
Hold accountable.
After the student returns to a calm frame of mind, which could take a couple of hours, briefly explain how he or she will be held accountable.
Provide a stiff consequence.
Acting out in anger should result in an immediate escalation of consequences. A full day, in-class separation from the rest of the students is a good place to start.
Take care of it yourself.
Unless the behavior is physically aggressive, I’m not in favor of getting the principal involved. Involving administration weakens your authority and your ability to manage your classroom.
Take Your Time
You can’t go wrong taking your time in response to verbal aggression, tantrums, acting out in anger, and the like.
Waiting and observing allows you to accurately assess the behavior, keeps you from losing your cool, and clearly establishes you as the leader in control of the classroom.
Note: For students with recurring behavior problems, see the article series How To Turn Around Difficult Students.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
This is more of a question then a comment: What if you are teaching elementary kids, and you only see them for 40 minutes, and after they leave your classroom they won’t return again for a week or 2? I teach K-4 Art, and our schedule is kind of wacky. I have a kid who will throw temper tantrums right a clean up time. His class leaves, my next class is walking in my door as we are trying to escort the still screaming kid out the door. I won’t get to see him calm down. And does it really make sense to give a first grader a consequence almost 2 weeks later? He most likely doesn’t even remember the incident…and reminding him of it will only cause him to flip out again.
Hi Beth,
Seeing students so infrequently gives you a disadvantage. It’s difficult to build leverage and influence with students you don’t see every day. However, it’s not okay to throw a tantrum during your art class, and you absolutely must hold the student accountable. You can do this a couple of different ways:
1. If you want it to happen immediately, then inform the classroom teacher that the child will spend the next recess (or lunch or both or whatever is appropriate given the behavior that prompted the tantrum) with you–literally with you and not in a time-out area.
2. Go to the child’s classroom and let him know (after settling down) that he will miss the first half of the next art lesson. First graders can remember this far in advance, but if you’re concerned about it, simply remind the child a day or so beforehand. Also, make your next art lesson especially fun–ham it up and let him see what he’s missing and feel the weight of his poor choice the previous week.
Whatever you choose to do, a phone call or letter home to parents detailing the child’s behavior and explaining your plan for accountability is essential.
Michael
As a consequence, you suggested “full-day in-class separation from the rest of the students”. I’m not sure what this would look like. For elementary, would this be in your classroom but in a “satellite” desk separated from others? I’m laid off and subbing right now and I’m about to take over a K-1 combo through the end of the year. And what about middle school? I did a long stretch of mostly eighth grade earlier this year – would you do this the next day during their class period?
Hi Carolyn,
Yes, you’re exactly right on both accounts.
Michael
Hi Michael,
Like Beth, I teach Craft/ Handwork 75 mins per week to children from Kindy to Grade 6. I’m a new teacher but still hopeful I can set and engender appropriate behaviour in my room. The school’s policy for students having received 3 warnings is being sent to another class (unfortunately outsourcing my discipline at that point) but I have had a student refuse to go (which also undermines my authority to the rest of the class). A senior teacher has said I should send him a messenger to come and collect the student (being a small school, the full time teachers hold more sway than the specialists). If you have a suggestion for my dilemma I’d be grateful. Thank you for your work, your book and your website is absolutely what I need when starting out. Kind Regards, Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I would ask your principal permission to create your own classroom management plan. This would be the best option. By sending him to someone else, you’re weakening your authority/power. However, If this isn’t possible, and you have to follow the school’s plan, then when a student refuses to go to time-out you must have a further consequence. A letter home would be my choice (see last week’s article Why A Letter Home Is An Effective Consequence). As soon as the student refuses to go, I wouldn’t wring my hands over it, argue with him, or try to convince him to go. I’d just hand him the letter.
Michael
Thank you very much. This is very useful for me. I am clinical psychologist at international school in Egypt (American system).
Great Sanaa! I’m glad you’re a Smart Classroom Management reader.
Michael
I think you are wrong in not using the resource of a principal. At the very least they should be notified and given a copy of the documentation. Angry parents often end up in a principal’s office not a classroom, and they should be informed of the severe misbehavior. Principals are a needed part of an effective behavior management team. Specifically for the type of severe behavior you are describing.