1. Avoiding Power Struggles in the Classroom
Herrell, Chapter 12

2. These “dogs” are not personally empowered or
have feelings of “self worth
When the teacher reacts angrily at any type of
confrontation, the situation becomes a power
struggle
These challenges are not personal, so the
Teacher should react professionally and
appropriately
So, in order to avoid power struggles, the teacher must:
Disengage from the struggle
Interrupt the escalation
De-escalate the conflict by using
Diversion
Time away
Cool down
Paraphrasing/open ended questions
Identify the problem and find a solution
Recognize effort and progress

3. Strategies for reducing Student Anger:
Use positive words
Use nonverbal strategies
Acknowledge the student’s choice
Offer face saving route
Use humor
Label the emotion
Examine the cause
Individual class exercise
Be ready to present in class an example of each
Of the strategies to reduce student anger