1. Dealing with Difficult Situations Involving Students
Leanne de Main

2. Aims of the session Identifying difficult situations
Dealing with difficult situations
The effect on other students
The effect on the tutor
Sharing experiences and strategies for overcoming difficult students/situations

3. Disruptive Behaviour
Disruptive behaviour is defined as: “repeated, continuous, and/or multiple student behaviours that hamper the ability of instructors to teach and students to learn.”

4. Some difficult situations ...
Here are some experiences that have been shared previously:
Teaching from other peoples materials causing student uncertainty
An exceptionally clever mature student who constantly challenges her lecturers
Student expectations of high marks when their work to date has not justified this
Students challenging my knowledge of the subject area
Students walking out in the middle of a lecture
Using phones during the lecture
Late arrivals either at start of class or after a break

5. Some more .... Monopolizing classroom discussions
Talking when the Lecturer or others are speaking
Students displaying threatening, violent behaviour
Over keen students taking over group work
Student who is very confrontational
Student asks me a question and I do not feel confident in answering it

6. Activity 1
In your groups, give every group member the opportunity to describe an example of student(s) being difficult:
What happened?
What caused the problem?
What was the Tutors response?
How did other students respond?
Summarise the problems
15 mins
Summarise the problems ...

7. Activity 2 What may have influenced the situation?
Consider the feedback, select a scenario:
What may have influenced the situation?
Is the student to blame or the teacher?
Could there be a weakness in the teaching process?
What strategies can you suggest to manage the situation?
What should the teacher NOT do?
15 mins

8. Are You a Difficult Student?
How would you like to be treated?
What would change your behaviour?

9. Further thoughts
It only takes one student to change the dynamics of the class
Not everyone has the same needs/wants/styles etc.
Have a ‘box of tricks’!
Performers have methods for dealing with hecklers!
Try an inclusive approach
International examples, give vocal students something to talk about, let them chose examples relevant, guided handouts etc.

10. Survival tips! Check your: Look for cues from other students
Tone
Language
Body language
Look for cues from other students
Is the customer always right?
What can you do to better engage the students?
Deal straight away with the disruptive situation
Keep calm
Know the equipment
Don’t take it personally
Talk about it
Observe another seminar
You cannot please everyone every time!
Don't reward bad behaviour
Be a role model for the behavior you require of your students – be prepared – great students at the door
Ask the students how they would resolve the issue—this will give them some ownership. Also ask how
they would handle the situation if they were the instructor.
Address the class not the individual – to start with.
‘Is there a question at the back?’
‘Stop and stare at the student ...’
Dealing with hostile and oppositional students.
Downs, J. R. (1992). Dealing with hostile and oppositional students. College Teaching, 40 (3),
Steps toward Harmony
• Ask yourself if you've done anything to contribute to the conflict
• Confer with the student one-on-one in a neutral setting
• Find a common ground
• Try a series of cooperative learning exercises and discuss social skills
• Try not to take attacks personally, or to become defensive
• Talk with colleagues about similar situations and how they handled them
• Integrate problem-solving and conflict resolution activities into your regular lessons
• Use direct confrontation as a last resort
Discuss

12. Ground rules Student & Tutor Led
students adhere more to ground rules they have played a role in creating
Starting from the same point
Understand expectations (of each other)
Encourages focus, listening and working together
Creating a good atmosphere for learning and participation
Good for early formation group work
Without ground rules how do they know what is acceptable
Different lectures have different levels of tolerance
Aslo, how do you know what experiences they have had before – college etc?
Agree the consequences of breaking the ground rules, mutually agree them.

13. Disability awareness You might be the first person who
identifies a need
for further
assistance
There is no
right way
Students who have autism or aspergers have different needs, what works for one might not work with another.
Don’t be afraid to talk to the student about it, unacceptable behaviour is still not allowed, consider others in the classroom.
Full Time/Sandwich
Percentage
Part Time
Total Students
Disabled
1120
3.80%
543
1.84%
1663
Not Disabled
16398
55.63%
11417
38.73%
27815
17518
11960
29478

14. Distressed students Know the students services well
See the ‘Staff Guide to Student Services’ (on Staffnet)
Be aware of other sources of help
(APT’s, Mentors etc)
Be aware of your own professional boundaries

15. More on Engaging Students
Making learning in small groups effective
Creating a presence in the learning environment
Strategies for engaging students in lectures
Activity Led Learning
Making Learning Happen
Empowerment of students with disabilities and the implications for assessment design
The Global Classroom - Towards inclusive teaching of culturally diverse students