Dealing with Challenging Students in a Classroom: Tips and Body Language. Remember that whatever the behavior, each student should be treated with respect and patience. Never assume you know students intentions.

1. Talkative or Monopolizing 

• Take the discussion back to the rest of the class
  • “You’ve raised an interesting point, maybe others would like to comment on that.”
  • “Who else had a similar question?” or “how many of you agree with this point of view?”
    • Body Language: Direct your gaze at other students and move your body towards them, away from the talkative students – stating you will now be listening to others.

2. Distracting Behaviour– Questions and comments that have nothing to do with the material being discussed.
   • You can try to redirect the conversation – “That is interesting, but not directly related to our current topic so, we will save that for later.”
   • You can talk to the student after class “That idea deserves a lot more time, perhaps we can discuss that after class.”
     • Body language: you should turn away from the student towards the rest of the class while changing the topic. 

3. Upset or Angry Behaviour
   • Try to diffuse the situation by listening respectfully, acknowledging that they may be correct and stating your position calmly.
   • If the situation applies to others.
     1. Risky at times- involve other students- If there are a few students that are angry, the situation might roller coaster out of control.
     2. I prefer to listen to the student, acknowledge and inform him/her that you’ll discuss this with other students after class and we can come to a decision in the next session. By that time the angry students are less emotional, you have a better understanding of how other students feel in a more anonymous setting.
   • If you are at fault, admit your mistake and indicate your eagerness to resolve it as quickly as possible. If you are having a hard time admitting your mistake to a class full of students – ask the student to see you after class – “I would like to talk to you about this after class – would that be Ok?”

4. Rude or Disruptive Behaviour 
   • Prevention – make it clear from the first class what types of behavior are and are not acceptable, and the consequences if expectations are not followed. This advice, although is completely rational – has not always worked for me in the past. I find that the students close up and then it becomes very difficult to bring them out of their shell. So now, I postpone this discussion for after the class interactions start flourishing unless I observe someone crossing a line.
     • Body Language: I generally smile and use the politest tone and shake my head – this generally gets others to shake their heads in agreement. Students also want to be in a friendly environment.
   • Dealing with it as it happens: As soon as a situation presents itself, you should deal with it. You can decide if you should deal with them in class or at another time. Be firm. Remain calm. Be respectful – don’t assume you know the intentions.  Don’t use empty threats.
     • Body Language: Be as still as you can to convey the seriousness of the situation. 

Credit: This post is based on  https://www.edu.uwo.ca/graduate-education/lead_ta/legacy_project_2014/documents/UBC_Okanagan_TA_Manual_20087182.pdf

The worth of your teaching

is not determined by a single failure

but by aggregate successes.

Great ambition and conquest without contributions

is without significance

In every class I teach, I include an informal teaching evaluation in the middle of the term. There are two purposes. First, evaluating before the semester is over allows me to address issues as the course proceeds. Second, because I can respond to their suggestions while they are still in class, it allows students to feel heard, and gives them greater ownership in the course.

This evaluation has changed over time. Initially, I conducted a full anonymous evaluation, where every student filled an evaluation. However, the range of feedback was too wide, and I couldn’t respond effectively. Now, I ask students to collaborate in groups of ten to discuss their questions and fill one evaluation. This reduces the number of reports, and also forces students to prioritize important issues within their in the group. The evaluations are thus clearer, and more effective. Further, I can now effectively respond to their evaluations. Each group sends in their report through an appointed representative. In a large class, these representatives often evolve to be my connection to other more shy students.

When I was in sixth grade, Mr. Dogra, my math teacher, called me to the board when I continued to have trouble answering a question that he had put up. The problem had already been explained twice to the class. The question involved adding fractions, finding the common denominator, cross-multiplying each numerator, and adding them. Rather than ask me to see him after class, Mr. Dogra had me figure it out on the board with his help. Throughout the year, he used this approach, tailoring his input only to meet the needs of each student. His method proved effective. Math became my favourite subject.

When Mr. Dogra and I worked together on the problems in the classroom, I could not comprehend the significance of the moment until much later: It was more effective to walk through each step of the process than to provide the answer, it helped gain clarity and build links between equations. Struggling to solve a math problem is not a sign of failure but of learning, which ultimately sharpens one’s math skills.

_________   ______   ____   ___   __   _

Struggling to solve a Math problem is not a sign of failure but of LEARNING.

_________   ______   ____   ___   __   _

I had an excellent teacher at school and a mathematician father at home – and I became a math wonk.

We then moved to England, and my math progress slowed down as my knowledge broadened to include English literature, music, history of wars, etc. Meanwhile, my Indian counterparts moved way ahead of me during this period.

My Indian education had been interrupted for four years by the time I entered eleventh grade. Though I treasured my schooling in England, it did not adequately prepare me to transition into the eleventh grade. Mathematics was particularly challenging for me. In addition, I was losing the confidence that Mr. Dogra and other excellent teachers had nurtured in me.

Trigonometry and geometry were not my strong suits, and integration was beyond my comprehension. So while my classmates drew snake-like symbols and solved problems quickly, I felt stuck.

As soon as I said, “I can’t do this question,” it quickly turned into “I suck at Math.”

But before it became “I hate Math,” another teacher came to the rescue.

Ms. Upal was clearly aware of my difficulties when she spoke to me privately and asked why I hadn’t even tried to resolve the issue. For trying to solve the math problems, she offered me partial marks. “Just show me some calculations. They don’t have to be accurate,” she said. So I went home and tackled my math assignment while experiencing the anxiety and sinking heart feeling that I had become accustomed to during math sessions.

Over the next few weeks, as she handed me partial grades, I began spending more time on math assignments – It wasn’t easy – it took weeks before the knots of stress I had started to associate with math slowly disappeared.

My solutions were improving, and I was comprehending her explanations in class. During a class, at one point in her narration, she smiled and asked me what was next. While still smiling, she gave me some hints and encouraged me to take my time. Finally, she asked me to continue when I reached the next step. Decades later, I still remember the exchange. My mind was focused entirely on solving the math problem that I had completely forgotten that I wasn’t good at math. As a student of Ms. Upal, I learned that practice and confidence are crucial elements in improving a student’s math ability.

This learning environment had other vital elements, including the sense that the teacher was invested in your learning and cared enough to address your hurdles. Fear of failing and anxiety were my barriers to deliberate practice, and once they were gone, I felt more confident to spend more hours on the subject.

I learned that practice and confidence are vital ingredients for good learning.

When students say they’re not good at a subject, I remember my own experience and encourage them to do more. Once they start solving problems, they’ll also believe in themselves. Eventually, they’ll realize that their narrative is the actual hurdle in their learning. I remind my students that I was once in their shoes; It is possible to improve your math skills and extend your abilities with deliberate practice.