Tina and I learned a lot from each other this summer in our workshops, and classroom management was at the top of the things that we worked on. We have five or six “plans” now (levels of intervention). Here is Plan D, my favorite, because it is a true power move, perhaps the best I’ve ever seen. Note that it would only be used after Plans A-C have failed:
You have now told the student that you will have a longer conversation. If they are again disruptive, either that same day or the next day, or again in the future, you need to make good on that promise. This is a juncture where you will want to summon all of your positive self-talk. It is very heart-wrenching to send a student to the hall. However, this is a necessary step in forming a relationship with this student based on trust, communication, and follow-through. Many students who persist in breaking the rules are testing you, to see where you will back down. They are experts at this. Let’s imagine that earlier in the period, or perhaps yesterday or a couple of days ago, you took the time to slowly and calmly speak to that student individually. Now the behavior is still continuing. Take a few calming breaths as you slowly and powerfully walk over to the student. You might think to yourself, “I am glad to have an opportunity to support this student and strengthen our relationship in the long run by showing them what kind of leader I am.”
Now get down beside them and ask them to step into the hall so you can speak with them later in private. Then stand up, take a coupe steps away from the student, and calmly resume instruction. Do not make a big production of waiting for the student to get up and exit the room. Act as if you have every confidence that the student will comply with your request of their own accord. Remember, in all discipline, the goal is to de-escalate and remove attention from the situation in the heat of the moment. There is a small chance that the student will not comply. In that case, you will want to go back over to the student again after a few minutes and simply repeat the same sequence of steps that you did the first time you spoke with them. Remain calm and non-confrontational, and keep the interaction quiet and private, from your kneeling position by the student’s seat. Remember that the class is watching you. This interaction is not just about your relationship with this student but your position as leader for the entire class.
So just remain calm and say to the student, “I asked you to wait in the hall. We can have a quick conversation in the hall during class right now, or we can have a more complicated situation. It is your choice. I will keep teaching and wait to see what choice you make when I get up from your seat here.” Then signal calmly to your Concierge to come help the student to the hall. You have ideally chosen a supportive, calm, and kind student for this job, and they can help coerce their peer into coming to the hall with them. Calmly continue teaching, walking away from the student. After a minute, look back in a calm, nonchalant way, to see if the student has indeed chosen to go to the hall. If the student has not done so, you will want to call administration. If they cannot or will not come to support you, you really have no choice but to continue teaching. You now have two options. One, at the end of the period, hold the student back so that you can follow up with them in private. Two, tell the class to turn and talk about something, perhaps simply saying, “Turn and tell a partner what we have learned so far about X” where X is whatever you have been talking about. Then as the class talks, follow up with the student. No matter what, at this juncture you will want to get in touch with administration, counseling, their coach, if they have one, and the student’s family.
Most students, however, will not put up any resistance and will go on to the hall either of their own accord or with the assistance of the Concierge.
When you have a private conversation with the student, you will want to use your body language to de-escalate and support a productive conversation that truly leads to change. So you will want to stand shoulder to shoulder with the student, not facing them in a confrontational posture. Mirror their body language. Lean on the wall if they are leaning on the wall, sit if they are sitting. Humans respond more positively to others who mirror their body language back to them.
You do not want to make eye contact with the student during this conversation. Look off into the distance, in the direction that the student is looking. You will now ask a memorized sequence of questions. This takes off a great deal of pressure, as you now simply need to focus on remaining calm, using a non-confrontational posture and a calm tone, breathing, modeling calm energy for the student to respond to, whiole asking them a series of memorized reflection questions. Here they are:
1. “What was happening?”
If the student says “I dunno” then simply ask again. Do not state the behavior. They need to state it. That way they can own it, and describe it from their perspective. If they say something snarky like, “I was just asking what you were saying!” that is OK, just proceed once they have acknowledged the behavior.
Say, “Thank you.” Truly mean it. This student is helping you, and is complying with your wishes even though they probably do not feel like it. This is big internal work for a child. Acknowledge it.
Do not restate, put into “teacher language”, elaborate or add on or correct their response. Simply accept it, thank them, and move on.
If a student refuses to answer, say, “I will come back in a few minutes to see if you have an answer to this question.” Return to the room, leaving the child outside in the hall to reflect. Take deep breaths and remain as calm as always. Do not feed the student any nervous or anxious or angry energy. You want to simply exude calm, assertive, get-it-done energy. If they refuse to talk to you the second time you return, repeat that you will be back. If the third time you attempt to engage with the student, they still stonewall you, then you know that there is a much bigger problem at play here than just Spanish class. Leave them in the hall and follow up later, with administration and counselors and family involvement, if possible.
The majority of students, however, will answer our question the first time and we can simply move on to ask the second question in our sequence:
2. “How is that a problem for the class?”
Again, do not give up or accept a non-answer, but do thank them for their response. Do not add on, simply allow them to be correct in whatever they say, as long as it is an honest answer to the question.
Next we ask Question 3 in the sequence:
3. “How is that a problem for me as your teacher?”?
You will repeat the same type of interaction as in the first two questions.
Finally, we move on to Question 4, the last one:
4. “How is this going to be a problem for you if it does not stop?” At this point the student will generally name the consequence they fear most. Generally, the students name calling parents, detentions, or office referrals. If they say, “We will talk in the hall some more,” tell them that this is the last time we will talk in the hall and inform them of a more appropriate consequence.
This sequence is worth studying and memorizing. Having all the steps ready to deploy is extremely soothing for your mental health and boosts your confidence. It is important that you not have to make those decisions when you are in your reptilian brain, and in fight or flight mode. You will be so glad that you have invested the time to learn self-soothing mechanisms, such as deep breaths and positive self-talk – ways to get you back into a calm headspace so you can support the student in remaining calmer as well. You will also be glad that you have a memorized script to deploy in a mechanical fashion, taking the guesswork and nervousness out of an already-charged situation, having to confront students and correct their behavior.