Q. How do I Stop Outbursts in the Classroom?

When students are having outbursts of anger in the classroom, there is almost always an underlying reason. Getting to the bottom of the behavior is the only key to getting the behavior to go away.

First, take a mental inventory of what was going on in the class prior to each outburst. This activity will provide invaluable information about the reason behind the outburst. For example:

An outburst when the student is supposed to be working on independent seat work may indicate that the student is struggling with the work. This may be because she does not understand the material or because she is unable to focus due to something else going on in the classroom.

An outburst when the student is supposed to be working together with another student or group of students may indicate that the student needs help to understand how to interact appropriately. This may also be the result of another student teasing or bullying.

Taking the student aside and quietly discussing what happened and why the student responded the way he did is also helpful, but this discussion should not happen right after the outburst. The student is likely to be angry still and waiting until after lunch or after the next activity may help.

Taking the student away from the situation is the quickest way to ensure that no one gets hurt and that the student does not continue to act up. Be careful, though, to not allow the student to get out of work as this may create a reason for the student to continue to act out.

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