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There is nothing magic about talking someone down. You are transferring your sense of calm and genuine interest in what the student wants to tell you, and of respectful, clear limit setting in the hope that the student actually wishes to respond positively to your respectful attention.

Source: Adapted with permission from Eva Skolnik-Acker's: "Verbal De-Escalation Techniques"

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Techniques to use to help calm down a student who may be angry or upset.

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Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)

A simple technique that takes just a few minutes can help an agitated student regain the state of mind needed for learning.

So often we find students in a stressed or anxious state of mind. The most telltale signs are inappropriate behaviors or outbursts, negative comments, and anxiety-ridden movements such as fidgeting, leg shaking, and fist clenching. These signals should raise immediate concern and indicate to educators that a response may be needed. The goal is to guide the student to a self-regulated mindset, but how does a teacher do that?

First let's review what is going on with a student in the middle of an outburst. Cortisol, which is responsible for keeping people alive in the face of danger, is being released. Often referred to as the stress hormone, cortisol plays a crucial role in our ability to protect ourselves. When we experience stressful situations, the release of cortisol helps us respond rapidly, but it comes with a cost, as it negatively affects the brain's ability to function at an optimal level.

Think of it like this: You're in the ocean on a surfboard waiting for the perfect wave. A short distance away, you see a shark fin pop out of the water, heading your way. Immediately two chemicals- cortisol and adrenaline-are released and you enter the fight, flight, or freeze response: You can fight the shark, flee by paddling as fast as you can, or freeze and hope the shark loses interest in you. Whatever your response, you find yourself in a moment of stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and fear due to heightened cortisol levels.

Now let's consider how this might look in a learning environment. At the end of a class, two students learn that they have received a poor grade on a science test. This is not a life-or-death situation like the approaching shark, but the physiological response is the same. The students' cortisol levels are high and they are anxious, a state of mind that doesn't support clear, conscious thinking. Upon entering their English class, the two students are visibly upset. One heads straight for their seat and begins to cry, while the other throws their book bag on the floor and punches the desk. For the teacher, recognizing these signs before beginning class is important.

The Stress Response and the Brain

The young brain can be confusing, complex, and often misunderstood, not only from the perspective of adults but more importantly from that of the students themselves. In order for students to understand how their brain functions, it's important to teach them about a few parts of the brain and their functions. To keep it simple, teach them about the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus.

The amygdala directs rapid responses when necessary-the fight, flight, or freeze response. When the amygdala detects a threat, it responds faster than the prefrontal cortex, which directs the ability to make decisions and problem-solve, and the hippocampus, which is responsible for remembering details and storing memories. The two areas of the brain most needed for academic work are thus bypassed. As a result, an anxious, stressed, or fearful state of mind can lead to poor decision-making, inability to think with clarity, and impulsive behaviors.

Learning how to calm ourselves is imperative for our well-being, and the following technique, which is designed to decrease negative impulses and emotions, can be shared with students. The goal is to lead them to more regulated thinking and learning.

A De-escalation Technique

Let's go back to the two upset students in their English class. They aren't ready to work, but the teacher can help by taking a few minutes to guide them back to a state of calm.

This process should take anywhere from four to six minutes and be centered on the student. I've provided a sample of what a teacher might say at each stage, but you should modify those statements so they feel natural to you.

If you have a paraprofessional or in-class support teacher, you can ask a student who seems upset to step out into the hallway or into an area of the classroom set aside for de-escalation. Or you can do this as a whole-class starter activity for anyone who might have something worrisome on their minds. Students can either choose this de-escalation technique-thinking over their answers instead of sharing them out loud-or engage in a warm-up activity connected to the class such as completing a journal entry or worksheet.

Give the student time to regain their calm: Say, "I notice you're really upset. Let's work together on breathing slowly for one minute in order to manage your impulses."

Direct the student to be aware of their thoughts and feelings: Say, "What's going on in your brain and body right now? Tell me how you feel and what you're thinking, and if you're ready to focus on moving forward with getting calm."

Have the student redirect their thoughts: Say, "Take a minute, close your eyes, breathe slowly, and think about something that makes you happy. I know you told me how much you love your grandma's fresh-baked cookies. Think about walking into grandma's house in a calm state of mind as you smell the cookies, taste the cookies, and feel the warmth of them right out of the oven."

Give the student positive feedback on becoming calm: Say, "Now open your eyes. How are you feeling? If you need more time to settle down, let me know. You should feel happy and excited about your work in getting to this point."

Give the student a little more time to refocus: Say, "Take a minute and do something for you. Go for a walk and get some air, or tell me about your baseball game the other night."

Have the student reflect for the future: Say, "The next time you're feeling this way and I'm not with you, what can you tell yourself in order to take charge of your thinking and behavior, and get yourself to a regulated place?"

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A De-escalation Exercise for Upset Students

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A simple technique that takes just a few minutes can help an agitated student regain the state of mind needed for learning.

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6 Proactive Classroom Management Strategies for Adult Learners

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6 Proactive Classroom Management Strategies for Adult Learners

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Flexible Teaching to Minimize Disruptions

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Flexible Teaching to Minimize Disruptions

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Flexible Teaching to Minimize Disruptions | Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

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Familiarize yourself with University emergency closing policy General suggestions Be proactive: Whether short-term, such as a snow day or hurricane, or long-term as seen in 2020, a disruption in the academic calendar can create challenges. Considering the possibility that such disruptions ...

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Create Your Classroom Rules WITH Your Students for a Powerful New Year

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Create Your Classroom Rules WITH Your Students for a Powerful New Year

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The hustle and bustle of a new school year can get overwhelming. This is true because of things like curriculum planning, attending meetings, and organizing supplies, but also because you have to teach students the routines, procedures, and rules of the art room.

Because we have so many classes, the repetitive nature of this can grow tiresome. That's why, in my classroom, I believe in creating expectations with my students.

Creating expectations with students is an empowering activity to help build the community and culture of the art room.

Allowing students to take ownership over their environment shows them you value their thoughts. In the book, The Classroom of Choice: Giving Students What They Need and Getting What You Want, author Jonathan Erwin says, "One of the most effective and practical ways teachers can give students a say in the classroom is by allowing them to participate in developing the classroom rules or behavior guidelines."

From experience, I find teachers value leadership that takes their ideas and opinions into account when creating building norms or making changes in the school environment. So, you can see how this would work well with students, too!

Here are 3 benefits to creating classroom expectations with your students.

1. Your students will feel valued.

Many times in school, students are told what to do or how to think. Erwin supports this statement when he writes, "In academic classes, students are told how to behave, what to learn, when and how to learn it, and they are assessed in ways that may not take into account the diverse intelligences that exist in every student population."

Giving students a say will allow them to feel valued. As they contribute to the classroom expectations, they are more likely to follow them. They also will be able to use their critical thinking skills as they develop ideas to share with the class. It is beneficial to have student investment to promote a positive and safe learning environment.

2. Your students will understand the power of collaboration.

Getting students to collaborate on the first day is a great way to show how much you value students working together. As the teacher, you are modeling collaboration as well by getting students involved in developing classroom expectations. Instead of the usual "sit and get" structure, you are providing your students with a meaningful and interactive learning experience.

3. Your students will have a clear understanding of the expectations.

Having students directly involved in the creation of classroom expectations leaves less room for confusion. When students are a direct part of the process, they comprehend everything better. Students won't just be listening to you explain the expectations, they will be direct participants, brainstorming, discussing, and refining!

Let's talk about exactly how to generate expectations together.

Here are 3 ways to create shared classroom expectations.

1. Hold a Group Discussion

If this idea is new for you, having a basic classroom discussion is helpful and a comfortable way to start. This method also works especially well for younger elementary students who can't yet write well. Simply give prompts about rules you have had in the past and ask for additional suggestions.

For example, respect is a typical rule you will find in most classes. Bring up the topic of respect. Ask students, "Why it is important to be respectful in art class?," or, "What are ways for the class to be respectful in art class?" This questioning technique allows you to guide the discussion but allows for students to gain a deeper understanding and add input about expectations for the classroom.

2. Have Your Students Create Web Charts

To get even more collaborative, allow your students the opportunity to work and brainstorm together.

First, split your students into groups.
Each group will need a large piece of paper and a writing utensil.

Then, show your students how to create a web chart.
The center circle on the chart should be labeled something like, "Art Room Rules." Then, show them how to add lines going from the center circle to another circle. These secondary circles will house what they feel are good rules for the art room. For example, "Use supplies correctly." Let students get to work.

Finally, have students share out to the class.
After about 5-10 minutes of work time, have students share what their ideas with the class. Write common themes on the board and create a list of classroom expectations from what your students added to their web charts.

3. Conduct a Collaborative Sticky Note Activity

This activity is great for older students who can handle more movement around the room and more independent work.

1. Start with a brief discussion about the importance of expectations in the classroom. Write the main expectations your students discuss on the board.

2. Create a sticky note for each expectation. These might be things like Respect, Be Kind, Work Hard, etc... Place each sticky note on a different table in your classroom.

3. Give your students sticky notes (or even small pieces of scrap paper). Then, ask them to consider each expectation. For each expectation, have them write some specific ways students could follow the expectation in the classroom or why the expectation is important. Have students leave their thoughts at the corresponding tables.

Holding Students Accountable

No matter how you go about creating your classroom expectations, it's important to come up with some sort of visual or document for your students.
Here are two ways to do that.

1. Create a classroom visual.
Your classes will likely come up with similar expectations. Therefore, you can create a poster to lay everything out and display it in your room. You could also create a verbal pledge for your students or have them recite the expectations and acknowledge that they will follow them.

2. Create a contract.
If you want to save your wall space, have students sign a contract with the expectations they designed for the classroom. You can give each student an individual copy or have a copy for each class with a line for each student's name. You can post this in the room or refer to it when needed. If you are low on paper, try a verbal agreement.

Both of these methods allow you to have an easy reference if students forget the rules. If things are going awry, you can point to your poster or contract and conduct a mini-class targeted toward the expectations that need attention. It's powerful to be able to refer to the expectations and remind students they were involved in the creation of them.
What do you do on the first day of class when it comes to classroom expectations? What other benefits are there to creating shared classroom expectations with students?
Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.

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Create Your Classroom Rules WITH Your Students for a Powerful Start to the Year

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Create Your Classroom Rules WITH Your Students for a Powerful Start to the Year Relationship Building % %