Children that get anxious or defiant in a classroom, or even at home, are not a new phenomenon. What has changed, though, is the strategies we use to deescalate the issues that can come from our interactions in their time of, for lack of a better word, attacks. There is no “one size fits all” fix for these issues, but there are a number of strategies that you can employ to help students overcome their troubles.
Anxiety can come in two forms; nerves about school or an actual mental disorder. It rarely matters which form their anxiety comes from as most of the time the results are the same. Defiant students are rarely defiant just to be difficult, they are working through something and don’t know how to express that issue. It comes to you, as the teacher, to understand why these issues are popping up and how to prevent them if possible. When things get out of hand, your best bet is simply to work on a deescalation plan and get the issue back to a manageable level.
The next 20 slides are going to go over a number of strategies, but use them as a starting point. You know your students better than anyone and you will know how to best make the choices you need to to ensure the issues are under control. These different steps are going to be valuable starting points, but don’t hesitate to use them as jumping off points to create your own strategies as well.
The biggest thing to remember here is how important it is to keep in touch with the student and make sure you are working towards a common goal, whether they realize it or not. The big focus is on the student, but remember that you are an important part of this process. Without you, the student will struggle to move forward. If you accomplish your goals together, on the other hand, the student will be much more successful as they move through school and life.