The Chatty Classroom: Best Practices for Handling Negative Outbursts

Managing a classroom full of kids can be a challenge, especially when you have one or two who tend to make outbursts and rile up the rest of your students. We understand – whether managing a full classroom or simply teaching one child at home, dealing with outbursts is difficult. Here are some ideas for doing it professionally and effectively.

Don’t Take It Personally

Remember that kids don’t know you, not really. That means their outbursts, while they might feel personal, truly aren’t. Get some perspective before allowing your feelings to be hurt or overreacting.

But while you shouldn’t take it personally, you should take it seriously. Keep a file on each student that is directly related to discipline and behavior management. This will make it easier to fill out report cards, note trends in student behavior, and track the progress of your students.

Channel the Energy

Many students have outbursts because they simply have so much energy. If you can figure out how to channel it appropriately, you may have an easier time helping the student avoid bad behavior and stick to good.

Some students, for instance, love art, and will go out of their way to earn time to work on it. Order compelling art supplies so students have the right motivation to treat you and their peers with respect. Some students love nothing better than sitting in at the listening center. Set up a great center in the corner of your room or along one wall with AV supplies.

Some kids merely need a little more one-on-one time with adults. If that’s the case, invite kids to help you clean the classroom. Perhaps you let them polish computers with monitor wipes or use a compressed air duster. This is a surprisingly effective strategy.

Communicate with Other Stakeholders

Lastly, it’s crucial you communicate with everyone who has a stake in this child’s welfare about the problems that have been occurring. If you’re a home educator, this likely just means the child’s other parent.

For a classroom teacher, it means the parents, administrators in the building, and any other educators who oversee this child’s development (a counselor or speech pathologist, for instance). Be sure to track all other behavioral developments so you have them on file, perhaps using a selection of school forms.