Have you ever had a student who has yelled or shouted at you? If so, then this blog post is for you. This blog will explore the different ways to handle these situations and how they can be calmed down.
What are some strategies that I can use when students yell or shout at me? Why Do Students Yell or Shout At Teachers? What Should You Do When This Happens? What Should Not Be Done With A Student That Is Yelling Or Shouting? How To Prevent This From Happening Again? These are all questions that will be answered in today’s post! Let’s get started!
Why Do Students Yell or Shout At Teachers?
Each year, students will yell or shout at teachers for several reasons. These can range from wanting attention to not knowing how else to communicate. This type of behavior won’t just go away because it’s something that needs to be addressed by the school and parents, as well as you and the student. The following list includes five causes for students to yell or shout at you.
1. Attention
One reason that a student may yell or shout at you is that they want some sort of attention from them. This could be good attention, for example for doing something correctly, or negative attention in an attempt to get your focus solely on them. If you give them what they want, such as by giving them a look of disapproval or telling them to settle down, then the student will likely continue to yell or shout at you.
2. Upset
In some cases, a student may yell or shout at you because they are upset for one reason or another. This could be because of something that happened earlier in the day, such as getting into trouble or being bullied by another student. It could also be due to something going on at home, such as fighting with parents or siblings. Whatever the reason, if a student is upset, then they will be more likely to yell or shout at you.
3. Anger
Yelling and shouting at teachers could also happen because a student is angry with them for some reason. This can be due to you not listening to them properly, which makes them feel as though their thoughts and opinions don’t matter. It could be because of something you have said, which upsets them and makes them start yelling or shouting. If a student is angry with a teacher, it will more than likely lead to them yelling or shouting at them.
4. Peer Pressure
Another reason that students may yell or shout at you is because of peer pressure. If they seek approval and acceptance by the other students in their class, then they may do things that will gain them positive attention. This could mean following what everyone else is doing, regardless of whether they think it’s right or wrong. Peer pressure can cause a student to yell or shout at you out of a desire to fit in with everyone else.
5. Frustration
When students feel any combination of anger and frustration towards you, they may yell and shout at them. This type of situation could be because you have called on them when they wish they hadn’t been, or because this student feels that you are not taking them seriously about something very important to them.
6. A Way of Communicating
Students may also yell or shout at you because it’s simply a way of communicating to them. They may lack the skills to be able to properly tell you when they are not comfortable with something or don’t understand it. Instead of asking for help in a different way, they yell instead. For example, if they have autism or Asperger’s then they might not understand that certain behaviors are unacceptable.” and, “They could also be struggling with speech or language difficulties that mean they don’t know how to communicate their thoughts and feelings.”
7. Aggressive Behavior
Some students will show their aggression towards you by yelling and shouting at you. This is a way of showing dominance, and that the student has power over you. If they are frequently able to get away with this type of behavior, then it’s likely that they will continue to behave the same way in the future.
8. Not Knowing How Else To Communicate
The final reason why students may yell or shout at you is that they don’t know another way to communicate. When students lack the skills, they need to be able to tell you if something is wrong, or ask questions, then yelling and shouting may seem like a good idea as it’s simply what has been done in the past. If a student gets yelled at for asking a question, then they may also learn that this is not an appropriate type of behavior.
From the above, you need to address the issue when students are yelling or shouting at you. There are many ways that this can be done by giving consequences for the behavior, addressing the underlying issues for why students may behave in this way, and providing support for students who are dealing with this type of behavior.
What Should You Do When This Happens?
From the previous section, we looked at why students may yell or shout at you in the classroom. Now, let us see how we can handle the situation when it occurs. The following are some tips to help you out:
Teachers Should Keep Their Calm
You must stay calm in this type of situation. If you yell or shout back at the student, then it can make them feel like they are in control and things will escalate even more. Instead, if you remain calm, then it can be taken as a sign that they do not want to continue with this behavior and that it will not be tolerated in their classroom. It can help to say something such as, “I do not want to talk with you when you are yelling or shouting at me.” This is a clear statement which the student should understand and then calm themselves down.
Address The Issues Behind Behaviours
For students to stop yelling or shouting at you, it’s important to firstly have a conversation about why they are doing so. You should ask the student what’s wrong, or what they are feeling at that moment. This will allow them to understand where the other person is coming from, and how they might be able to help them. If students know their behavior is not being appreciated, then they are less likely to continue it in the future.
Talk To The Student In Private
When a student is yelling or shouting at you, it’s important to have a conversation with them outside of class time so that this behavior will not affect the other students. This type of negative attention can be embarrassing for some students, and they may feel guilty about what has happened if everyone knows about it. If you and the student can resolve this issue privately, then they will be able to move on from it.
Give students more time and attention
You need to do your best to help all of your students feel like part of the classroom community, regardless of what’s going on for them at home or in their personal life. This means giving students extra attention and support so that they feel included and know that you have a plan for how to help them overcome this type of behavior.
Provide Support For Students Who Are Struggling With This Type of Behavior
Some students who are displaying this type of behavior may have been raised to believe that they can do and say whatever they want, as long as their intentions are good. In this case, you need to help them understand why yelling or shouting is not a positive way of communicating with others. If a student encounters a situation where someone is yelling at them, then they are likely to continue doing so because this is what they have been taught.
Give Consequences For The Behaviour So It Won’t Continue In The Future
When a student continues to yell or shout at you, then it’s necessary to provide consequences for the behavior. This can be done by giving students a break from the lesson, having them apologize to you and classmates, or any appropriate consequence depending on your situation. You should talk about this in private with the student and why it is not okay. They can also make a list of rules that they abide by in that class or school, and what will happen if a student continuously breaks the rules.
Address The Behaviour When It’s Happening In Class
If a student has started yelling or shouting at you while you are in the middle of a lesson, then you have to address it right away. When this type of behavior is happening in class, it can be embarrassing for other students, and they may start thinking that this is acceptable behavior as well. You need to show your classes how negative attention from peers can harm someone’s self-esteem.
Give Students Extra Attention And Support
When a student is yelling or shouting at you, you need to give them extra attention and support so that they know how much you care about their success in school. This will not only prevent this type of behavior from happening in the future, but it will also help you build a stronger relationship with each of your students.
Talk To The Student By Themselves When This Happens
If a student starts yelling or shouting at you, you must have a conversation with them about this after class, so they can work through what happened together. It may be difficult for a student to communicate this to you in front of the other students, so giving them time to do so outside class will ease their stress levels and let them be more honest with you.
Address The Behaviour In Front Of The Other Students If It Is Happening Outside Class Time
If a student continues yelling or shouting at you when they see you outside of class, then you need to address this publically. When students hear their peers yelling or shouting at you, it can make them think that this type of behavior is acceptable in all areas of life. You need to show your classes how negative attention from peers can harm someone’s self-esteem.
Have An Open Conversation With The Student When You See Them In A Controlling Situation
Some students who are very controlling with you may also be displaying this type of behavior when they see them outside of class time. Teachers need to have an open conversation with the student about what’s happening between them, so they can work through what is appropriate and what isn’t. If this type of behavior continues, it may be time for the student to find a new school where they receive the support they need.
Find Out Why The Student Wants To Talk With You Outside Class Time
When a student wants to talk with you outside of class, you need to understand why this is happening. If they’re yelling and shouting at you outside of the classroom, then it may be because they simply want your attention. Give them what they need and talk to them in a neutral location. If this behavior continues, then it may be time for the student to find
Provide Support
Students who feel frustrated or upset about something but don’t know how else to tell you should be given support by you. They could offer different options for communication, such as using a notepad and pen, or an electronic device like a tablet to type out their message.
What Should Not Be Done With A Student That Is Yelling Or Shouting?
There are some definite things that teachers should not do with a student that is yelling or shouting. These actions can be anything from ignoring the student to ridiculing them. While it may seem like these actions could help resolve the situation, they usually escalate noise levels and anger.
- The first thing that teachers should not do is ignore the child. If a child is yelling or shouting, this is their way of getting attention. Ignoring them usually worsens the situation and causes the child to yell more.
- Another action that teachers should not make when a student is yelling or shouting is laughing. This might seem like it would not make things worse; however, if you laugh at their behavior, the child will probably feel embarrassed and might continue to yell.
- It is also a good idea for teachers not to reprimand the student again. Yelling, shouting, or being disruptive shouldn’t be sanctioned if a student is having a hard time controlling their behavior.
- The last thing that teachers should not do when a student is yelling or shouting in the classroom is to ignore their feelings or assume that they don’t have them. Everyone has feelings, even if they are negative, and it is important for teachers not to make assumptions about students.
How To Prevent This From Happening Again
There’s always that one student (or a few) in every class who likes to yell at you when they’re not happy with something. Here are some steps that teachers can take when they find themselves in this situation:
1. Always keep your cool and stay calm when students yell at you because yelling will only make things worse.
2. Address the student when they are yelling even though it is uncomfortable because once they have your attention, they’ll most likely quiet down.
3. Praise them for their positive behavior, then tell them that you want to talk about the issue in private (the hallways are NOT a good place to hold this conversation.).
4. Once you’re in the hallways, tell them that they need to stop yelling at you because their behavior is unacceptable.
5. Show interest in what they have to say by asking questions like, “What do you think caused this problem?”, “How can we fix it?”.
6. Talk with them about how to fix the issue.
7. Don’t let them go until they’ve apologized for their behavior, and you’ve made an agreement that future incidents will be handled more appropriately.
8. After the talk, send them to the office with your note explaining what happened so they can handle it accordingly (Don’t punish yourself.).
9. Document the incident in the student’s file and talk to your administrator.
10. Watch for early signs of anger, like moodiness and frustration with peers, because these could be an indication that something is bothering them at home (And if you’re lucky, it’ll give you a chance to fix the problem before they yell at you.).
11. If students yell at you again in the future, just follow these steps and everything should be fine.
Final Thoughts and Tips For Dealing With This Situation
You can find yourself in a situation where students are yelling at you for various reasons. There are many steps that you should take to avoid the student from escalating their behavior, but you mustn’t yell back or reprimand the child again after they have yelled once. It’s also essential to talk with them about how this will be handled in future incidents and what appropriate actions could be taken if it happens again. The last step would be sending the student off to an administrator who handles discipline, so you don’t get penalized for your words of advice. For more information on how to manage the behavior of your students, check out our articles!
