Teachers may use a variety of strategies for understanding and dealing

with difficult behavior.

Strategies for Dealing with Difficult

Behavior
Sally L. Kuhlenschmidt, Lois E. Layne

We may imagine ourselves to be sage professors with rapt students hanging

on our every word; however, the reality of classroom life may be very dif-
ferent. All faculty are confronted with students who engage in behaviors that
are disruptive to the educational process. Students may be late for class,
leave early, talk inappropriately, or sleep during class. Recently faculty have
reported more threatening behaviors, including stalking, intimidation, phys-
ical or verbal attacks, and “hijacking” classrooms (Schneider, 1998). If
ignored or handled poorly, even a single act of incivility can have a long-
term impact on classroom atmosphere. Misbehavior may escalate to intol-
erable or dangerous levels. Following is a problem-solving strategy for
dealing with disruptive student behavior, based on clinical and classroom
experience.
The approach uses a series of steps or questions designed to provide per-
spective on the problem behavior and aid in generating responses. The first
questions are concerned with clarifying the problem, identifying critical ele-
ments, describing the context in which the behavior occurs, and analyzing
your emotional and behavioral responses to the behavior. Next, we review fac-
tors that might contribute to disruptive classroom behavior. Once the situa-
tion is fully understood, the final steps are to select a response and evaluate
the effectiveness of the strategy. The steps can be followed like a checklist. The
process of checking off the steps or questions can be repeated with new prob-
lem situations until the process is second nature.

NEW DIRECTIONS FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING, no. 77, Spring 1999 © Jossey-Bass Publishers 45
46 PROMOTING CIVILITY

Describing the Problem Clearly

Jumping to conclusions about the source and nature of a problem is a recipe
for failure. Becoming irritated or highly emotional may lead you to react with-
out understanding the situation. Disruptive student behavior may have noth-
ing to do with the instructor or the class. Instructors tend to personalize the
behavior, however, feeling that they did something to cause a student to react.
Evaluating behavior before taking action is a skill that takes practice and reflec-
tion. You may feel pressure to handle the problem behavior immediately. Tak-
ing the time to understand the behavior and to consider various options often
results in a more constructive resolution. After an event is past, taking time to
evaluate the effectiveness of your response can help to improve your reaction
in the next situation.
Ideally you would answer the following questions about a situation before
taking action. There will be times, however, when delay is not desirable. For
example, if emotional agitation escalates rather than reduces with time and dis-
cussion, then your immediate professional intervention may be best.
What Is the Behavior? What Is the Situation? Behavior is that which
can be directly sensed, such as seen or heard. Often people’s “descriptions” of
behavior include inferences (“He was aggressive,” “She is lazy”). Instead,
describe the behavior itself. Say, “He kicked the chair” rather than “He was
aggressive” or “She turned in only one of five assignments” rather than “She
was lazy.” The problem with inference is that it includes the prescription before
the facts are known and allows for misinterpretation. In one case we know of,
instructors regarded a grossly overweight student as behaviorally disruptive in
class. His actual in-class behavior was within normal ranges, but the instruc-
tors made false generalizations from his physical appearance. The inverse prob-
lem is also common. A very attractive student may be given more leeway than
is appropriate, encouraging misbehavior in other students. Examine the labels
you give to students, and rephrase them as objective behaviors rather than cat-
egories. Objective behaviors can be recorded by an inanimate recording device,
such as a video camera. If you have trouble with rephrasing, you might be
making an inference.
When Does It Happen? Behavior is often time dependent. Time patterns
may suggest possible solutions or clues for why the behavior is occurring. For
example, lateness, by definition, occurs near the beginning of class and may
be due to another instructor’s dismissing class late. Disruptive talking may be
more common near the end of class. Planning a small group activity in the lat-
ter half of class may reduce restlessness. Students who are sitting next to
friends are more likely to chat. Using a seating chart may reduce extraneous
chatting and help you to know your students by name, further reducing dis-
ruption.
What Is Going on Before, During, and After the Behavior? Behavior
typically occurs because of some environmental signal or because the behav-
ior has been rewarded in the past. When exams or assignments are returned,
 STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH DIFFICULT BEHAVIOR 47

students are more likely to speak out, for example. If grading criteria or
remarks are vague, there is more room for disaffection. If the instructor bends
the rules for one student and others see, then they may demand similar treat-
ment. Is the problem behavior the result of unclear or inappropriate signals?
The consequences that a student experiences during and following a
behavior influence her future ways of responding. A student may have received
teacher attention in high school for making remarks regardless of their rele-
vance. Now the student frequently mentions irrelevant material. Is the college
instructor encouraging this problem behavior to continue with smiles or nods
or further questions?
Consequences can also work to eliminate desirable behavior. If students
are silent but you want discussion, what is discouraging that behavior? Are you
making remarks that could be interpreted as critical of those who speak?
Who Is Involved or Affected? A behavior may be annoying to you, but
other students may not notice it. Or students may be bothered by something
you have not seen. If you are the only one annoyed, reexamine your assump-
tions about what must and must not happen in a classroom. Perhaps the
behavior is not as serious as you believe. Conversely if a considerable portion
of the class is bothered and you do not address the need, then you lose some
ability to manage the classroom.
Although only the students and instructors are present, relationships and
events outside the classroom (for example, the death of a family member, being
stalked by an ex-boyfriend, or falling in love) may have an impact on a stu-
dent’s classroom behavior. Be alert to cultural differences in what constitutes a
significant relationship. For example, relationships with siblings and room-
mates can be very important to students. The classroom instructor is not and
should not act as a therapist. Delicate questioning may be sufficient to reveal
that the source of the problem lies outside your purview (try saying, for exam-
ple, “I noticed you seem distracted in class. Is everything okay?”). You and the
student can then move on to determining how to avoid having the outside
issue affect classroom behavior. Often nonjudgmental listening is enough, with
a referral to local campus and community resources for counseling if it seems
warranted. Ask your local counseling center if it will share its list of referral
sources.
Is the Behavior Harmful to the Student, to You, or to Others? The
ideal is to prevent threatening behavior from ever occurring. It is important to
notice the early signs and redirect the energy or address the problem as soon
as possible. Such things as clear instructions and appropriate instructor behav-
ior can help avoid many unpleasant situations.
Sometimes a potentially harmful situation develops despite your efforts. If
you detect high-risk behaviors such as drinking and driving, promiscuity, or
eating disorders, you should be concerned and consider referral. How do you
determine danger? No one is very good at it. In general, a history of harmful
behavior is the best predictor, coupled with a clear plan to commit harm. There
is a range of potentially harmful situations, from a vague threat of suicide to a
48 PROMOTING CIVILITY

student walking into class with a gun. The more concrete and immediate the
threat is, the more urgently that expert intervention is needed.
Delaying action is not appropriate when harm is imminent. If a student
shares her concern with you, it is typically a sign she wants help. There is a
limit, however, to the help you can and should provide. Seek professional
advice on how to obtain professional intervention for the student. Ideally the
dean of students, mental health counseling personnel, and the campus police
work together and have a response for potentially harmful situations. The time
to learn if such a plan exists is now, not when you have a student in danger.
Take the time to learn whether your institution has a policy for evicting students
who are threatening. Record the telephone numbers of appropriate services in
an easily accessible location (the bottom of the telephone perhaps). Our uni-
versity’s faculty development center provides a door hanger to new faculty with
basic referral sources and telephone numbers. Finally, if a dangerous situation
does arise, document your interactions in case there is a need for a record of
your involvement. Avoid making inferential statements in the document.
How Do You Feel About the Behavior? If you are upset about an inci-
dent and fail to acknowledge your emotional reaction, you will be a poor
problem solver (see Chapter Two, this volume). Heightened emotion interferes
with problem solving and the capacity to generate multiple effective solutions.
A teacher who is upset is likely to say or do things that escalate the problem
and alienate students and administrators. For example, if you feel that a stu-
dent’s behavior is a personal attack on you (and even if it is), you may be
tempted to regain control by getting tough or intimidating the student. Coun-
teraggression will not usually solve a problem, and it often buys into the con-
scious or subconscious desires of the student. You will end up reacting to the
student rather than making a proactive decision. A strong personal reaction
calls for a cooling-off period before taking action. If you are tired or burned
out, do not deal with the problem until you are emotionally able. It is better
to acknowledge the student’s anger and suggest that the two of you approach
the problem at a specific later time. To avoid the student’s suspicion that you
are merely putting him off, demonstrate your commitment to that appoint-
ment by writing it in your schedule.
Another question you should ask at this point is, “What have I con-
tributed to the disruptive incident?” Instructors typically perceive their behav-
ior to be reasonable and appropriate. The power differential existing between
instructors and students, however, suggests that what may appear unimpor-
tant to you could be very painful to the student. You will be a better mediator
if you examine your behavior from the perspective of the student (see Chap-
ter Eight, this volume). Examining your behavior includes knowing that you
cannot always be objective and may need to seek an honest outside opinion,
not merely a supporting opinion. Instructors who can recognize a true error
and correct it will likely have better student relations.
What Changes Would Make the Behavior or Situation Acceptable?
Often people try to change a situation without knowing their objectives.
They simply want something different. The consequence may be directions
 STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH DIFFICULT BEHAVIOR 49

to students that are vague, confusing, and contradictory, resulting in further

unsatisfactory behavior. If you are clear about desired behavior, then students
can comply more readily. Balance clarity with giving students choices. Stu-
dents also like to feel in control and tend to take more responsibility when
they make the initial choice.
Giving effective directions is difficult to do well. Examples of common but
vague instructions include these: “Contribute to class interaction” or “Good.”
Effective directions are specific in terms of the target behaviors (for example,
try saying, “Offer a question, an opinion with an example, or a response to
another student’s statement”). Effective directions are also specific about the
amount of behavior (for example, “On discussion days offer at least one com-
ment”) and the direction of the behavior (for example, “The comment should
be relevant to the selected topic and substantive”). A student may “misbehave”
by always offering questions and never giving opinions; by talking too much
or not at all; by bringing up irrelevant material or offering a joke. If you are
seeing widespread misbehavior, examine your instructions. It is probably not
possible to write instructions that will never be misinterpreted, but you can
reduce the odds of misinterpretation.
Schneider (1998) suggests including a section in your syllabus detailing
appropriate classroom behavior. One function of this section is to instruct stu-
dents, and it should be mentioned on the first day of class. Another function
is to demonstrate to appeal committees, should a student ever complain, that
you have clearly described appropriate behavior to students. A clear syllabus
can be protection for you. Grunert (1997) provides suggestions for syllabus
development.
What Did You Do? Did It Work? Objective evaluation of your efforts
is critical for improvement and for effective follow-up. Asking for honest, crit-
ical reflection by a party not personally involved can help you generate alter-
natives. This reflection could be used in future similar circumstances to avoid
or resolve problems more effectively. Classroom assessment techniques
(Angelo and Cross, 1993) can help you to evaluate the effectiveness of some
interventions.

Understanding the Reasons for Difficult Behavior

Asking why a behavior occurs is not typically as useful as popularly believed.
It is usually sufficient to describe the behavior without inference, identify emo-
tional responses, and appreciate the effect of the behavior’s consequences. At
times, however, understanding the variety of causes that could contribute to
disruptive behavior in the classroom can help you select the most appropriate
solution. Although the following list is not exhaustive, it should provide a rea-
sonable sampling of explanations for problem behavior and may help the
instructor respond more empathically and, thus, more calmly.
Physical Causes. Although the instructor does not necessarily have any
control over the following contributions to uncivil behavior, understanding
their impact can be helpful.
50 PROMOTING CIVILITY

Medication, Drugs, and Other Substances. College students ingest legal, ille-
gal, or tolerated substances that alter their behavior in myriad ways. It is naive
to think the substance will be cleared from their systems before attending class.
I (Layne) once took students on a tour of a mental hospital, and one student
arrived drunk. Students whose behavior has gone to extremes (drowsy, overly
active) from their typical behavior may be reacting to or recovering from some
substance. Student tolerance for others’ behavior may also be reduced by
ingested substances.
Unfortunately, recall of learning is state dependent. Students are more
likely to recall information when they are in the same state (drunk, for exam-
ple) as when they learned it (Eich, 1989). (Of course, the overall level of learn-
ing is likely to be impaired by some states, so what the student recalls is less
than she would remember if she had learned it while sober.)
Do not assume that all substance reactions are due to recreational drugs.
Medication schedules may be disrupted due to the normal stresses of academic
life. In turn, this could cause behavioral changes such as irritability or loss of
ability to focus. These, then, may produce disruptive behavior. A diabetic stu-
dent may not monitor his diet and appear drunk. Someone with a mild closed-
head brain injury may have increasing difficulty focusing when stressed.
Illnesses. College students tend to be poor at taking care of their health.
Those living in residence halls are exposed to many sources of illness. Feeling
ill can make anyone irritable, although confusion and inattention may be more
typical reactions. Students may also have life-threatening illnesses and could
be coping with very serious health problems such as cancer or AIDS. Some
chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, or chronic pain, perhaps from injuries or
arthritis, can produce increased irritability. Some illnesses may result in sleep
disruption, which can lead a student to fall asleep in class. I (Layne) had an
excellent student with narcolepsy who occasionally fell asleep when her med-
ication was not adjusted properly. Such a student may stop coming to class
rather than confess a personal medical history to an instructor angry over her
“misbehavior.”
College students may suffer from any of a variety of mental illnesses, from
depression to schizophrenia. In general, persons with mental illness are less
dangerous than the rest of the population. Their behavior may be unusual but
is not generally purposefully disruptive. They may, in fact, be at greater risk of
being overlooked in the classroom because of their inhibitions.
One category of emotional problem does present special problems. Those
who have personality disorders are by definition disruptive in their interper-
sonal relationships. In general students with these pervasive problems are
among the most challenging to deal with, particularly because they appear at
first to be typical students. With time, however, it becomes apparent that it is
beyond the typical instructor’s skills to manage their behavior. At that point, it
may be advisable to refer a student to professional help. Characteristics of a
personality disorder include always being in extreme crisis, interpreting inno-
cent material in a paranoid manner, repeated deceitfulness (often combined
 STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH DIFFICULT BEHAVIOR 51

with superficial charm), being inappropriately sexually seductive or interper-

sonally exploitative, or needing an excessive amount of advice to make deci-
sions (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). You should not make a
diagnosis from this list of characteristics, but it might give you an idea of the
nature of personality disorder and why professional referral is necessary.
Fatigue. It is common in academic life for irritability to increase as exams
approach. As time pressures increase, civility is often lost. Students may be
working multiple jobs or night shifts in addition to studying. For some,
“pulling an all-nighter” is almost a rite of passage, with attendant potential loss
of alertness and interpersonal sensitivity. I (Kuhlenschmidt) had a student
working close to a full-time job, taking a full course load, applying to gradu-
ate schools, and living with an infant son and a troubled nephew.
Discomfort. Classrooms that are too hot or cold, seats that are uncomfort-
able, or a class schedule that prevents a student from eating regularly can cause
irritability, which may be expressed toward others. I (Layne) recently had a
pregnant student whose severe nausea made it difficult for her to learn in class.
Vision and Hearing Problems. Mild visual or hearing disabilities may not
be readily apparent to an observer. A student with such a disability may appear
disruptive. This issue was made all too apparent to me (Kuhlenschmidt) when
a student whom I had confronted for constant whispering volunteered that she
was hard of hearing. Instead of punishing the student, I started handing out a
printed outline of my class material. Unfortunately, recent generations of stu-
dents are at particular risk for hearing loss from exposure to loud concerts and
headphones. Large classrooms may be especially frustrating for these students.
Vision or hearing problems (particularly unidentified ones) of either a student
or the instructor increase the possibility of miscommunication and the likeli-
hood that offense will be taken.
Emotional Challenges. An instructor has to decide whether to become
personally involved when emotional challenges are the cause of uncivil behav-
ior. Being empathetic in the face of distress or anger can defuse some situa-
tions. Talking confidentially with colleagues or the counseling center can help
the instructor decide when a student needs referral for professional help.
Loss. College students have reached an age at which they are considered
adult in our culture. As a result they are given increasing responsibility for
major life decisions and they may feel isolated when faced with loss. Although
some “grandmother deaths” are excuses, students do face some very real losses,
including loss of the protection of childhood, loss of childhood home, and loss
of loved ones. Grief may be expressed as anger or as high levels of activity as
well as guilt, depression, withdrawal, and denial. When persons of any age feel
a loss of control, they are likely to try to regain control by any means possible.
On occasion an entire class (including you) may need to deal with a loss
(for example, the death of a classmate). You will need to inform the class of the
facts surrounding the loss. The group will likely benefit from some class time to
absorb the news. Those who might need to leave should be allowed to, but
rather than dismissing the class, you should give them an opportunity to discuss
52 PROMOTING CIVILITY

the event and express their feelings. They may wish to memorialize the event or
person (for example, by planting a tree), perhaps as a group. Students who wish
to do so should be allowed to attend funeral services. Common emotional reac-
tions are shock, numbness, guilt, and anger. There is no “right” way to grieve or
a “correct” amount of grief. Grief will generally come in its own time. You may
see signs of mourning through the remainder of the semester, including some
disruption. Remember that you need to grieve also.
Maturity. College students on the cusp of adulthood still have much to
learn about taking on adult responsibilities and balancing demands. Under
stress, some students are likely to revert to childlike ways of coping, including
strong emotional outbursts. Some individuals have a hard time stopping them-
selves once they begin to get upset. You may find yourself teaching these stu-
dents how to behave and setting limits for them as if they were much younger.
Attention Seeking. Students who are lonely or feel isolated may have
learned to obtain attention through disruptive behaviors. You may have some
success by carefully attending to this type of student when the student is
behaving appropriately and ignoring him when disruptive. As the student
learns how to elicit appropriate attention, the disruptive behavior may be
reduced.
Redirected Aggression. Students may be upset over some event unrelated
or peripherally related to the class. A small event in the class (for example, for-
getting the textbook) may trigger a disproportionately large response. The
teacher is simply an available target for the expression of their emotion. A class-
room debate may feed an already existing state of emotional arousal. It is eas-
ier for this student to blame a problem on someone else than to take personal
responsibility. This is very common with regard to poor performance on course
papers and exams and is expressed in phrases such as, “The teacher gave me
an F.” You might be tempted to point out that the student earns the grade, but
that may not likely be convincing. If the student were emotionally ready to
accept responsibility, then he or she would likely have done so without
prompting.
Traditional college students face the developmental task of building iden-
tity (Erikson, 1968). They are learning the meaning of independence. We have
been teaching them to be critical thinkers, and they have learned they can chal-
lenge authority. Students may feel safer challenging an instructor—a surrogate
parent—than challenging their actual parents. In some sense, the student may
be “practicing” on the instructor and on the college environment.
Environmental Factors. The instructor has more control over some of
these elements, which can contribute to a positive classroom experience.
Norms for Conduct. The first day and the syllabus are very important for
establishing expectations for appropriate and inappropriate behavior and for
demonstrations of the seriousness of the rules. If you do not enforce and do
not demonstrate the rules in the syllabus, then the students are less likely to
obey them. As a rule of thumb, an instructor can get “easier” but not “harder”
and still maintain order as the semester progresses.
 STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH DIFFICULT BEHAVIOR 53

Class Size. The size of the class will influence the norms established. Large
classes may encourage students to act as if they were in a movie theater or
watching television. You must be clear in your directions and in deliberate
crowd control (by using seating charts, for example). Cooperative learning
activities may help reduce the barriers that a large class erects between you and
your students.
Culture. Varied values and customs concerning the appropriateness of
classroom behaviors need to be addressed by the instructor, particularly in
larger classrooms where there may be a highly diverse student body. Different
cultures have different standards concerning lateness or when it is appropriate
to speak, for example. Cultural differences may also occur across economic
lines. You may need to be explicit regarding your expectations. If most of the
students are going to work in a particular cultural environment following grad-
uation, then it may be easier to justify classroom norms based on that work
environment. On the other hand, students planning to return to different envi-
ronments may place no value on learning “foreign” behaviors. (Chapter Seven,
this volume, discusses the challenges of civility in a diverse classroom more
fully.)
Task. If disruption revolves around an assigned task, examine the task ele-
ments. Vague or confusing instructions can lead to frustration, which may be
displaced. Although the task may seem simple to the instructor, the student’s
ease or difficulty with the task should be the determining factor for simplicity.
Global instructions are not fair if the instructor accepts only a narrow range of
products. A take-home exam, for example, ought to have minimums and lim-
its on the length and on the resources expected. Expecting too much, given
the knowledge and skill level, may also result in frustration. Although a stu-
dent may express anger toward you, it may be anger at self for being unable to
complete a task. You could use this as an opportunity for teaching how to deal
constructively with the inevitable frustrations that come in every field.
A larger issue deals with student motivation to complete the task, or even
to take the course, particularly if it is a general education course. Some instruc-
tors resist using motivational techniques to increase student learning, assert-
ing that students should arrive motivated. Although that may be true to some
extent, neglecting motivational dimensions is likely to result in disruptive
behavior. Teaching students subject matter usually includes teaching why the
subject matter is important in the big picture. Helping students make that dis-
covery for themselves can generate motivation and improve classroom behav-
ior. Try asking students to write a paragraph describing why they think the
course might be worthwhile. They could consider factors concerning their cho-
sen major, their social life, or the type of life they want to be living in ten years.
Having to generate and write down reasons helps them to make the reasons
part of their way of thinking.
Routine and Stimulation. In general, too much routine produces bore-
dom, but too little produces chaos. Too much stimulation creates problems
for those who ordinarily have difficulty managing their activity level, and too
54 PROMOTING CIVILITY

little stimulation leads others to create stimulation, disrupting the class. You
can moderate these tendencies by using some varying instructional methods
during a class session and across a semester.

Modifying Instructor and Student Behavior

Students observe you and their classmates. They imitate behavior that gener-
ates acceptable responses. If you engage in uncivil behavior toward students,
then students are more likely to behave similarly toward you or toward other
students. Classmates who are uncivil without some immediate consequence
from you become role models to other students, to the detriment of the class.
Conversely, rewarding desirable behavior sets the standard for appropri-
ate behavior and creates a positive environment for learning. Unfortunately, it
is easy to punish desired behavior accidentally. A student who offers a com-
ment and is greeted with a criticism or sarcastic statement experiences an
aggressive environment. You may not intend to sound or be sarcastic, but the
power relationship and your greater knowledge and subsequent quickness to
respond may have that effect. Asking instead for comments from other stu-
dents in the class can help to depersonalize commentary.
Another challenge is to avoid rewarding undesirable behavior. An instruc-
tor who gives in to whining or to outbursts of temper is teaching students that
uncivil behavior is acceptable. Ignoring clearly unacceptable behavior is also
not desirable because students may interpret silence as assent.
If immediate action is necessary, you should ask the student to meet you
after class or to step into the hall for a moment. The most desirable resolutions
occur when both parties are calm. Delaying discussing the problem for a day
may be necessary. When communicating to the student regarding disruptive
behavior, use behavioral examples with no inferences. Do not label the per-
son’s behavior as “angry” or “out of control.” Those are inferences and may be
at odds with the student’s personal experience. Secondary arguments about the
nature of the problem are the result.
Focusing on what was observed is more effective. For example, say, “Three
times you started speaking while I had the floor,” rather than, “You are rude.”
State that the behavior is not acceptable and explain what the student needs
to do (again a behavior, not an inference). You might say, for example, “I need
you to raise your hand and wait for me to acknowledge you before speaking.”
A related but ineffective inference would be, “I need you to be more polite.”
“Politeness” is open to interpretation.
The circumstances should help you decide whether to give a reason that
the behavior is not acceptable with your request. Giving reasons can lead to
arguments over whether those are valid reasons. On the other hand, provid-
ing reasons can help achieve compliance. Just because you have stated a pref-
erence does not mean the person will necessarily engage in the behavior.
Students are human beings, not puppets, and they will exercise freedom of
choice. If the disruptive behavior continues, the teacher may need to speak
 STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH DIFFICULT BEHAVIOR 55

with the department head or dean of student life about excluding the student
from the class. For further help in being assertive, and not aggressive or pas-
sive, the book Your Perfect Right (Alberti and Emmons, 1990) may be a use-
ful resource.
If a student is very inappropriate and disruptive (for example, shouting
or being incoherent), it may be necessary to send a student to the departmen-
tal office for assistance. Do not take risks with the class or yourself. Do not
meet behind closed doors alone with a student who is increasingly agitated. If
the instructor and others remain calm but the student is not calming down,
then professional intervention should be sought. Professional help may also be
needed if the person seems illogical or the behavior is bizarre. Although this
might seem like obvious advice, under the stress of an unusual situation, it is
not easy to remember. A colleague reports that when he was a graduate stu-
dent, a faculty member was found huddled under a desk, muttering and
clearly incoherent. The frightened department chairman and our colleague
drove the unwilling professor across several state lines to a relative’s home. The
risks the chairman took were enormous, for him, our graduate student col-
league, and the disturbed professor. Periodically reviewing this material and at
least mentally rehearsing the steps can help you be prepared to think of effec-
tive coping behavior when the occasion arises.
If time permits, it can be desirable to generate several plans for dealing
with the problem behavior. When talking with the student, the teacher will
have several options, depending on the information the student provides. Mul-
tiple plans allow the teacher to feel more in control. Select a realistic coping
strategy. Once you have reviewed the various questions and possible explana-
tions for problem behavior, you are ready to develop a list of options for deal-
ing with the behavior. Although this problem-solving approach to disruptive
classroom behavior may sound like a smooth progression, in real life the jour-
ney toward effective behavior management is a rocky road. You may need to
try several approaches during a class. A solution that worked with one student
may fail with another. Although a recipe for successful interpersonal relation-
ships would be nice to have, the truth is that there are too many variables in
any circumstance to achieve perfection. What you can do is increase the prob-
ability that you will find a solution by considering the variables and issues sug-
gested here. Reflection and discussion with experienced instructors can be very
important in improving your skill in this area. Interpersonal problem solving
is partially a skill to be mastered and partially an art to be cultivated.
Some general characteristics apply across every strategy. Consistency in
style is important because it gives students a predictable environment. (Some
flexibility is desired to meet unexpected circumstances.) Attending to motiva-
tional elements can help your students buy into your course from the begin-
ning, again reducing the chances of disruption. Finally, making an effort to
connect with your students helps them to see you as a human being. Con-
necting also helps you to be attuned to their frustrations and upsets that lead
to problem behavior.
56 PROMOTING CIVILITY

Recognizing your limitations is part of that skill and art. Personal char-
acteristics, such as being female, being small, having a soft voice, or being
shy, may increase your challenges when dealing with disruptive behavior.
Some characteristics cannot be changed, but there are instances of individ-
uals who have demonstrated ability to manage disruptive behavior despite
any of these personal characteristics. Perhaps you could identify someone
sharing a quality and talk with that person about how he or she has learned
to manage. My voice (Kuhlenschmidt) was very soft when I began teaching.
I took a class on voice control and what was a regularly cited problem dis-
appeared from my evaluations. Clothing selections and hair styles can under-
cut your authority or support it. You will be making a statement by how you
appear. Whether it is the statement that is helpful to you as a teacher is your
choice.
You cannot make students feel a particular emotion, but you can reassure
students or attend to their emotional needs. You may not be successful in
changing student behavior, but you can change yourself, your behavior, your
feelings, and your expectations of coping with uncivil behavior. You can try to
alter the environment or at least take action to prevent the problem from
occurring again. You can remind everyone of the rules. You can change tasks
or your syllabus. Sometimes you can redirect or rechannel student behavior or
distract student attention. Most important you can support desirable behavior
and help students in distress feel more worthwhile.

Conclusion
Carefully considering the questions and options in this chapter can help you
to become more effective in dealing with disruptive student behavior. When
selecting coping strategies, be realistic in what you can accomplish as an
instructor. Take a moment, if you have not yet done so, and identify the avail-
able referral resources and institutional policies on your campus concerning
disruptive behavior. Contact the dean of student life, the counseling center,
and the security office. Having these tools readily available will help you effec-
tively manage disruptive behavior in your classroom.

References
Alberti, R., and Emmons, M. Your Perfect Right. San Luis Obispo, Calif.: Impact, 1990.
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
(4th ed.) Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association, 1994.
Angelo, T., and Cross, K. Classroom Assessment Techniques. (2nd ed.) San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass, 1993.
Eich, E. “Theoretical Issues in State Dependent Memory.” In H. L. Roediger III and F.I.M.
Carik (eds.), Varieties of Memory and Consciousness. Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum, 1989.
Erikson, E. Identity: Youth and Crisis. New York: Norton, 1968.
Grunert, J. The Course Syllabus. Bolton, Mass.: Anker, 1997.
Schneider, A. “Insubordination and Intimidation Signal the End of Decorum in Many Class-
rooms.” Chronicle of Higher Education, Mar. 27, 1998, pp. A12–A14.
 STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH DIFFICULT BEHAVIOR 57

SALLY L. KUHLENSCHMIDT is director of the Center for Teaching and Learning and
associate professor of psychology at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green,
Kentucky.

LOIS E. LAYNE is professor of psychology at Western Kentucky University in Bowling

Green, Kentucky.