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Managing Difficult Behaviors in the Classroom
by Kevin Eikenberry
Many of us have observed people doing things in classes (perhaps we were the one’s doing the acting up!) and asked ourselves how we would handle those behaviors if we were the trainer. Alternately, we may have been in the trainer role and not known what to do in some situations.
The purpose of this article is to provide some answers to these questions. The underlying themes of maintaining participant self esteem and not raising the barriers to learning for that participant or the group is the guidance for all these suggestions. The focus of this article is prevention of the behavior and the solutions to it after it is occurring. The theme reminds us what’s really important - the learning. It does little good to "solve" a problem but in doing so to prevent one or more participants from getting the full benefit of the session.
" Know It All"
There are two types of Know It All's - those who do - and those who only think they do! The responses to each are very different, so let’s talk about each separately. First - someone who really is a subject matter expert.
Preventions
- If you know up-front that someone is very knowledgeable - talk to them let them know you value their experience. Ask for their support with examples, stories, and ideas.
- Use ground rules developed by the group to provide peer reinforcement ("Everyone participates").
Solutions
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On break, ask for that person’s help in sharing examples, etc.
- Make the class more active - keep everyone, including the expert involved.
- Acknowledge the expertise in the class - let everyone know you value the inputs and experience of the "know it all."
Use the expert as a mentor to those in the group with less experience.
Think They Know It All, but Don’t
Preventions
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Use ground rules developed by the group to provide peer reinforcement (e.g., "Everyone participates," and/or "Keep an open mind").
- Clearly state the learning objective and the desired outcomes for the session.
Solutions
- Make the class more active - keep everyone, including the expert involved.
On break, help them see that perhaps their expertise is outdated, or that this course is to teach a new process, not the one they are expert on. Use their expertise as much as possible, but help them see that they may not have all the answers.
Not Listening
Preventions
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Provide an impactful "What's in it for me" (WIIFM) for the learning.
- Lecture less (people are more likely to listen in small group or project work).
- Use ground rules developed by the group to provide peer reinforcement.
Solutions
- Refer to ground rules as appropriate.
- Give the group a listening assignment (with a lecture, videotape, etc.), not focused just on the non-listener, but everyone.
Use a more animated vocal style - trying harder to keep the group’s attention.
Heckling
Heckling could be a symptom of many other behaviors on the list (i.e., another situation may be the root cause). Recognize that part of the issue with hecklers is yours. Is this a difficult behavior that is hindering the learning of the group, or just bothering you personally? Answering this internal question is the first step to managing the heckling behavior. If it is your issue (i.e., the group doesn’t appear to be suffering from the heckling), try to deal with it internally first.
Prevention
- Provide an impactful WIIFM for the learning.
Solutions
- Listen carefully to their points, acknowledging their input.
- Redirect group discussion to get others in the group involved.
- Talk to the heckler on break about your concerns. Try to understand their reasons for the behavior; it will help you change it.
Tactfully ignore the heckling. Often, all they want is the attention. Giving them attention in more productive ways will meet their person needs with excessive classroom disruption.
Challenging the Content or Ideas (cynicism about the information)
Preventions
- Prepare and use an issue bin or parking lot (a place to hold items for a later, more appropriate time).
- Acknowledge differences of opinion up-front or at the time they surface. Provide time for this discussion as available. (You may need to make the time available immediately, if the challenge/cynicism is strong enough.)
Solutions
- Acknowledge their concerns as they surface.
- Offer to discuss their issues on break, at lunch or after class.
- Invoke ground rules.
If severe, on break discuss with them how their behavior is impeding class progress. Refer to the end of the article for further guidance.
Showing Lack of Respect for Others or their Opinions
Preventions
- Plan ways for the group to get to know each other better on a personal level.
- Use smaller group activities and rotate the groups.
- Use ground rules developed by the group to provide peer reinforcement (e.g., "Value everyone’s input").
Solutions
- Invoke ground rules.
- Acknowledge people’s opinions, explore them as appropriate and move on.
Use an issue bin.
Non-Participation
Preventions
- Get everyone active from the start, and keep them active.
- Provide an impactful WIIFM for the learning.
Solutions
- Give the person an easy task.
- Use smaller group activities (some people are more likely to participate in a group of three or four than in a larger group).
- Direct questions to them that you are sure they can respond to successfully.
Recognize that their lack of participation may not mean they aren’t interested or aren’t learning. (In other words, recognize their learning style may play a part in their chosen level of participation).
Sidebar Conversations
Preventions
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Use ground rules developed by the group to provide peer reinforcement (e.g., "One person talking at a time").
- Provide an impactful WIIFM for the learning.
Solutions
- Brief silence before continuing (without causing undue attention to the offenders).
Move toward them during your lecture, again without causing undue attention. Remember your goal is to stop the distraction without embarrassing the students.
Dominator
It is important to try to understand the cause of the domination. (Is the person cynical, are they an expert, or do they crave attention or feedback?) Any of these and many other potential causes exist. Keep these things in mind as you attempt to deal with dominating behavior.
Prevention
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Use ground rules developed by the group to provide peer reinforcement (e.g., "Everyone participates").
Solutions
- Use an issue bin if appropriate.
- Invoke ground rules.
- Redirect questions to others in the group.
- Use smaller group activities.
Hidden Agendas – Interruptions
Preventions
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Use ground rules developed by the group to provide peer reinforcement (e.g., "Stay on the topic").
- Provide an agenda or roadmap so people will know when the topic they want to discuss will be in the forefront.
- Provide an impactful WIIFM for the learning.
Solutions
- Use an issue bin.
- Offer to discuss at a break or after class with the person.
Take a few minutes to uncover their real concerns. Sometimes people just want to be heard (whether in whole group or one on one).
The Next Step - Discussing Your Concerns One on One
When you decide your best (or next) course of action is to talk to a participant, consider our themes again. Remember that we want to maintain the person’s self esteem and not allow any additional barriers to grow between you and the person. If we use "I statements" we will own our comments and give ourselves a much better chance of success.
"I" statements are a way of explaining to people how their behavior affects you. "I" statements describe how you feel when someone else does something. For example, if a student were dominating the classroom discussion time, an "I statement" approach might be to say, "When you continue to answer all of the questions, I feel like part of the group is missing an opportunity. Could you help me, by allowing others the chance to speak too?" See how this approach stays away from blame and tries to explain the results of a situation. When we can describe results, especially how things impact us, we will be much more effective in managing behaviors.
A Summary
There are several important things to remember:
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You can’t change someone’s behavior; only give them good reasons for them to change it.
- Determine if the situation is really causing a problem for the group’s learning and if it’s not, to let it go!
- Remember the underlying themes of self-esteem and removing barriers to learning. Always act and respond with these in mind.
If you’ll keep these things in mind, using the common tools mentioned above, you should be able to handle any sort of difficult behavior most of the time!
©2004, All Rights Reserved, Kevin Eikenberry. Kevin is the President of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://www.KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps their Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. Go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/training/training.asp to learn more about our customized training service offered or contact Kevin at toll free 888.LEARNER / Kevin@KevinEikenberry.com.
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