There are many kinds of challenging events that can emerge as part of instruction. You may plan a discussion of an issue related to course content that is complex, emotionally intense, or high stakes, or you may want to create space in your classroom for students to respond to a local, national, or international event that has affected them or their communities deeply. Separate from these designated discussions, sometimes individual students may become upset or take actions that disrupt the classroom. Alternatively, students may come to you with serious problems or seeking advice; these situations can sometimes make you or them uncomfortable. During these moments it is important to remain calm and work to prevent a situation from escalating.
As you are designing a discussion of complex or high-emotion events, you can help students by creating or co-designing some ground rules or community expectations about participating, focusing on approaches that allow disagreement while limiting disrespect. Some ground rules you might explore include
- Present your own experience or question, without repeating generalizations
- Listen respectfully to others without interrupting
- Respond to and criticize ideas, not individuals
- Commit to learning from others more than debating right and wrong
- Commit to sharing information more than trying to persuade
- Allow everyone the opportunity to speak or to have their ideas presented
- Avoid making assumptions about any member of the class or generalizations about social groups
If you are planning a conversation to respond to a traumatic event occurring outside your classroom or course content, you might find suggestions for Teaching in Times of Crisis to be helpful.
Finally, some suggestions for responding to less predictable situations are included below. Additionally, Mason offers a variety of student support resources on campus that may better prepare faculty for dealing with difficult situations with students. In particular, the Office of Student Conduct has a number of resources for faculty, including a some very helpful responses to frequently asked questions about disruptive student behavior in the classroom.
- Assure students that you care about their well-being and their learning.
- Call for a pause. You might ask upset or angry students to come back and talk with you once everyone has calmed down. You do not have to engage with angry students and you will want to minimize their negative impact on class learning and other students.
- For students who are in crisis, thank them for reaching out and let them know you will help them by locating and referring them to the appropriate Mason resource.
- Seek advice if you are not sure how to respond. It is perfectly okay to let a student know that you want to give them the best possible information and that you will get back to them as soon as possible. Your department/program chair, your colleagues, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Office of Student Conduct, Student Support and Advocacy Center, and the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning are all resources you might consult.
- Be sure to follow university policies. As before, seek advice if you are not sure how to respond.
- Familiarize yourself with the GMU Honor Code so that you know when you must go to the Honor Committee and what will happen.
- When dealing with tough situations, be sure to document your communications and efforts. Keeping careful records might prove to be valuable if a situation escalates.
- Find additional tips for managing confrontations from Tomorrow’s Professor.