How Do You Deal With A Difficult Student?

You may not know how to react when a difficult student deliberately challenges your authority. You may even lose control and act somewhat inappropriately as a result.

This in turn can lead to bullying and ridicule from other students, preventing you from weakening the tension. In this article, we’ll give you some tips on what to do in these situations.

In a study called Los alumnos: adversarios en las relaciones de poder dentro del aula. Testimonios de profesores (Students: opponents in power struggles in the classroom. Testimonials from teachers), the students are seen as adversaries.

However, this way of thinking can cause you to act incorrectly. Think of punishing that difficult student by ignoring him, not talking to him, or simply abusing your position of power.

Nevertheless, the testimonials of the teachers who participated in the survey are very interesting. You can use them to learn how to deal with difficult students. They can help you determine what to do and what not to do in the classroom as a teacher and how to turn any situation around.

Together we are strong

When a troublesome student is in the company of his friends, he can have extra courage to do things that he wouldn’t do so quickly if he was alone.

Try to find out who the leader or leaders of the group are and then try to gain their trust. To do this, you need to have a one-on-one conversation with each member of the group, just like this teacher did:

Power struggles

A difficult student may harass you to find out what your weaknesses are. In the beginning, this bullying can therefore be very intense. If you get the chance to do this, try to figure out if he/she is just kidding you, trying to make you nervous, or trying to gain your respect.

In situations like this, it is extremely important to keep your emotions in check. You can not argue with the student or lower yourself to his level. You need to know your place, command respect from him, and not be sensitive to his bullying.

Even when that difficult student is challenging you, you need to know when to ignore them and how to respond appropriately. Here are some common types of troublesome learners:

The difficult student who always contradicts the teacher

This student thinks he is always right, even when he is not. He is not open to explanations from you. It is important to remain calm when it comes to these kinds of students. Correct them with evidence and convincing arguments.

If the situation becomes really unbearable, let the student realize his own mistakes. You can ask the corrected student to try again. If he sees that his classmates were able to solve the problem correctly, the peer pressure may keep him from constantly disagreeing with you just to contradict you.

The Troublesome Student Who Can’t Stand the Teacher’s Mistakes

This is another type of difficult learner. These kinds of students can’t stand when the teacher makes a mistake, solves a problem slowly, or has to think too much to find a solution. They usually show this by jumping straight to the next problem, while you are still working on the previous one.

In this case, you need to work on the student’s problem-solving techniques. As a teacher, it is important to provide support and help the students with any problem they may face.

While difficult students’ attitudes often reflect their own problems at home, it is important to maintain control in any situation. Communication is very important. If there is no good communication, this will make the road you have to travel a lot harder.