Dealing with challenging situations with students
In contact with students, you may encounter challenging situations ranging from silence to disruption on the part of students.
It is important to remain calm in such moments and to assess the situation. Here you will find tips on how to deal with these challenges constructively.
Checklist to prepare for potentially challenging situations
When it comes to your own teaching and dealing with groups of students, you can take measures to prepare yourself for challenging situations of various kinds.
- Planning, implementation and reflection: Detailed, phased teaching planning can give you and your students confidence.
- Target group analysis: When planning your teaching, consider the background of your students. This can help you to tailor your teaching to the specific needs of your students and prevent any discrepancies that may arise. Watch this video to find out more about target group analysis in teaching.
- Transparency in implementation and matching expectations: Actively involve students in your teaching by communicating didactic plans transparently and making your ideas of teaching and interaction known. Allow students space for feedback.
- Appreciative, constructive interaction with students: At best, be a role model in this regard.
- Plan B: Which situations in your planning present challenges and unpredictable moments? If you are aware of these and have alternatives or action strategies ready, you can act more confidently in the relevant situation.
-
Location: Familiarize yourself with the (digital) equipment in the room in question. This can give you confidence.
-
External support and established rules: Identify places you can turn to when problem situations arise that are difficult to resolve (Dean's Office, Faculty Chair, Examination Office, etc.). You can also familiarize yourself with general guidelines, such as house rules.
Tips for dealing with challenges in teaching
"Silence is 'unproductive' if it hinders, delays or even blocks the development of a teaching/learning dynamic that promotes learning. This is the case when the fear of failure, the fear of possibly not being accepted, is so strong that it leads to the inhibition or blocking of commitment and activity." (Geißler 2016, p. 145)
Recommendation:
- At the beginning of the event, formulate your expectation that the students should participate
- Relax the situation (e.g. with a self-revelation: "I used to find it uncomfortable to speak my mind in plenary, but this has led to very exciting discussions.")
- Try to understand the silence. This offers a greater chance of interaction. To do this, ask openly for reasons for the reticence.
- Address individual silencers directly and make sure you use an appreciative tone of voice (e.g. "You haven't said anything today..., I'd like to know what you think about this.")
... "are relatively quickly the focus of attention because they make themselves visible through their audibility [...]. Only rarely to their advantage, as their contributions are often perceived as disruptions." (Geißler 2016, p, 149)
Recommendation:
- Thank them for their contribution
- Interrupt in a friendly manner with reference to the schedule and - if possible - take time for the person after the event
- Center the statements on one statement and ask the quieter participants what they think of it
"Some sneak in unnoticed [...]. Other latecomers stage their appearance in a conspicuous way that makes the participants present from the beginning doubt that something important could have happened beforehand." (Geißler 2016, p.157)
Recommendation:
- Set a good example and be punctual.
- Explain your rules at the beginning of the first event (e.g. "If you arrive late, enter the lecture hall quietly through the back entrance so as not to disturb others.")
- Make sure that the rules are adhered to.
- If lateness becomes more frequent or you are disturbed by it, address the person(s) in question with first-person messages (e.g: I can't concentrate if someone keeps coming into the room").
If you find side conversations in your course stressful, you should intervene. The intervention levels for disruptions according to Schumacher (2022) are helpful for this.
Methods for specific situations
The use of teaching methods can also be a good way of preventing or intervening in certain difficult teaching situations.
You will find methods on our website that can help you to design your teaching and thus provide support for the didactic prevention of difficult situations:
Support offered by the ZiLL
Do you need individual advice? ZiLL is at your disposal with numerous consulting services.