Experts Share Their Tips for Working with Difficult Students

Madison, Wis.—October 14, 2008 — Difficult student behaviors can take many forms. They can range from annoying and distracting all the way to disruptive or even threatening behaviors.

How can you prevent these problems? And how can you deal with students who already act inappropriately during class?

Brian Van Brunt and Jason Ebbeling role played four typical difficult class scenarios with a student during this recent online seminar. The first interaction of each scenario showed the professor handling the situation poorly. They discussed different theories and how to put them into practice. Then they re-enacted the same situations putting the theories into practice.

Theories they discussed include:
• Person-centered counseling
• Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
• Motivational interviewing
• Change theory
• Releasing your brilliance
• Rational emotive behavior therapy

Van Brunt and Ebbeling also suggested some proactive steps to prevent classroom disruptions. Their suggestions included listing class expectations in the syllabus, or asking students to set class rules – they’re usually much more strict than you would be.

After a disruption, Van Brunt and Ebbeling encouraged defining the goal in the interaction with the student. Do you want to help the student to take an incremental step toward change? Or would you like to help the student maintain positive momentum? Having a clear goal helps determine how you will approach the interaction.

No matter what happens in the classroom, you retain the ultimate ability to grade your student and control your classroom.

If you missed the seminar and would like to purchase it for your institution, you can order the program in CD or print transcript format, both of which include the presenter's handouts.

Magna Publications is a leading publisher of newsletters and other information products in the higher education segment. Magna also manages onsite and online conferences on topics of interest to higher education.

For more information please contact David Burns, Publisher, Magna Publications, Inc., at 608-227-8109, or dburns@magnapubs.com.