Crisis management in the classroom

Being a teacher is like being a Transformer – there’s more to the job than meets the eye. You need to be a lecturer, co-worker, assistant, facilitator, parent figure, supporter, police officer, lawyer, cleaner and a negotiator, to name but a few aspects of the profession.

There are some difficulties we are prepared for: discipline issues, learning difficulties etc. But there are situations nobody can predict – a child masturbating in the classroom, an unexpected mental breakdown of your student, a physical attack etc. If you’re new to the job and think the cases I mention are uncommon, ask your experienced colleague – but be prepared to hear even more gruesome stories.

Naturally, I hope you’ll never encounter such a challenging situation and your teaching journey will be smooth – but as they say, hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and that’s why I want to share with you some simple rules you will probably find really helpful.

Breathe in, breathe out

You cannot underestimate this simple rule: stay calm. Whether the crisis situation affects only one student, or the whole group, you cannot panic. You’re the responsible adult, even if you don’t feel like it. Remember that your students will turn to you. Of course, the attitude will vary depending on the group – you can expect some help and support from your adult students, but for the kids you’ll be the only authority present. So, whatever happens – stay calm.

Follow the procedures

There are always procedures, and usually we skip them because they are, well – boring. However, they’re worth getting familiar with, even if it’s only to know what could possibly go wrong. If you’re still unconvinced, trust me: if something DOES go wrong in your class, and you won’t follow the procedures, you’ll be the one to blame, even if you do everything you can.

If you only started your job and you haven’t had your induction yet, ask your manager to talk you through the possible procedures. Don’t be afraid to ask about the school’s policy regarding various critical situations that spring to your mind – maybe they have some ideas that will help you prepare.

Don’t leave other students on their own

If you teach a group of students and one of them experiences a critical situation, you need to attend to them, but you mustn’t forget you teach a whole group of students, not only one. Of course, your tactics should vary depending on the age of your students – the younger ones must be taken care of, so it’s recommended you ask someone for help (I usually suggest calling a school admin or DoS) – then one person can manage the class, and the other deal with the child experiencing crisis.

In case of teens or adults, you can ask the group to focus on a task requiring individual work (e.g. writing, reading), while you deal with a student experiencing a problem. Still, if your students are underaged, you shouldn’t leave the classroom.

Ask for help

As I’ve mentioned, I usually suggest teachers to have a number to a school admin on their mobiles and in case some help is required – call immediately. Do not be afraid to call for help – if there is a health hazard, you may not be able to deal with it on your own.

You can also talk to your teacher next door and arrange that in case of a critical situation, you’ll ask them to take a look at your classroom while you deal with the challenging student. Remember, forewarned is forearmed.

Meet your mentor

Even if you managed the difficult situation in the classroom successfully, meet your mentor (DoS, senior teacher or school manager) to discuss the issue. Your mentor will help you assess the dangers of the situation, discuss the possible complications and outcomes. That will help you feel more comfortable, and that will probably help the school admins to readjust the procedure.  Maybe your insight will help other teachers in similar situations?

Talk it through

You’ve got friends, family – why not talk the situation through with them? Of course, don’t mention the names or personal details, but don’t bottle things up. Managing crisis situations is not an easy task, and you’ll need someone to open to. Don’t make the experience more traumatic by closing up – discuss it with someone who will emphatise with you.

As you can see, the rules I’m sharing are really simple – but if you’ve encountered a critical situation and want to talk about it, email me!