Part 3, Navigating Classroom Dynamics & Disruptions
Contents:
Support for Yourself or a Teaching Colleague | Support for Students | Support for the Class
Some classroom interactions can have wide-reaching effects – this section provides strategies and campus resources to support you and your students, restore healthier dynamics, and prevent further disruptions.
Support for Yourself or a Colleague
Responding to inappropriate behavior
When an instructor is experiencing disruptive or disrespectful behavior from a student, it’s important to address it promptly. There are a number of people who can assist:
- Department Chair – A good starting point for most class disruptions is to contact your department chair. Your chair is likely to know any relevant school or college policies and procedures or contacts able to help guide your response. In the College of Letters & Science, use this process. If your chair is new, you may also consider contacting an outgoing or past chair.
- Center for Teaching Learning and Mentoring – CTLM can consult on practical next steps in the wake of a classroom disruption. This can include a conversation to identify support for yourself and your class environment, next steps and resources for moving forward, and teaching strategies to resolve any remaining needs.
- Office of Student Conduct & Community Standards – Some disruptive behavior in class could be nonacademic misconduct. The Office of Student Conduct & Community Standards is available for consultation. They oversee the reporting and response process for nonacademic misconduct.
Record keeping
If you notice a pattern of inappropriate behavior from a student, consider keeping a log of interactions. This can ensure you provide a complete picture of your experience when seeking additional support resources. When describing the incident, try to avoid emotionally charged language and focus on observable facts and what was said and done without interpreting motivation or intention. A log can include information like date, location, what led up to an inappropriate behavior, a description of the inappropriate behavior, and any actions you took in response.
Support and wellbeing resources
It’s normal to be emotionally affected by challenging teaching dynamics – these can be stressful both in the moment and afterward. Reaching out for support can be an important part of moving forward. It can be helpful to start by connecting with and leaning on your supportive colleagues within your teaching community.
UW–Madison also offers confidential resources for employees:
- Employee Assistance Office – A resource to assist employees and their immediate family members or significant others who are finding it difficult to successfully cope with personal or work-related issues or concerns.
- LifeMatters – A service of the Employee Assistance Office that provides employees with free and confidential statewide coverage, and 24/7 telephone access to professional counselors in support of employees’ personal and work-related concerns.
Support for Students
Even when an event is addressed immediately, it can be helpful to take follow-up actions after class to get additional support for students who were affected.
For students who were harmed
Ask the student(s) if they would like to meet with you or another support unit on campus to discuss the experience. Validate their feelings by naming what you saw as unfair or offensive behavior (regardless of if you already did so in the moment). Invite the student to inform pathways forward: “Moving forward, I will _______. What else would you like me to consider?”
For students whose behavior was disruptive
Following up after class with the student to discuss what happened gives you an opportunity to understand what may be causing the behavior and what resources may be most helpful to address it. If you would like support preparing for this meeting, contact the Office of Student Assistance and Support or review guidance on how to approach a difficult conversation with a student. After that discussion, be sure to follow up with an email noting what was discussed, the resources offered, and the specific expectations for behavior going forward. If you would like more support or if a student continues not to meet expectations, contact OSAS.
For conflicts between students
Meet individually with the involved students. Ask them to explain what occurred, listen empathetically, acknowledge emotions, and brainstorm possible solutions. OSAS can provide support to instructors should a conflict between students require higher-touch meditation.
For when you (the instructor) said or did something that caused harm
When you become aware that you’ve caused harm, regardless of your intentions, it’s important to address it. As a first step, check in with your chair or a trusted colleague to discuss how best to do so and what specific language is helpful. You may want to meet individually with the involved students and/or address the full class. Where an apology is appropriate, take responsibility for your part in a situation and take time to focus on the needs of the student. Invite the student to inform pathways forward. For example, you could say, “Moving forward, I will _______. What else would you like me to consider?”
Referring students to support services
For students looking for a quick turnaround for support, the University Health Services “Let’s Talk” program offers daily drop-in, no-cost consultations. UHS has also partnered with Uwill to expand access to flexible, no cost, virtual counseling options for students. Students can get in quickly to see a counselor, with appointments often available within 24 hours.
When referring out to other services, communicate in ways that are direct, empathetic, and caring while still handing off to appropriate university resources. For example: “I appreciate you sharing your experience with me. I want to make sure you get to the person with the most updated information and who is best positioned to support you. Can I email someone in [insert referral service] and cc: you to get a conversation started?”
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Additional Resources
Resources and guidance for supporting students dealing with specific concerns, including mental health issues, life events, financial hardship, and more
Recognize, Respond, Refer suicide prevention guide from University Health Services
Support for the Class
Address group dynamics
In some cases, a heated episode in class may change the dynamics for the broader class or for students who have been assigned to work together on a course assignment.
You may want to re-adjust the group membership to provide space for students to move forward productively. This could require developing an alternate plan for the students experiencing or contributing to interpersonal conflict to meet the learning outcomes for the assignment independently.
Alternatively, you could require that groupmates work together to create an action plan for their next steps, which could include (re)establishing roles, collaboration expectations, and timelines for completing shared work.
Use discussion protocols
Providing structure to class discussions can help students stay on topic and lower the emotional temperature. Discussion protocols are structured processes that guide students through particular ways of interacting. Protocols provide detailed directions that often include assigned roles, paced timing, and a clear purpose for the discussion.
A variety of protocols are available depending on the needs of the class or activity goals. Examples from National School Reform Faculty include activities to clarify thinking around a text or source like Save the Last Word for Me and The Making Meaning Protocol while others may provide structure to encourage students to assume the role of sharing knowledge and experience, like the Jigsaw or the Critical Incident Protocol which encourages students to develop “critical friendships” through which to interrogate their work. See more examples
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Additional Resources
The Discussion Project (UW–Madison)
Guides for Discussing Difficult or High-Stakes Topics (University of Michigan)
Reconsider the time and place of assessments
Conflicts or disruptions that take place during or close to a major assessment may lead students to be distracted, emotionally impacted, or otherwise unable to fully participate. Where able, you may consider exploring options for flexibility in course assessments.
This can look like switching from an in-person assessment to a timed, online exam or a take-home exam or integrating flexible deadlines. Allowing students to take the assessment outside of a disruptive or charged class environment can ensure that students are able to concentrate and effectively demonstrate their learning. Not all courses are able to accommodate flexibility in the same ways, so consulting with colleagues or CTLM about creative ways of integrating flexibility in the wake of a disruption can be a helpful starting point. Contact CTLM.