Behavior Management Issues: Avoiding Power Struggles in the Classroom

Perhaps one of the most difficult behavior management issues a teacher faces is dealing with a power struggle in the classroom. Power struggles are difficult situations because in the end, no one really "wins". The teacher may see a short-term resolution by having the student removed from the classroom, but this comes at the cost of losing valuable instruction time. The student usually is not gaining any new knowledge or skills by being removed from the classroom and send to a place such as the school office.

Learning to avoid the trap of the power struggle is a skill teachers must continually practice if they are to have a well-managed classroom. The first lesson in dodging this teaching pitfall is to think about disengaging from the situation. It is critical, that when faced with escalating student behavior, a teacher remain calm and in control. This means keeping your emotions in check! Showing frustration and anger or attempting to intimidate an oppositional student, during a power struggle, will probably only escalate the defiant behavior and make the situation worse. Teachers can make the choice not to participate in the conflict- it takes two to power struggle. (However, by choosing to remain calm, a teacher does not choose to ignore misbehavior. Remaining calm is only part of resolving the problem.)

Some things which can help you remain calm are:

Deep breathing: This will help you clear your mind with a fresh burst of oxygen and give you a moment to pause and think about how you will respond.

Use a "professional voice": Be sensitive to the tone and pitch of your voice when addressing a student - especially in a behavior management situation. If you speak calmly and professionally, you will be interpreted as feeling calm. This perception of calm indicates to students you are in control of the situation. Reacting in a manner which shows stress indicates you are in the same place as the student - about to lose control. If both you and the student lose control, the power over the classroom is "up for grabs", so presenting the perception calm helps you keep control of your domain.

Be brief:The fewer words you have to say, the less likely it is you can be misinterpreted. Peppering a defiant student with comments and questions provides the student with a great deal of negative attention (which is what they may be seeking) for misbehavior. The shorter your answer is, the less power it gives the student.

If possible, ignore: Students will occasionally try to suck you into negativity by making irritating comments. If the remark is mild enough -ignore it. Don't give them fuel for the power struggle fire! However, if it is serious enough to merit a response, briefly and professionally explain why the remark is inappropriate then impose an established consequence. Do not try to play word games with students.

The goal of disengaging from power struggles is to allow time to use tactics which interrupt the student's increasing defiant behavior and help deescalate their anger. Once disengaged from the situation, the following tactics may be helpful in interrupting the student's negative behavior and give you a chance to help deescalate the power struggle.

Distract: If you catch defiant behavior as it is just beginning, try to move the student to a more positive activity.

Remove early: When you see a student beginning to become irritated, try finding a neutral reason to remove them from the classroom. For example, have them get supplies from the art room or run an errand down the hall. The idea behind this is that once the student is away from the source of irritation, they can calm down prior to returning to class.

Offer a break: Let students know they need to calm down before you will address the problem. It helps if you have space set aside in the classroom where they can be directed and if you have discussed the procedures for using it.

Listen and ask: Paraphrase back to the student what you understand them to be saying. Listen to the response and then ask open-ended questions. Giving students a little time to vent can help avoid major power struggles too.

Most importantly, in handling power struggles in the classroom, remember you are a professional and act accordingly! Also, it takes time and practice to develop the skill of managing power struggles - if you are willing to learn from your mistakes, the process will go faster!