DEFUSING YOUR CLASSROOM- Unloading the Gun, Part I.

 

We talked about building a Firebreak to contain explosive situations from spreading beyond the initial outbreak of hostility.  I thought today would be as good a time as any to identify some Trigger-Situations that teachers and security might want to avoid.

 

First things first.  It is really the teacher’s responsibility to control him or herself.  I mean, you are the only entity you can actually control in any interaction.  Not only that, you are the Dude or Dudette.  You are the professional, and, as the professional, you model how to respond in crisis situations.  The way I see it, you have two choices when dealing with disruptive students:

 

1. You can “load your guns.”  By this I mean you can manage disruptive situations and people naturally.  Reacting naturally means not only saying exactly what you feel (naturally) when you feel it, worse, you actually load up your mental process with negative assumptions about the student(s) with whom you are dealing.  Reacting Naturally is how unprofessional people deal with stressful situations.  You go in with guns figuratively blazing.

 

1. You can “Unload All Guns and Trigger Guard Them.”  I’m telling you what, Dear Readers:  Defusing others in An Unnatural Act.  With rare exceptions, any time, especially in a confrontational situation, that I said exactly what I naturally felt exactly when I felt it, the situation went to crap pretty damned quick-like. To de-escalate a situation, then you need to first:

 

1.  
   • Clear Your Mind.  Get yourself a mind like clear water.  Rid yourself of any preconceptions about the student, any personal feelings you might have.  Those negative thoughts and feelings stir up the waters, churning mud and silt from the bottom, whereas a clear, calm approach keeps the waters clear.  Think about it:  The water is clear, you can see right to the bottom (of the problems and issues). The solutions are right there for you. 
   • Define Your Weaknesses and Triggers.  Take a look at yourself and identify your weaknesses and things about you that a student can use as a trigger to influence you to lose your cool.  Lose your professionalism.  Once you identify your triggers work on putting on a Trigger Guard so they cannot be pressed during the interaction.
   • Stop. Look, and Listen.  Slow everything down.  The Rule Of Minus-1 proposes that you respond at least one emotional level less than the emotional level of the student and/or the environment.  Or the Principle of 3- S.  Meaning, use body language and movements that are very Slow; keep your terminology very Soft (avoid provocative trigger words or threats); be Sincere (Teacher, if you don’t feel like holding hands and running through the rain drops with the disruptive student, but you need to communicate concern and respect, by all means fake it ‘til you make it!).  Listen, really listen, to what the disruptive student(s) is/are saying.  You can almost always find the solution to the problem is the student’s own words.
   • Put Out the Fire through Distractions, Redirections, Asking Artful Questions.  In the model I use for Advanced De-escalation Techniques I advocate the teacher to Find Out the Facts, based on the axiom that you cannot resolve the issue on (usually false) assumptions.  More often than not, good questions can weaken the force of the student’s anger or rage by forcing him or her to stop and turn inward to answer the question.  Questions can also act as distractions and can refocus and redirect rage from his or her intended target – you, pr another student – back to where the rage began – him or herself:

Ø      “Terry, would you mind if I asked a question?” is a very Artful Question by the way.  It stuns the student.

Ø      “Terry, really, man, what would you have done if you were me?”  is another.  It is what I call a Shadow Questions.  I use it in every situation.

Ø      “Terry, I hear what your saying, man.  Let me ask you something, though.  Could you tell me exactly when I have done anything prejudice against you or anyone else?”  This puts the onus back on the accusatory student.  Fractures his Rage-Focus.

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   • The DEFUSE Paradigm I recommend teachers/security staff consider to defuse disruptive students is as follows:

Don’t’ Lose Your Cool.  Depersonalize.

Empathize.  Encourage To Vent.

Find Out the Facts.

Understand feelings.

Suggest Solutions.  Suspend Ego.

End on a Positive Note.

De-escalation, like I said earlier, is An Unnatural Act.  It is the use of professional language and actions designed to reduce emotions and establish control.  It is simple, yes, but it is far from Natural.  We will talk a little more in the next posting on defusing your classroom by better understanding trigger situations and how to defuse them.

Til Next Time, Stay Safe.

Hammer

 

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Posted on November 12th, 2008 by Harry A Widger
Filed under: Administrators, College, High School, K-6, People Involved, School Grade Level, School Safety Issues, Security, Social skills, Students, Violence