Managing Conflict in the Classroom
June 25, 2009
Dr. Martin Trammell has kept a classroom under control for 27 years.
Chair of the English department at Corban College in Salem, Oregon, Trammell, 49, a Walden University grad, developed a system for calming disruptive students years ago.
Trammell's approach is equal parts common sense and compassion. His technique, in a nutshell, is patience, a trait he says he honed as a youth pastor and a relationship counselor.
When a student gets agitated in his classroom, he addresses the issue after class by asking the student just one question:
"May I ask you something?"
The student, disarmed, will likely reply, "Sure. What's up?"
And so the conversation begins.
"If they have no idea why I'm talking to them, then I can tell their behavior is a learned rudeness and not deliberate," says Trammell. "Usually they'll say, "˜I'm having relationship problems,' or, "˜I lost my job and things aren't going so well at home.' At that point you can begin to win them over."
Like many meaningful relationships, student-teacher relationships require work. The same skill sets used to manage everyday anger can be used to manage classroom conflicts.
Like a reporter, Trammell can nose out a student's likes and dislikes, their favorite bands and television shows, whether they play basketball or sing with the choir"personal tidbits that help bridge potential gaps by building a foundation through communication.
"In my experience, it takes getting to know the student," says Trammell. "Most unruly kids have something they excel at. Focus on that thing and encourage them in that area. The point is to make time for that student, even if it means sacrificing some of your own."
Several years ago, a freshman boy, intent on provoking Trammell in class, began the semester by interrupting the professor's lessons with negative outbursts.
"He came across as bitter," says Trammell.
To address the situation, Trammell sat beside the student after class in the school's cafeteria. That act, non-threatening as it was, piqued the student's temper, and he suggested through clenched teeth that if Trammell didn't leave, he'd "make him leave."
Rather than get the police involved in the situation, Trammell emailed the school's resident advisors who informed him that the student lived off-campus and had not come to them for guidance. After several counseling sessions, Trammell learned that the student had been abused and had pent up anger and little trust for adults.
"He apologized when he saw me next," says Trammell. "But you could tell it was forced."
For months Trammell worked with the student, careful to address the problems only after class had dismissed so he wouldn't compromise the other students' time. And as the relationship developed, the student grew to appreciate the professor, who had cultivated an almost "Good Will Hunting" bond in a freshman speech writing class.
To keep tabs on the student's progress out of class, Trammell communicated with the college's counseling staff, forging ties with therapists and social workers, who through a combination of bible study and talk therapy, helped turn the student around.
"He's one of those students who calls me every now and then," says Trammell. "He's teaching Spanish at a local middle school, and he seems to be doing really well now. It took time, probably the most difficult student I ever had."
______________________________
COMMENTS
Looking back, try to recall those students in your high school or college classrooms who could have used Dr. Trammell's guidance? Do you think Trammell's approach would have worked with these students? If not, why?
Leave your response in the comments below.
