Handling Student Frustrations: How Do I Help Students Manage Emotions in the Classroom?

When students' fears, stresses, and frustrations creep into the classroom and disrupt the learning process, how can you respond in a positive way that results in better relationships and higher levels of motivation and achievement? Renate Caine and Carol McClintic draw on their decades of teaching experience to propose the APA method:

* Acknowledge. Help the student accept the situation, including his or her own reaction.

* Process. Help the student clarify what is actually taking place. Then mutually come up with an action plan for moving forward.

* Act. Help the student implement the action plan.

This approach pulls back the curtain on emotional flare-ups and not only encourages students to recognize emotions in themselves and others but also motivates them to implement proactive solutions rather than let negative emotions sabotage their academic goals. Caine and McClintic also include several grade-appropriate classroom scenarios and relevant strategies that will help you create more peaceful, respectful, and productive learning environments.

Renate Caine has taught middle school in Reno, Nevada, and high school in New Orleans, Louisiana, and helped to establish a small charter school in her local community. She received her doctorate from the University of Florida. She recently retired after 20 years as a college professor and is currently the executive director of the Natural Learning Research Institute. She is the co-author of 11 books, including the ASCD publications Making Connections and Teaching and the Human Brain. By employing many of the strategies in Handling Student Frustrations over the years, Renate has eliminated almost all discipline problems and her students have won awards for their high academic achievement.

Carol McClintic has taught everything from preschool to university-extension classes in the public education system over the past 35 years. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from South Dakota State University and her Master of Arts degree from California State University, San Bernardino. As part of her district leadership team, Carol conducted many workshops for the district and for universities. As an elementary and middle school teacher, she initiated use of the APA method discussed in these pages and saw immediate results: not only did her students' discipline problems disappear, but her students developed valuable skills for managing their emotions and handling social situations. Presently, Carol is the director of programs for educators and independent learning for the Natural Learning Research Institute.