Managing Classroom Power Struggles: Effective Teacher Strategies

Teachers can effectively manage defiant behavior by choosing redirection over power struggles.

### Effective Classroom Management: Strategies to Avoid Power Struggles
* 🛑 When students are motivated by power, they may provoke teachers into **arguments or power struggles**, but teachers can choose to **avoid these conflicts**.
* 🔄 Instead of reacting verbally to misbehavior, **redirecting students is crucial for deescalating situations and maintaining control in the classroom**.
* 🙌 It’s important for teachers to prioritize **compliance over attitude** in the moment, allowing for a **calmer discussion later**.
* 🕒 For instance, telling a student, "**We'll talk at recess**," helps manage their behavior without allowing them to feel victorious in a confrontation.
* 👂 When faced with defiance, teachers should follow four steps: **listen to the student**, **acknowledge their feelings**, **redirect them to the task**, and **defer further discussion to a more appropriate time**.
* 💡 Different techniques, such as **listen, acknowledge, redirect, and defer**, each have unique strengths and can help teachers **avoid escalating power struggles**.
* 📚 Ultimately, maintaining a **calm demeanor** and managing interactions effectively can lead to **better outcomes** for both students and teachers.

[Music] When students' behavior is motivated by power, they try to bait you into a power struggle or an argument. As teachers, we have a choice. We can choose to get into a power struggle, or we can choose not to. Did you notice I did not verbally react to the student's misbehavior? All I did was redirect them. See, it's my job not to escalate but to deescalate the situation. Teachers, I'm not bothering anybody. I need you to stop to be in your chair and get to work. Thanks. I'll sit back in my chair if I want to. It's a free country. Sometimes it's hard to walk away from a student when they give you an attitude, but if they're complying, which is your immediate goal, you'll want to deal with that attitude later. This is one of the best ways to keep out of power struggles in the classroom. Emily, I need you to sit down. I appreciate that you sat down, and we'll talk at recess. Telling students you'll talk with them later is not allowing them to get

away with anything you're choosing a time when they're calmer, your calmer, and you have a much better chance of actually helping them gain control over their behavior. When a defiant student tries to hook you into a verbal exchange, what are you looking at? Remember four key steps: listen and acknowledge that you've heard what the student has said, redirect the student to the task at hand, defer to a future conversation. This is stupid. Several different techniques will help you with listen, acknowledge, redirect, defer. Each of them has different strengths. Each helps you stay out of an escalating no-win power struggle. I need you to sit down.

Classroom Management and Discipline, Part III:Dealing with Difficult and Challenging Students

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Managing Power Struggles in the Classroom

Students motivated by power may try to provoke teachers into a power struggle.

Teachers have the choice to either engage in the struggle or deescalate the situation.

Redirecting students and addressing their behavior later can help maintain compliance and avoid conflicts.

Choosing a calm time to address a defiant student increases the chances of helping them gain control.

Four key steps to handle the situation are: listen and acknowledge, redirect to the task, and defer to a future conversation.

Using different techniques for these steps can help avoid escalating power struggles.