Anger Management

Someone says you did

something wrong
 Someone tells you privately
that you did something wrong
Your ‘boss’ belittles
you
Your wife/husband says that you
haven’t been doing enough at
home.
You get stuck in
traffic
You are in the midst
of meeting deadlines
You want something
you can’t have now
You hear that someone has been
spreading rumors about you
You are accused of doing
something you didn’t do
Someone tells you
what to do
 An employee doesn’t
respect your authority
Someone doesn’t
agree with you
Someone doesn’t do what
you tell him/her to do
Someone overrules
you
You see someone you
dislike
What may be a trigger to one is
not necessarily a trigger to
another
The degree of emotional
reaction varies
Know your trigger
Perspectives in Anger
 It is our intent to
create a safe and
happy environment.
 The work place
should be a place
where we can set aside
the outside world.
 However, this is easier said
than done. Every day, people
from all walks of life enter
the school carrying baggage
from their outside lives.
The problem is that it is tough
to concentrate if you are
worried or anxious. In many
cases, anxiety boils to the
surface in the form of anger.
Anger shows up in
many ways…
 IMPLICATIONS

We need to be ready to
encounter anger with
little to no warning.
 IMPLICATIONS

Even when anger pops

up unexpectedly, most
situations can be
deescalated.
How to Handle Anger Issues
(in the classroom)
by Andrew Hawk
 In the Moment

Breathe 
If you are caught off guard, take a second to
gather your wits. It is better if your initial
reaction is calm. If you meet anger with anger,
you will most likely escalate the situation. Count
to three, and then follow the next tip.
 In the Moment

Evaluate the situation 

How bad is it? Are the others (students)
safe? If not, clear the area (room) before
addressing the angry person (student). (If
you have to clear the room, send one of
the other students to get another adult)
 In the Moment

Encourage the person(student) to talk 

Recognize that the person (student) is upset,
and ask what is troubling him/her. If the
he/she (student) tells you, encourage him to
give details. This allows him/her to vent
some of his anger.
 In the Moment

Validate the person’s (student’s) feelings

Never tell an angry person that she has
nothing to be angry about.
Typically, angry persons (students) are
being irrational.
 In the Moment

Validate the person’s (student’s) feelings

It is not necessary to agree with person’s
(student’s) anger to validate it. You cannot
reason with an angry person (student). You
have to drain off the anger first, and then
talk about what to do next time.
 In the Moment

Ask for deep breaths

Taking deep breaths is the

fastest way to calm an upset
person of any age
 After an Angry Outburst

Discuss what happened 

Tell the person (student) that the

behavior is concerning to you.
After an Angry Outburst

Discuss what happened 

Do not use this time to lecture.

 After an Angry Outburst

Discuss what happened 

Make consequences logical and
restorative, not punitive.
If the person (student) made a mess, have
him/her clean it up.
If the student said something hurtful, have him
apologize.
 After an Angry Outburst

Communicate with parents 

Your first communication should be
something positive. This strategy can help
you build a positive relationship, which can
make difficult conversations a little easier.
 After an Angry Outburst

Teach a coping mechanism 

regular angry outbursts means lack of
coping mechanism
coping mechanisms: deep breathing,
positive imagery, and walking away
from difficult situations to calm down
 After an Angry Outburst

Collect data 
The antecedent to angry behavior is not always
obvious. If you have students who are angry a lot,
collect data about their behavior. Pay attention to the
time of day, what was happening in the classroom,
and who was involved. The goal of this type of data
collection is to identify your students’ triggers.
 After an Angry Outburst

Plan for triggers

Once you know a student’s triggers, you can plan
accordingly to help him overcome his anger. Tell the
student about the activities ahead of time. This kind
of planning can help the student work through the
difficult activity.
 After an Angry Outburst

Use response to intervention 

If anger problems are happening regularly even though you
are doing all the things mentioned here, refer the student to
your school’s response to intervention team. You can report
to the team the strategies you have been trying. Chances are
that someone on the team will also have a good idea. This is
a great step just in case things take a turn for the worse.
 Remember these…

Understand what angers you

Leave your "baggage" outside.

Bringing your personal problems to your work will
only lead to more management problems during the
day and that will only add to your stress level.
 Exercise

Lift something that you are holding right now.

(or you may hold another object)
Do not put it down or rest your arm/hand until I
tell you to do so.

GAME?
 Make sure you never get into a
shouting match
"yelling is NOT a good management strategy"
In fact, it will actually backfire as you will lose the
respect of the person... and once the respect is
gone, so is your ability to manage.
Elevate your argument
not your voice
It is often the "toughest"
person that needs you the
most.
 Make sure to handle your
stress/anger in positive ways

Do not to let your personal

problems add to your management
problems.
 The cup of tea…

What you hold in your cup is

what will spill
 Going back to the exercise

It is not what you hold on to but how

long you hold on to it.

Let go of what is unnecessary

Holding on to it for so long makes you
so used to it
 Coping with an Angry Student
By Dr. Kenneth Shore

1. Model calm behavior.

2. Do not take his words personally.
3. Have a private, non-threatening talk with the
student.
4. Problem-solve with the student
5. Support the academically frustrated student
6. Intervene early. 
 Students’
Perspective
 Teachers’
Perspective
 We should be in charge of
our emotions, not the other
way around.
 Sources

• https://freespiritpublishingblog.com/2018/03/12/
how-to-handle-anger-issues-in-the-classroom/
• http://www.teachhub.com/effective-classroom-
management-difficult-when-youre-angry
• https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-
classroom-management/teacher-anger-what-to-do-
when-youre-reaching-the-breaking-point/
 Sources

• http://drkennethshore.nprinc.com/for-teachers/
coping-angry-student/
• https://www.education.udel.edu/wp-content/
uploads/2013/01/Anger-3.22.06.pdf