The fallout from yelling in the classroom

Sport Kid and Term 1, Week 1, 2018.

This week Sport Kid has told us that he didn’t enjoy his science class and described why he didn’t like it. It wasn’t because he doesn’t like science as a subject or he has a particular aversion to the theory of evolution or the periodic table, but because he felt that the teacher was yelling at the class the whole lesson and he really didn’t like it!

Whether or not the teacher would feel that they were yelling the whole time or if they were indeed yelling we can’t know, but we do know that Sport Kid’s experience was of a teacher yelling at the class and this has raised the question of how yelling can impact a student’s learning.

We all know it’s not a good thing, but it happens to the best of us, so how does a teacher find themselves yelling in the classroom?

Teachers have all had those moments when they have just had it with the behaviour of students in the classroom and shouting is the response to the feeling of losing control.

This can be an even bigger issue for casual teachers, who don’t have a bond or relationship with students where mutual respect can be used keep on top of bad classroom behaviour.

Yelling can have immediate results with students and get back the control in the classroom in the short term by getting student’s attention or have an even bigger impact by causing a big scene that gets the attention of students. A teacher may reflect on their yelling experience and feel remorse and embarrassment from their yelling, but find it difficult to control problem students and out of control classrooms without raising their voice.

What are the potential consequences for the teacher that yells?

A big impact of yelling in the classroom is the damage that is done to the student teacher relationship. If a teacher yells in the classroom and especially if they yell at one student in particular it can make the student resent the teacher and consequently that student may never learn in their lesson. The student may react with fear, anxiety or it may fuel even more bad behaviour. A classroom where even one student feels resentful toward their teacher can stall the whole class’s learning experience.

Students can’t learn in an environment where they are fearful and yelling most certainly can instil fear into students, even if they aren’t the ones being yelled at, as the fear of being the next student that will be yelled at can also be stifling.

You may have students that don’t fear yelling, but find it amusing to push buttons with the goal of causing the teacher to yell. Why don’t these students fear yelling?  Because yelling can reduce a student’s level of accountability. Students can quickly weigh up their options whether it’s worth behaving or misbehaving in class. They may start to misbehave just to get a rise out of you and find it amusing to see how far they can push their teacher. If the only consequence for this bad classroom behaviour is being yelled at, the cost to the student is low, with the reward in their view, being quiet high. When a teacher is yelling the student has created a distraction from the work required in the lesson and they can laugh or even be proud of the result they got from their bad behaviours. They may even be encouraged by their peers who are impressed by their distraction methods.  

Why we should always strive to be the calm, collected teacher and avoid the yelling trap.

Regardless of how frustrated you get with your students, yelling is never the answer. Even though it might seem to have an impact in the moment, there is no long term gain and the loss incurred is too high for any teacher to take the risk of indulging in the short term success of yelling.

Consider whether you want to be known as “that” teacher that yells at their students because you are “the mean one” or if you would prefer to be the teacher who everybody wants to learn from.

We all remember the teachers that we hoped we wouldn’t have to endure at school and the ones whose class we desperately wanted to be in. As adults we know that the impact of a positive, effective teacher can be something we remember long into adulthood and the learning experiences we had with them can have a profound impact on our lives.

I certainly remember the teacher who yelled at me in class and told me that I was stupid for not understanding a maths concept, a comment that stifled my confidence and ability to succeed in Maths throughout high school. I also remember with great respect and reverence the positive impact my high school English teacher had on my life, to the point that I have actively tried to find that teacher to thank them for all the lessons I learnt from them that helped me develop skills that I successfully utilised at University and that I continue to use daily in my professional life.

A classroom management plan: the foundation for taking the yelling out of your teaching.

To begin your journey as the great teacher who has a lasting, positive impact on their students, you might want to start by creating a behaviour management plan. The key to success is to create a solid classroom management plan and no matter what – stick with it.

Once you have a clear plan in place you can begin to build solid, respectful and influential relationships with students. If you need some guidance or inspiration for creating a successful classroom management plan, there is a wealth of information out there in the World Wide Web. You can use what you find to explore the best classroom management plan for you and your students.

Action learning can never be underestimated in its basic form for managing our own behaviours and in this scenario we refer to it in the sense of checking in on your own behaviours and reflecting on your classroom management. Taking the time to reflect on your behaviours in the classroom can help you identify triggers that might bring you to the dreaded yelling moment and help you to identify your triggers early so you can stop before things escalate. Teachers can utilise this strategy in conjunction with a solid classroom management plan to continually reflect and act on their own behaviours in the classroom. Regardless of the behaviour of your students, and we all know that even the best students can have their moments, never forget that you are a role model to each and every student and setting a solid example for behaviour will always be one of the most important aspects of your role as a teacher.

Check in with “My Student Life” next week to see how Sport Kid is tracking in his second week of term.

The Extra Credit Academy 

Bibliography

Bennett,T. (n.d.) Why yelling is not a suitable behaviour management strategy. Retrieved from https://www.tes.com/articles/why-yelling-not-a-suitable-behaviour-management-strategy

Cox, J. (n.d.) Classroom Management: Do not yell. Retrieved from http://www.teachhub.com/classroom-management-do-not-yell

Gonzalez, J (2016) How to stop yelling at your students. Cult of Pedagogy. Retrieved from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/stop-yelling-at-students/

Linsin, M. (2011) 10 Reasons Why You Should Never, Ever Yell At Students. https://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2011/01/08/10-reasons-why-you-should-never-yell-at-students/

Paton, G. (2010) Aggressive Teachers Harm pupil’s education. Retrieved from

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/7866669/Aggressive-teachers-harm-pupils-education.html