3 Ways to Manage Student Meltdowns
It's been a rough few days (or years).
Every year seems to be navigating the unknowns of what education will be like today. Because we are pretty sure it isn’t the same as yesterday and tomorrow will be different as well.
It's been less than pretty.
And for your students and possibly you from time to time you might have flipped your lid.
And after attending Bri Guillory's Keynote at Germinate conference in Summer 2022, I can't unsee the visual that reminds you what is really going on when you flip your lid.
It's this hand.
I can't get it out of my brain. Funny, as it represents the brain.
The hand on the RIGHT represents when all the parts of the brain are working in harmony. The "higher level" thinking of the cerebral cortex and the emotional part of the prefrontal cortex.
The hand on the LEFT represents "flipping your lid." Get it?! It's like the brain is disconnected and the emotional center of the brain (that's where FLIGHT, FIGHT or FREEZE takes over) is now driving the car.
Logic can no longer influence behaviors.
I can hear myself saying things like, "let's be quiet other students are still working" or "I understand it’s hard to sit still but you need to while I am talking." All of which were lost as the logic parts of the brain are shut down.
So, why is this all important to teachers?
Well, we've seen this happen. Probably more than once. And maybe it wasn't just with a student, maybe with another adult or even yourself.
We have seen students who have experienced trauma in the past few years (maybe even more incidents than ever).
We will continue to have moments as educators where we have someone flip their lid and we are there to help them find safety again.
I am 100 percent not an expert, but want to pass along some resources to help you the next time you are presented with a situation like this.
1. Specialist Teacher for Classroom Management
Customized support from teachers who want to help! The Specialist Roster is your gateway to advice and resources that suit your specific needs. It’s a support system that will allow you to continue pursuing your career with vitality. And, yes there is someone who specializes in classroom management. Get in contact with Katie Green for help to handle a flipped lid!
2. Katie’s Takeaway Document
Need a quick resource? Katie has you covered. Specifically check out her resources for a trauma informed and mindfulness classroom.
3. Podcast
The G&G podcast provides weekly episodes to connect, educate and encourage Agriculture teachers across the country. We also suggest checking out the following podcast episode about classroom management strategies.
Episode 129: Non-Verbal Classroom Management
Episode 60: Surviving to Thriving in 3 Simple Steps with Briana Guillory
Dealing with all the world has thrown at us (and continues to) is a full-time job own its own. Adding in the complexities of a room full of teenagers and that volume of weight exponentially increases. When you find the time to lean into your learning about how to handle these flip your lid type scenarios you will feel more peaceful then next time they come around.
Do you have any other resources that you would recommend?
How to Use Sales Skills in Your Classroom
As a teacher, you learn A LOT of different things in your undergraduate and graduate programs.
You learn how to create lesson plans, how to manage your classroom, how to assess and evaluate students, child and human development and behavior, all about the basic school subjects, the list goes on.
But the one thing that neither of your degrees really prepares you for is how to STAND OUT as a teacher.
I mean after all, there are about 3 MILLION teachers in the world and they all generally receive the same degree, so how exactly can you make sure that you’re setting yourself apart from the rest to really shine for your students and be someone that they remember forever?
Short answer? SALES. SKILLS.
I know what you might be thinking… sales skills?! How does that connect to teaching at all??
And I get it! When you think of sales you probably think of car salesmen, insurance, real estate, etc. And there’s a chance you’ve had a bad experience with one or all of the above, so thinking about sales as a skill you need for teaching might feel odd.
Here at Green and Growing, we used to think this, too… until we experienced the transformation first hand!
Before we get into that transformation specifically and show you how you can experience this life change too, let’s talk about what teaching typically looks like…
Each year you’re introduced to a new group of 20-25 students and you never know what you’re going to get.
Maybe you fear that they’ll be a wild bunch. Or maybe you hope and wish that you don’t get that one kid that has had a bad reputation since Kindergarten. Or maybe you try your hardest to come up with new classroom management strategies that will keep your students calm and focused throughout the school year.
You start the first day of school with high hopes and at first things are looking up! But a few weeks in, you lose control and it seems like no matter what you do, you can’t reign your students in.
They aren’t listening. Work isn’t getting done. You feel defeated and drained at the end of each school day. And your confidence is plummeting.
That scenario ⤴️ is the exact opposite of what we want for you friend, which is why we’re pumped to tell you that there is a way you can have ultimate control over your classroom, create an environment where students are excited to learn AND earn their respect REGARDLESS of their “bad reputation” or wild tendencies.
When you have sales skills as a teacher, a few things happen:
you are able to guide your students into making their decisions versus coming across as the “because I said so” authority
you can help your students see the bigger picture of the work they’re doing instead of them viewing school as something they “just have to do”
you can effectively communicate with your students AND their parents and feel confident doing so
Here’s why all of this is possible ⬇️
Sales is simply guiding someone into a favorable decision for THEM.
Sales is effective communication.
Sales is serving.
Sales skills are life skills.
Both, Mrs. Wedger and myself, experienced a complete 180 in our life AND in our classroom when we learned and implemented sales skills.
I (Mrs. Nerswick) specifically went from being wishy washy about myself as a leader in agriculture education to leading teams within my school, state and country with my confidence in sales skills.
And Mrs. Wedger went from teaching lessons that felt lack luster to creating lessons that excited both her and her students!
Overall, having sales skills allows you to show up as the confident teacher that deeply cares about your students' outcomes.
You’re not only able to manage your classroom more effectively, but you can also create true leadership opportunities for your students that instills lasting confidence in them, which ultimately creates a legacy for you as a teacher.
You quickly become the teacher that students fight to have and you become someone that people look up to.
So, you may be wondering how you can learn these skills exactly…
We encourage you to get plugged in with the GUIDE Culture community and learn from the same people we learned from.
You can listen to their weekly podcast episodes, join the sales training that we both took and dive into personal and professional development books that teach the principles that make up sales as a whole.
Additionally, we’ve previously recorded a few of our own podcast episodes that relate sales skills and principles to teaching as a whole:
Here’s to becoming that stand out teacher that you were created to be, friend 🎉
The Green & Growing Fam 💚
Ag Teacher Book Recommendations
"I am an avid reader"
This is something I write on my daily deposit everyday.
At the beginning of 2021, I made a commitment to read more.
And so far so good.
And you asked what I am reading. Ask and you shall receive. Here is a list of my recommended books for up leveling as a teacher and leader.
GRIT by Angela Duckworth
EXTREME OWENERSHIP by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
ATOMIC HABITS by James Clear
MINDSET by Carol Dweck Ph.D.
START WITH WHY by Simon SINEK
WHY ARE ALL THE BLACK KIDS SITTING TOGETHER IN THE CAFETERIA by BEVERLY DANIEL TATUM Ph.D.
THE POWER OF POSITIVE LEADERSHIP by Jon Gordon
More suggestions from YOU...
TEACH LIKE A PIRATE by Dave Burgess (suggested by Heather Brown)
TEACH LIKE A CHAMPION by Doug Lemov (suggested by Briana Guillory)
WHAT GREAT TEACHERS DO DIFFERENTLY by Todd Whitaker (suggested by Laura Crosby)
CLOSING THE ATTITUDE GAP by Baruti Kafele (suggested by Nicole Hopkins)
Jump Into Serving by Applying to Be a Germinate Conference Speaker
Germinate only exists because of AG TEACHERS like YOU who believe in sharing their expertise abundantly. And now we are ready to continue this tradition at the FIFTH Germinate Conference this July 7-11, 2021.
HERE ARE 3️⃣ ways to get involved with Germinate this summer.
1️⃣ GERMINATE SPEAKER APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN 🎉🎉🎉
Now you may be thinking…"what do I need to be a speaker?"
Here is the GERMINATE speaker check-list ✅
To be a current agriculture teacher
Have a heart for serving other teachers
Tries new things
Has an appetite for learning
Believes true success is growth
Want to talk it out? Join us for the GERMINATE Speaker Interest meeting on Monday, March 8 at 8 p.m. EST (7 p.m. CST, 6 p.m MST, 5 p.m. PST).
2️⃣ GERMINATE Conference INTERN applications open 🎉
Are you a pre-service teacher who wants to connect with agriculture teachers before becoming one yourself? You may be a good fit for the GERMINATE INTERN program.
Here is what a GERMINATE Intern needs to have to succeed...
1. Organization and strong communication skills are critical
2. An intrinsic motivation to improve will make the successful candidate(s) a compliment to the hardworking Green & Growing Education team.
3. Must be proficient in INSTAGRAM (posts, stories, comments, hashtags) and FACEBOOK (groups, comments)
4. Must be a college student.
3️⃣ GERMINATE Scholarship Application 🎉
Are you eager to gain quality professional development from fellow agriculture teachers? Is the department budget tight on your PD oppurtunities. Apply for a GERMINATE Scholarship TODAY!
ALL APPLICATIONS ARE DUE MARCH 31
Don't miss this opportunity to share, connect and grow with GERMINATE through the speaker, intern and scholarship programs!
