Creating a Positive Classroom Culture: Overcoming Power Struggles with Students

This week's mini PD comes from a conversation I had with a mentee recently. She asked what do you do with students that are doing something they shouldn't be doing and tell you " all I was doing was!"?
Here's the answer.
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[@ichuck7]

“You don’t want students to know that this moment will lead to a box of wine later that night.” 🤣🤣

[@candacestone4049]

Thank you for this concise video. I've tried some other strategies you talked about before and they have worked like wonders this last week. I tried kneeling down and calmly asking the student Are You refusing to work? 5/5 they were shocked and replied no and got to work. Another kid that I have issues with him not being in his seat I simply said, "Hey (insert name), can you do me a favor? Can you go ahead and sit down for me?" Kid says ya, sits down calmly and I thanked them. No power struggle.

[@victoriaLL345]

20 years in. This is great advice.

[@superdoov]

Thank you many times over. Best wishes to you, CJ. I'm getting back into public ed after teaching in Vietnam for 11.5 years. A whole different milieu. Your videos have been invaluable to me in my transition. A true blessing.

[@rhondalawson-mm4uc]

This is so awesome, in the heat of the moment, I forget all of this, and things escalate? so yea

[@hankmartin5907]

Reynolds, these steps and this mindset have really helped me this year become more skilled at dealing with these types of disruptions. However, I've experienced situations where a student will refuse to stop disrupting the flow, or continue to try to press the conversation even when I follow the steps as best I can. When the student is still out of pocket after a series of reminders, conversations planned, and classroom consequences delivered (my pain plan), eventually they leave my classroom to go with an administrator so that the flow can continue and the student can deescalate. By that time though, I'm sometimes just barely holding my calm act together and the rest of the class has major ants in their pants. I wonder if you could follow up with a video about how you would recover from an extended, draining power struggle like this in the moment? Do you have a separate pain plan for a big flow disruption like this where the student is really trying to play the tug of war game with you and messing up the vibe? I often feel lost after moments like this and try to press on with the lesson or get things flowing again with less success than I'd like. I'm looking for some go-to ideas/strategies or a mindset to adopt that will ease that transition back into learning, both for me and the rest of the class. Thanks for all that you do for educators.

[@earthwalker7992]

If calling for an administrator to come and remove a student is an option, then I would select that option a little but earlier in the power struggle. You could say to the student then or later on even, "Hey, Timothy, I tried doing things the nice way and give you a chance to voice your feelings, but we gotta move on...."

[@user-yj2xy2no7c]

Can you give some suggestions in cases such as when teachers call out a misbehavior and students deny doing it (i.e: students are reading/holding newspaper but they say they drop it and have just picked it up, not reading it; students are seen sleeping but they say they are just lying down awake on the table). In these situation where there's no evidence to prove anyone right, if we listen to their reasons and show that we respect, be understanding and let it slide, students tend to use reasons as excuse for other misbehaviours. If we listen, but still insist on punishing them, there will be a power struggle. The problem is that the teachers themselves do not know if they judge correctly, and if correct, how to make students rethink about their behaviours instead of causing passive agressive, negative emotions?

[@kathleengillespie5983]

Just a suggestion, CJ. Where I teach, black moms want phone calls in the moment. During class. They want then and there calls to shut the behavior down, intervene, and get their kid on track.

[@kathleengillespie5983]

The students I teach are 6, 7, and 8th grade. Younger than h.s.

[@kathleengillespie5983]

Not all the time do I call moms in the moment but I have and it ends the struggle.

[@romanchocolate]

Thank you. This is teaching me more than you will ever know

[@CJReynolds]

I love hearing that Roman! My best to you. ☺️

[@10cereza]

Great job! I appreciate so much of you wisdom on KZbin. One recommendation: zoom out and have some cool stuff in the background like you have had in the past. The bright screen filling up the background was difficult for me to watch. Constructive critique out of appreciation!

[@carolmeadows3401]

This makes me think I shouldn't keep doing this. I can't not act hurt and angry when they disrespect me daily when they steal or break my things. It has been daily/weekly since August. 😢

[@mrsoth8576]

I completely understand. I work as a sub in Los Angeles -- one day (March 2023) I had been assigned one room and was asked to later cover a different subject (for only 1 period) in a different room. I arrived, and students walked in -- yet were immediately in complete chaos. I invited another teacher to visit this (7th grade) class, plus students broke a ceramic piece on the teacher's desk... the teacher I invited was known by the students (in this class) and the teacher used poignant / succinct words, yet the students didn't even respect the teacher I had invited. Los Angeles is not the same since the COVID school closures in 2020-2022. Our state Governor (Newsom) doesn't understand how his school closures have affected the behaviors of our students/children or student mental ability to adapt/heal. We (teachers) aren't just dealing with students, we all are dealing with the effects of 18 months that our government forced students to be at home with no reliable learning structure.

[@zeinaalazem8693]

You are so real, authentic, and amazing teacher. Please do not stop uploading new videos. Your channel deserves a lot more attention, I know, that's why I am asking you not to let this puts you down. I cannot wait until I go over ALL of your videos.

[@CJReynolds]

Hi there! I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. Glad to help! I hope you have a great end to your week! ✌🏽

[@applesandtiaras]

Reynolds, its not just cursive, its YOUR cursive! You have THE greatest handwriting of all time! Its one of your best qualities :-D Missing seeing your handwriting! Much love friendo!

[@rebeccagoodman8858]

Thank you so much for making these videos. It's so helpful!

[@matthewswensen699]

I either get that or “I didn’t no nothing!” Either way students gaslight me all the time and try to derail and get me into a power struggle so this video was much needed! Thanks CJ!

[@CJReynolds]

I’ve heard that a million times too Matt!😂 I hope some of these ideas serve you well! ✌🏽🎉

[@dianepotteryoga]

Your content has really been helpful in my English classes. Thank you.

[@CJReynolds]

Hi Diane! So glad to help. Have a great week!

[@julieanderson100]

This is what is recommended in the book Love and Logic. I recommend it.

[@lucianavarrete2044]

Peace

[@darwinponcecano4662]

I laughed the eyeball sir,

[@colleenpau449]

What grade do you teach? Wish it was this simple. Sounds great.

[@EFsuffolks]

@11:05 HEEEYYYYY! lol

[@FuzzyRedVelvet]

Ryan Reynolds?