Those of us who teach fire-related courses are lucky to have motivated and well-behaved students, but every once in a while a student presents a discipline problem. When any type of discipline problem occurs, instructors need to act appropriately because they have a responsibility to provide an atmosphere that maximizes time spent on learning.

Instructors may be reluctant to confront misbehaving students for three reasons. First, instructors don't want to challenge students because the misbehavior isn't egregious. Second, instructors feel that some deficiency in their teaching is causing the behavior. Lastly, some instructors just don't know how to handle students' misbehavior. Instructors need to know that something needs to be done regarding student misbehavior, and it's easier to prevent problems than it is to handle them after they occur. Some classroom management strategies allow fire instructors to prevent discipline problems and deal with minor ones in an effective and humane manner that promotes a productive learning environment for all.

CONSTRUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT

Building a constructive classroom environment consists of establishing a positive environment, decreasing students' anonymity and encouraging active learning. The first thing instructors should do in every class is establish a positive atmosphere by showing sincere enthusiasm and setting clear expectations. We deal with adults, so the majority of time, if you give them clear boundaries, they will behave accordingly. If you know that a certain act really gets on your nerves, such as students showing up late for class after breaks, you can talk this over with all the students at the beginning of class, explaining your rationale so students will be much more likely to cooperate.

You also will be more likely to have student cooperation if you establish a positive relationship with each student. Learn students' names and use them whenever you address students in or out of class. Learn something interesting about each person. Find ways to meet and talk with each student individually, on breaks or after class sessions. Try to find out what is working for them in your class and what isn't, and make changes if appropriate. This conveys to students that their opinions matter. One way to assess how the class is going is to ask students to respond anonymously in writing at the end of each day to three questions: What did you like about class today? What did you dislike about class today? How can I as an instructor support your learning better tomorrow?

When you show that you are interested in your students and their learning, they are more likely to react positively to you. The same happens when you bring them into your class as an active participants, not as empty vessels waiting for your knowledge to fill them. In our area, students usually know something about the subject we are teaching, and lots of times they have valid information to contribute. Go out of your way to ask students questions, and engage them in discussions as often as possible. Encourage stories from students and arrange for them to present some of the class material as appropriate.

Sometimes no matter how sound a constructive environment we build, we still experience a student or two who will not behave appropriately and will interrupt the flow of the course. These students may be doing something that gets on our nerves while we're teaching, or they may be doing something that outright disrupts class. The following are some approaches you can try when you have a student who's interfering with your right to teach and/or the rights of others to learn. The following approaches can and should be done in such a way that they will not embarrass the student. Approaching the situation tactfully gives the student a face-saving way of getting back on task and without getting into a public power struggle with you.

DEAL WITH MISBEHAVIOR PROMPTLY

If you notice that a particular behavior is getting on your nerves or is disrupting class, you need to take action promptly. We have all seen teachers let little things build up and then explode, to our shock, over the smallest infraction. Don't let a minor agitation lead to an explosion in your classroom.

In certain circumstances, a student or students misbehaving can change the entire dynamic of the classroom. This brings us to the ripple effect, which happens when students in your class notice other students getting away with misbehavior, such as talking during your lecture, and figure that it's OK if they do it also. After all, if the instructor didn't like students talking during her lecture she would say something about it. Right? Don't let your students ask themselves this question, and don't let the ripple effect go through your class. Be assertive, not hostile or passive, about your expectations and desire to maintain a rich learning environment.

If the problem is minor or of short duration, you might decide to ignore it. Sometimes it's more of a class disruption to deal with a minor behavior problem than it is to do nothing about it. For example, a student keeps clicking his ball-point pen over and over while you are talking to the class. It would probably be better to ignore it rather than to stop class and look like you rule the classroom with an iron fist because you demand, “Stop clicking that pen!” Many times a neighboring student will get the first to stop if the clicking is too distracting.

Other methods to deal with problem students include:

Make eye contact

Nonverbal communication can be a very effective way to communicate. When you make and hold eye contact with a student who is off-task, it sends a clear message that you want them to get back on task. You don't have to stare for 30 seconds, but just hold your eye contact slightly longer than normal. If necessary, you may want to place your finger over your lips making the quiet sign to get them to stop talking, or gently shake your head side to side.

The use of selective eye contact also can be a good way to start your class. When you ask for everyone's attention to start class, and there are still a few individuals persistently talking, you can make eye contact with them and hold it until they stop talking. This establishes a clear message that you expect students to listen and not talk while class is in session.

Drop names

Knowing and using a person's name can be very powerful for instructors. If a student is off-task and you use his name in a sentence or ask him a question, you will be amazed how quickly he refocuses on the lesson. The key with name-dropping is that you have to know the student's name. Instructors should learn students' names quickly or at least require students to have legible name tags on the front of their desks so you can see the names easily before calling on them.

Control proximity

If students are off-task during class, reading a newspaper for example, you can walk over and stand by them while you conduct class. This is a subtle way of letting off-task students know that you recognize that they are off-task and that they should rejoin the class. This also works well to keep groups on task while doing group work.

Use I-messages

An I-message is a statement about a concern you have that requires the action of another person to belay your concern. An I-message puts the focus on you, as the sender of the message, and your feelings so the other person doesn't have to become self-protective or defensive. An ideal I-message is made up of five parts: use the person's name, take ownership by saying “I think” or “I feel,” state your message clearly, use appropriate emotion, and require a response.

For example, if a student was using profanity in class I might find him on the next break and say. “John, I am really disappointed at the amount of profanity I am hearing from you in class. Do you really think that language is productive here?” I used his name, I let him know that it's me that feels this way (ownership), my message was clear (I don't think that language is appropriate here), my emotion was “disappointment,” and my question required him to give me a response. This response might open up a conversation or he might just say, “No, probably not,” and end it there.

I-messages can be effective even if you don't use all five characteristics. According to the book Classroom Management for Secondary Teachers, I-messages work because people “often act without much awareness of the effects their behavior has on others, and they will change if they realize that they are causing someone a problem.” It takes practice to craft effective I-messages, but this skill is well worth developing.

PRIVATE CONFERENCE

If the above recommendations don't work, you can go to the next level: Ask the student to have a private talk with you. It is preferable to have this conference during a break, but if a student is really out of hand, you may have to stop class and have the conference immediately.

This conference would be a great time to use a well-developed I-message to get your point across and get the student talking (require a response). Keep the meeting positive by describing the problem behavior without judging the person who committed the behavior. During this meeting, it's important to get your point across to the student, but it's also important to be a good listener and ask probing questions so that you can get to the root of the student's problem.

If a student doesn't respond to the previous recommendations, then the situation has escalated beyond the instructor. In fire courses each student is representing his or her employer, which could be the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, county fire department or private contractor. As employee representatives, students are expected to behave in a civilized manner. When the behavior is beyond the minor discipline techniques listed above the instructor needs to involve the student's supervisor. A phone call to the student's supervisor explaining the situation and asking for assistance should do the trick.

Classroom management is different for each instructor according to his or her personality, the students, and the classroom context. It's important to know that not all of these methods will fit your particular style. Pick the ones you like from the list and try them out.

When you use any of the above methods, keep in mind that you are dealing with adults. Avoid treating students like children, and avoid using sarcasm as a discipline method. It has an unhealthy way of belittling and demeaning individuals. Begin with solid prevention methods and then try the other methods listed above, but know that if nothing else works, a disruptive student may force you to notify his supervisor and terminate his attendance. The goal, ultimately, is to create a classroom where learning is the priority, and student behavior supports this priority for all.

Eric Eastep is a McCall Smokejumper in McCall, Idaho.

Briget Eastep is a professor at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn.