Difficult Students, Disruptive Students and Students in Distress: Tools for Maintaining a Successful Learning Environme

1. Difficult Students, Disruptive Students and Students in Distress: Tools for Maintaining a Successful Learning Environment Presented by Paul Rakowski and Larry Loften Adapted in part from Ohio State University

2. Definitions (basic) • Distressed students • Students who are experiencing emotional and/or psychological problems that are interfering with their ability to learn • Disruptive Students • Students whose behavior makes teaching and learning difficult for others in the class • Difficult Students • Suggestions for best wording now being accepted

3. Goals for this Session • Faculty will: • Gain a clear understanding of their role as stewards of the learning environment • Begin to Recognize signs and symptoms of various mental health concerns • Gain an understanding of how to assist students in distress and access resources on campus including: • Counseling Center • Behavioral Evaluation and Threat Assessment Team • Community Standards/Conduct Process • Peers and Colleagues • Learn basic skills for how to de-escalate a situation

4. Your Role • Often the first to recognize that a student needs help • Important to have knowledge of campus and community resources for referral • Responsibility to maintain appropriate learning environment

5. Disruptive Behavior –What is it? • Habitual interference with classroom environment • Persistent and unreasonable demands for time and attention both in and out of the classroom • Intimidating or harassing another person through words and/or actions • Refusal to comply with faculty or staff direction • Threats of physical violence

6. Disruptive Behavior – What isn’t it? • Cultural differences • Most disagreements or differences of opinion • Situational frustration • Needing extra time or attention for a special reason

7. Other Behaviors • Often not disruptive but may be an indicator that there other issues at play • Potential warning signs/indicators • Marked changes in behavior/attitude • Depression and Lethargy • Hyperactivity • Deterioration of Personal Hygiene • References to suicide/homicide • Strange or bizarre behavior

8. Disruptive Behavior • Takes many forms, varying in severity… Being late, reading the paper, sleeping Making noise, repeatedly interrupting Physical violence Passing notes, answering cell phone, texting Personal insults, harassment

9. Causes of Disruptive Behavior • Underlying psychological or mental health concerns • Confusion about class expectations and/or material • Difficult transition to college norms • Lack of or underdeveloped social skills

10. Signs of Stress/Distress • Depression - noted changes in dress/demeanor, sadness, crying, lack of energy, sleeping in class, withdrawal from others, infrequent class attendance, poor academic performance, procrastination. • Agitation – nervousness, hurried speech, erratic hand gestures or non-verbal communication, aggressive behavior. • Anxiety – excessive worry, procrastination, hyper-vigilance, irritably, overly dependent. Physical signs include panic attacks, hyperventilation, excessive perspiration, stomach upset, gastrointestinal distress. • Aggression – Explosive and/or aggressive outbursts, violence or threats of violence toward others, over-reactivity, hostility toward others without provocation, harsh judgments toward others without reasonable foundation, disrespect toward others, particularly authority figures.

11. Signs of Stress/Distress • Violence – Extremely aggressive behavior, yelling, harmful physical contact, harmful threats or actions toward self or others, erratic behavior. • Delusions, Poor contact with reality – Difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality, confused thinking, seeing/hearing/tasting odd things, descriptions of hearing internal voices, illogical speech, bizarre behavior. • Substance Abuse – Physical signs of intoxication, slurred speech, hyperactivity, excessive perspiration, depressed mood. • Suicidal Expression – Expressed plan of suicide, talk of not wanting to be alive, talk of feelings that no one cares, expressed feelings of hopelessness/alienation/isolation, history of alcohol or substance abuse.

12. Do’s and Don’tsNo One Wins a War Between Egos The Depressed Student Approximately 20.9 million Americans suffer from a mood disorder in a given year. www.nimh.nih.gov

13. Do’s and Don’tsNo One Wins a War Between Egos The Suicidal Student More than 90% of people who commit suicide have a diagnosable mental disorder. www.nimh.nih.gov

14. Do’s and Don’tsNo One Wins a War Between Egos The Agitated/Anxious Student Approximately 40 million American adults have a diagnosable anxiety disorder in a given year. www.nimh.nih.gov

15. Do’s and Don’tsNo One Wins a War Between Egos The Aggressive/Violent Student If you are between the ages of 12 and 24 you face the highest risk of being a victim of violence. www.apahelpcenter.org

16. Do’s and Don’tsNo One Wins a War Between Egos Students Abusing Substances Approximately 12.8 million Americans use illegal drugs on a consistent basis. http://www.ncjrs.gov

17. Do’s and Don’tsNo One Wins a War Between Egos The Delusional/Psychotic Student Approximately 2.4 million American adults suffer from schizophrenia in a given year. www.nimh.nih.gov

18. Tips on Communication • Listen to students and show interest when they are expressing concerns or needing assistance.It is true that we are all busy, but sometimes pausing to address a student with your full attention will mitigate future problems for both the student and you. • Use friendly, open ended questions. “What can I do for you?” “How can I help?” “What other resources have you looked into?” • Reflect back what you heard when a students express concerns or asks questions. “So I am hearing you say…”, “Am I correct in understanding…”, “Help me see if I understand”. • Be aware of the non-verbal messages you are sending. Use direct eye contact, be aware of your posture and hand gestures. Communicate with an open posture. • Remove objects from between you and the student whenever possible.Sitting across from a student with a desk or table between you can often be intimidating. If you do not wish to demonstrate a position of authority, try to remove any barriers. • Remember you can model good communication skills. Learning effective interpersonal communication skills is a developmental endeavor. One does not just become a good communicator over night. You can help in the learning process by setting a good example.

19. Tips on Communication • Be aware and respectful of how you address students. Referring to students as “kids” or using other derogatory or demeaning descriptors is not only offensive and inappropriate; it can also lead students to feel alienated or inferior. • Remember a University is a learning environment. Learning new skills is not confined to the classroom. Students learn valuable lessons on how to effectively communicate by interacting with you and others on campus. Though what you have to teach may not be considered “academic” in nature, the skills you model will impact a student’s future interactions with the world. • Use “I” statements.When working through conflict or a situation of miscommunication, using “I” statements will prevent the potential of engaging in the “Blame Game”. “I feel like I am not making myself clear” sounds much better than “You are not listening to me”. • Be gracious. And remember most of the time, students exhibit signs of distress when they are scared or feel helpless. Showing compassion for their fears while maintaining a professional helpful demeanor will alleviate most anxiety. • Smile. Remember, a smile goes a long way. A genuine smile goes even further.

20. Tips for the Classroom Setting the Tone for a Productive and Respectful Learning Environment • Articulate clear classroom expectations in the syllabus, and review during the first class • Develop agreements as a class during the first session • Respond to problems quickly and consistently • Look to non-disruptive students for cues: is the class following material?

21. Addressing Disruptive Behavior • Do not wait for patterns to form. Address concerns immediately • Correct innocent mistakes and minor first offenses gently • Give a general word of caution to class • If possible, speak with the student after class • When necessary, correct the student courteously and indicate that further discussion can occur after class • Documentation and Warnings

22. Addressing Disruptive Behavior • Consult your Department Chair or other colleagues for guidance and suggestions • In the face of persistent disruption, you may ask the student to leave class for the remainder of the period. In instances where a student is asked to leave the class make sure to document the time, date and circumstance and inform the Department Chair. • If there is threat of violence or other unlawful behavior, call Campus Police 303-556-5000 (6-5000)

23. Resources and Referrals • When considering a referral for a student, it is very important to remember that students may be hesitant to the idea of assistance. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma attached to mental health counseling or even academic skills assistance which prevents many students from taking advantage of the many different resources our campus offers. The UC Denver Student and Community Counseling Center offers more than just mental/emotional health counseling. The following is a short list of the many services the center provides: • Individual, Couples, and Family Counseling • Groups on various topics including, “How to Quit Smoking”, “How Reduce Stress”, “How to Maintain a Relationship” etc. • Tips on reducing test anxiety and how to study better • Learning disability assessment

24. When to Consult with Community Standards? • After initial attempts to address the behavior have failed • You know that you cannot handle the behavior • You believe personality differences will interfere with your ability to resolve the situation • You are unsure how to proceed

25. How to Make a Report or Referral to Community Standards? • Submit the “Student of Concern” form at https://cudenver-jams.symplicity.com/care_report/ • Document the situation in writing, including your attempts to resolve it • Dates, times and locations • What was said and by whom • Call 303-556-3682 for assistance

26. What to Expect • Our response will vary greatly depending on: • Nature and Severity of the behaviors and concerns • Actions and attempts made by faculty/staff to address concerns • Determination of Code of Conduct Violation • Our response may include: • Summary Suspension or other immediate action where there is an immediate threat • Conduct hearing and/or mediated conversation with student and faculty • Consultation and guidance • Referral to Chair or Dean for Academic Review Our goal is to resolve issues informally whenever possible.

27. Food For Thought • Encourage faculty and instructors to document incidents and concerns in writing • Second and third hand reports can present numerous challenges • Reports should address concerns directly – if there is a concern it needs to be expressed as a concern • Objectivity is essential in documenting classroom disruption • The report should be very factual and void of personal opinions and feelings • Detail, detail, detail. The more details included in the report that easier it is to make an informed decision.

28. Food For Thought • Encourage faculty and staff to read and understand the Code of Conduct • Some concerns in the classroom do not necessarily fit into this code and may need to be evaluated in more than one context • One common example of this is in creative expression that may touch on disturbing or violent subject matter • How are expectations about what is acceptable and limitations about such expression communicated to students? • Is there a policy or statement in the syllabus? • Who should review this content and using what scale?

29. On the Horizon • B.E.T.A. Team – 303-817-2813 • New Resource to help support faculty and staff working with disruptive and distressed students • Members from counseling, faculty, HR, Student Life, Disability Services, Legal, etc. • Updated Code of Conduct and new Classroom Behavior Policies • Policies and procedures are being updated and expanded to address current issues and realities • Training Workshops for Faculty addressing • classroom disruptions, emergency preparedness and mental health referrals

30. Contacts and Resources Community Standards and Wellness Larry Loften - 303-556-3682 Dean of Students Samantha Ortiz - 303-556-3399 Auraria Campus Police 303-556-5000 Counseling Center 303-556-4372 Behavioral Evaluation and Threat Assessment Team Faculty and Staff Resources Online http://thunder1.cudenver.edu//campussafety/facultystaff.html http://thunder1.cudenver.edu/CFD/