Disruptive students can be a tough thing to handle. As education students, we learn classroom management skills. We know tactics and tricks. But when you’re in the middle of a lesson and a student is yelling “This is so boring!” it’s easy to be swept into a tete-a-tete.

I created a quick, one-page handout to use as a classroom management tool in situations just like this. I call it the “Help me, Help You” sheet because as I write at the top of the handout, the only way I can do my job is if I have help from all of my students.

Here is a link to the handout I created in my TpT store, or review the guidelines I used below and create your own!

Teacher Tip: If you are creating your own, make sure to add a date and time area so you can keep these in your data binder!

Encourage the student to be accountable for his/her actions

  • I didn’t want to create a “shaming” worksheet for my kids. The purpose of this isn’t to offer discipline or a consequence – it is to give both of us a chance to regroup.
  • I have a section for students to offer suggestions on how I can help them control their behavior. Allowing them the chance to offer a suggestion forces them to step back and look at the actions they were taking in the first place.

Guide the student to understanding the emotion behind his/her behavior

  • I include a list of emotions that the student can circle
  • For non-readers, you may want to have a visual feeling chart handy
  • Give your student options to choose from; if someone is very emotional it can be overwhelming to actually name the emotion

Give youself a quick time-out to compose yourself and plan your course of action

  • This is created so student can complete it independently
  • I typically print these on bright paper and if a student is being disruptive, I will lay it on their desk and tell the student to take it to the back of the room (or in the hallway) and fill it out, and to bring it back to me when the student is done.

I have incorporated all three of these guidelines into a handout you can find HERE, or use these guidelines to create your own! Print a bunch and have them handy to start your school year with success!