Dealing with Difficult Student Behaviors:
A Guide for Peer Mentors


Each student you work with will have a unique personality. Expect that you may have to deal with some challenging behaviors, especially when interacting with students in a group setting. Some of the most common issues are listed below, with some guidelines for managing:


1. Rambling -- wandering around and off the subject.
POSSIBLE RESPONSES:

  • Refocus attention by restating relevant point.
  • Direct questions to group that is back on the subject
  • Ask how topic relates to current topic being discussed.
  • Say: "Would you summarize your main point please?" or "Are you asking...?"


2. Shyness or Silence -- lack of participation
POSSIBLE RESPONSES:

  • Give strong positive reinforcement for any contribution: "Thanks for sharing; Good point…"
  • Involve by directly asking him/her a question: "What do you think…."
  • Make appropriate, non-threatening eye contact.


3. Excessive Talkativeness -- knowing everything, manipulation
POSSIBLE RESPONSES:

  • Acknowledge comments made.
  • Give limited time to express viewpoint or feelings, and then move on.
  • Give the person individual attention during breaks.
  • Say: "That's an interesting point. Now let's see what other people think."


4. Sharpshooting -- trying to shoot you down or trip you up
POSSIBLE RESPONSES:

  • Admit that you do not know the answer and redirect the question the group or the individual who asked it.
  • Acknowledge that this is a joint learning experience: "I can't think of what the answer could be – where do you all think we could find the answer on campus?"
  • Ignore the behavior in public and bring it up privately during a break.


5. Heckling/Arguing – disagreeing with everything you say; making personal attacks
POSSIBLE RESPONSES:

  • Recognize participant's feelings and move one.
  • Acknowledge positive points.
  • Say: "I appreciate your comments, but I'd like to hear from others," or "It looks like we disagree."



6. Grandstanding -- getting caught up in one's own agenda or thoughts to the detriment of other learners
POSSIBLE RESPONSES:

  • "Can you restate that as a question?"
  • "We'd like to hear more about that if there is time after the presentation."


7. Overt Hostility/Resistance -- angry, belligerent, combative behavior
POSSIBLE RESPONSES:

  • Remain calm and polite. Keep your temper in check.
  • Don't disagree, but build on or around what has been said.
  • Always allow him or her a way to gracefully retreat from the confrontation.
  • Say: "You seem really angry. Does anyone else feel this way?" Solicit peer pressure.
  • Allow individual to solve the problem being addressed. He or she may not be able to offer solutions and will sometimes undermine his or her own position.
  • Talk to him or her privately during a break.


8. Griping -- maybe legitimate complaining
POSSIBLE RESPONSES:

  • Validate his/her point.
  • Indicate you'll discuss the problem with the participant privately.
  • Indicate time pressure: "We won't be able to solve that problem immediately, but let's talk during our next break"


9. Side Conversations -- may be related to subject or personal. Distracts group members and you
POSSIBLE RESPONSES:

  • Don't embarrass talkers.
  • Ask their opinion on topic being discussed.
  • Ask talkers if they would like to share their ideas.
  • Casually move toward those talking.
  • Make eye contact with them.
  • Comment on the group (but don't look at them "one-at-a-time"): "I want to make sure that everyone is paying attention while we cover something really important".
  • Standing near the talkers, ask a near-by participant a question so that the new discussion is near the talkers.
  • As a last resort, stop and wait.


Adapted from: California Nurses Association, AIDS Train the Trainer Program for Health Care Providers (1988)

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