Both the instructor and the students contribute to the atmosphere of the classroom. Any problems should be approached in a rational manner and in a spirit of empathy and mutual respect. If problems persist, you may also discuss the situation with your Department Head.

Classroom Management Tips

Classroom management can be the key to student success and promoting a positive learning environment. The Student Conduct & Title IX Office created Classroom Management Tips – Lesser Misconduct with some excerpts below and Examples of Student Behavior Issues – Faculty to assist all faculty with classroom management. Instructors have the authority and responsibility to maintain an orderly educational environment, and as such are expected to handle cases of lesser misconduct before a student is referred to the formal code of conduct process. Lesser misconduct is defined in the Code of Conduct as “any…violation that does not rise to the level of a major violation and warrants a student receiving an educational measure, rather than a disciplinary sanction.” With the exception of threatening behavior, please follow these steps to handle disruptive students:

Model Emotions and Moods Conducive To Learning – By showing concern for students, being positive and friendly, having confidence and relaying enthusiasm for course content, using language low in threats that instead validates students’ worth, we can see students reflect similar behaviors, as they catch on to how this emotional disposition in the class setting helps us all learn better together. Your professionalism and humanity can affect students’ experience of the course and their achievement outcomes.

Clarity in Expectations – Make sure your syllabus outlines appropriate communication and behavior in the classroom, assignments, emails, D2L, office hours, and phone calls. If you clearly define your expectations, you can refer back to the syllabus when disruptions arise.

Consistency in Reactions – There is no one-size-fits-all way to deal with disruptive behavior; the severity of the disruption will dictate your response. However, be as consistent as you can. Apply the same behavioral expectations to all students.

Courtesy and Fairness – Remember that most of the time, a student’s disruptive behavior is not personal. When talking to a student about their behavior try to remain calm, and when appropriate listen to the student so they can explain themselves thoroughly. Try to remain objective and unemotional. Much of the time, an angry or emotional person just wants to be heard, and will calm down if they are listened to. This does not apply to situations where you feel unsafe, feel as though other students are unsafe, or if the student is using abusive language. It is okay to dismiss a student from your class for the day. Please see PCC Student Code of Conduct, Section VII, for detailed information regarding dismissing the student for the remainder of a class period.

Progressive Discipline – In less serious cases, give students the opportunity to learn from the consequences of their behavior. Example: you have a student who wants to argue when he doesn’t agree with something you or another student has said. Rather than be drawn into arguing with him, you could start by giving a general reminder to the class to be respectful of what others say (use your syllabus to detail this out). If the student persists, you could say something directly to him or ask him to remain after class is dismissed. Detail exactly what you expect, and give examples of respectful communication. If it continues, depending on the severity, you can try these steps again. Familiarize yourself with the information and procedures in the PCC Student Code of Conduct, regarding lesser misconduct, dismissing a student for the day, and educational measures that can be applied by faculty in issues of lesser misconduct.

If the behavior is severe, affects other students’ comfort and safety, is persistent and/or escalates, additional information can be found here, which references the Incident Report process, Title IX and related student conduct resources.

The Incident Report Form is for Student Conduct issues that are beyond classroom management or that have persisted after the faculty has tried to manage the behavior. To assist faculty, here are Incident Report Writing Tips 

The Title IX Form is to be used if a student discloses having been discriminated against on the basis of sex or gender at the College. This is generally going to be in the form of sexual harassment or assault. Faculty can also reach out to me if a student discloses something that happened to them outside of the College or in their past – in those cases we can provide resources at the very least.

The CARE Form is to request that PCC Counseling reach out to a student, or to report a student to the Behavior Assessment Team (BAT). It’s important to note that this form is not aCAREn emergency reporting system, so if there is an immediate safety concern (danger to self or others) PCC Police should always be called first at 520-206-2700. After that call is made, the form can be filled out. If there’s no immediate danger, this form can just be completed.

If you have additional questions regarding Student Conduct and Title IX, please contact:

Diane Deskin

Director, Student Conduct and Title IX

sddeskin@pima.edu 

520-206-7120

Staci Shea

Manager, Student Conduct and Title IX

sshea1@pima.edu 

520-206-7028

Counseling Support and Helping Students in Distress – PCC Counseling (11.22.2024)

Watch a 90-minute webinar from November 22, 2024 from PCC’s Counseling Team covering available counseling support at Pima and how to support students in distress.

Watch Recorded Video Here

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