Managing Classroom Crises

This booklet explains the importance of teachers being trained to handle daily crises they face in their classrooms and to see crises as an opportunity for both students and teachers. It discusses the skills and attitudes teachers need in order to be effective crisis managers. After an introduction, three sections examine: "What Is a Crisis?" (characteristics of students in crisis, types of crises, and severity of crisis situations); "Preventing a Crisis" (teacher behaviors that contribute to crisis situations, identification and management of troubled students, violence prevention programs, responding to crisis situations, and formal programs); and "Four Case Studies" (a first grade fight, a bad girl, a troubled girl in a new school, and the stolen boom box). The booklet concludes that when teachers do not respond correctly: there is a breakdown in the classroom; there can be serious injury; there is marked decrease in teacher morale and increase in burnout; and there may be lawsuits. Failing to intervene in crisis situations means that teachers have lost the opportunity to help students. When teachers reach out to troubled students, they have the opportunity to change lives. A list of resources is included. (Contains 29 references.) (SM)