What to Do After a Meltdown in Your Classroom

Meltdowns can be very challenging in the classroom setting. Sometimes they leave you feeling exhausted and ready to call it a day. In this episode we talk about what you can do after a meltdown to support the student and rebuild that relationship but also to support yourself and the other adults in the classroom. 

Now classroom meltdowns can look different across different grade levels, in this episode I provide general strategies for after the meltdown, tantrum, large disruption occurs that can be used at any grade level. 

Right after a meltdown, the goal is going to be to make sure the student is safe and calming down to the best of their ability. At this point, we want to maintain students safety without placing a lot of demands on the student. 

I always recommend making a positive touch point with the student so they know you are not upset with them. This can be as simple as praising something they are doing well in that moment. Once you can see the student has calmed down, you can approach the student and ask if they are ready. to return to the learning environment. If you need them to return, but they say no, I highly recommend providing them with a couple more minutes to calm down and using a timer to help them determine when it is time to come back to the classroom. This gives them a little more control over the situation and can prevent a re-escalation of the behavior. 

After some time has passed, I would talk with the student and let them know you want to process the situation with them. I would not spring a conversation on them and make them talk about it right when you want to talk about it, but give them a time frame and let them know you are going to need to talk about the situation at some point. This will help the student prepare for the discussion and will make it go not only more smoothly but it will be much more productive. 

Think about when someone has brought something up to you and wanted to talk to you when you weren't ready. You probably did not have much to say or felt on the spot. We want these conversations to be very productive so, the more the student can process and prepare the better. 

Lastly, I walk you through strategies for debriefing with the student and making a plan after a meltdown in your classroom. We want to make a plan for situations that might arise in the future. We want our students to be involved in that plan as well and take into account their perspective on the situation. This also clues you into any lagging skills they might have that you can then teach in the future. 

This episode provides you with feasible and actionable steps to take after a meltdown in your classroom has occurred. We also touch on steps you can and the other adults in the room can take to help take care of yourself after a meltdown. All of these components are essential to maximize the success of your students. 

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