My husband and I are both trainers at our respective companies. Having been an elementary education major, having prior classroom experience and taking several train the trainer classes, I feel pretty well prepared for a variety of situations. However, he was teaching a class and he made a point of telling the class to be sure to make a note of things that would be on the post-test. He left on the screen something that the students needed to copy for several minutes. (His trainings are timed). One student kept his hands crossed on his lap and refused to write. When my husband moved on, the student got loud and said that he still needed time to copy it. My husband tried to calm him down to no avail and the student swore at him in the class. Needless, to say, the student was pulled out of class by the teaching assistant. Even after the class, the student had the nerve to approach my husband with, what my husband thought would be an apology, but instead the student continued to complain about how he was treated in class. My husband was concerned that the student's outburst set a negative tone for in the class and caused the rest of the students to lose respect for him. I stated that sometimes when a student can't do something well, like read or write, and they are asked to do that they can explode in anger or frustration. I told him I believed that most classes are capable of policing themselves and that because the student's outburst was unprovoked, the class would be able to realize that the it had nothing to do with him as a trainer. I've encountered jokesters, nappers, people who insist on taking cellphone calls, tardies, etc. but that was a new one on me. Any thoughts?

Hi

There are probably no right answers or solutions to this one. One of my trainers was a very disruptive trainee two years ago. Today he is a very contributing and positive member of the training team.

I guess from his standpoint he was creating disruption and being negative in the classroom because he was pretty angry at what was happening at his old workplace. the classroom seemed to be a venue to let out his frustrations.

Your person might have many things on his mind as well. and may be thats why he wasn't writing down the stuff he should 've.

I saw that you referred to steven covey in the other mail, so this might sound familiar --- it's not what happens to us that makes us lose respect in the eyes of others, it's our response to what happens to us that does so.

I am sure your husband responded positively. Others are sure to have noticed that. For all you know, he is probably held in higher esteem than previously.

I would refer your husband to resources about customer service and dealing with difficult customers. This student's actions were not about your husband. They were about whatever this guy was dealing with in his own frame of reference. While there are methods to use to calm irate customers (and students are our customers), nobody should have to stand idly by while being abused.

Totally off topic, but related to your story... Why on earth are students having to copy something from a screen?

If I read your post correctly and if you are in corporate the solution is to inform his/her/it
to their immediate supervisor for action. Nicely explain that this individual(s) have just wasted time and $ and what are you going to do aout it. This is also a reflects on their boss rather badly.
Just a point, drop words like students,education etc. I know some "training professionals"use these words at will. Its not what you are doing now.


Nero Wolfe

icy -

Mental health issues are a serious concern in the workplace. More and more companies are offering mental health benefits either through health insurance or in the form of Employee Assistance Programs. It is very frustrating to go to work and have to deal with people who cannot leave problems or issues outside the work environment.

Dealing with extreme and irrational behaviour is one of the bag of tricks that a trainer needs to develop in their profession. Odds are that you have someone dealing with mental health issues in every class you train, it's just that nothing in particular set them off that day.

Your husband hit a bad mix. The natural, and incorrect, inclination is to react to someone who is irrational in a rational manner. If your husband attempted to reason, speak or engage in a dialogue with the individual in the room, this could actually have exacerbated the situation.

When you note someone is behaving in a clearly irrational or extreme manner, such as not taking notes intentionally, the best thing to do is to take them out of the room and speak to them privately. If they refuse to leave, contact security. If they continue to act irrationally outside the room, suggest that today is not a good day for them to be in training. Don't threaten, promise, offer or console. Your other students don't need to suffer because of one individual.

Always keep in mind, irrational people are also dangerous people as workplace violence statistics show. If you're not sure what buttons are being pushed to send this person to such an extreme in behavior, you should not take chances that it's your blouse that reminds her of the mother that used to beat her every night or you resemble the uncle that used to molest him - no amount of rational conversation is going to bring him or her back from that edge.