Are you looking for ways to support students who exhibit sudden mood changes? If so, keep reading.
1. Make sure the student does not become involved in overstimulating learning activities that would cause them to have mood changes.
2. Do not embarrass the student by giving them orders, requirements, etc., in front of others.
3. Teach the student appropriate ways to express displeasure, anger, frustration, etc.
4. Convey your feelings in a socially acceptable way.
5. Teach the student to think before acting (e.g., they should ask themselves, “What is happening?” “What am I doing?” “What should I do?” “What will be best for me?”).
6. Converse with the student about ways of handling situations successfully without conflict (e.g., walk away from a situation, change to another learning experience, ask for help, etc.).
7. Connect with parents, agencies, or appropriate parties to tell them about the problem, identify the cause of the problem, and discuss potential solutions to the problem.
8. Assess the appropriateness of the task to ascertain (a) if the task is too easy, (b) if the task is too complicated, and (c) if the time scheduled to finish the task is sufficient.
9. Praise the student for demonstrating consistent and appropriate behavior: (a) give the student a concrete reward (e.g., privileges such as leading the line, handing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the student an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).
10. Connect with parents (e.g., notes home, phone calls, etc.) to disseminate information about the student’s progress. The parents may reinforce the student at home for demonstrating consistent and appropriate behavior at school.
11. Draft an agreement with the student stipulating what behavior is required (e.g., consistent, and appropriate behavior) and which reinforcement will be implemented when the agreement has been met.
12. Create classroom rules: • Complete every assignment. • Complete assignments quietly. • Remain in your seat. • Finish tasks. • Meet task expectations. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.
13. Talk with the student to explain(a) what the student is doing wrong (e.g., becoming angry or upset easily, etc.) and (b) what the student should be doing (e.g., following the rules, considering others, controlling impulsive behavior, etc.).
14. Praise the student for demonstrating appropriate behavior (academic or social) based on the duration of time they can be successful. As the student shows success, slowly increase the duration of time required for reinforcement.
15. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
16. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.
17. Consider using a socio-emotional learning app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
18. Consider using an emotional intelligence app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
19. Consider using a school counseling app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
