How to handle classroom fights when admin won't send backup
Administrators often refuse to send backup when students physically assault others or destroy materials, instead telling teachers to try more classroom strategies. This lack of support forces teachers to evacuate the room for safety and leaves them alone to deal with angry parents. Without immediate assistance, teachers are left at a loss for what to do and become extremely anxious about making their administration angry.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Separating the students directlyDid this help you?
- 2Calling parents after the incidentDid this help you?
- 3Documenting all contact attempts made to administration and support staffDid this help you?
- 4Evacuating the classroom to keep other students safeDid this help you?
- 5Implementing visual interventions, token systems, and de-escalation strategiesDid this help you?
- 6Writing formal letters of concern with union inputDid this help you?
- 7Threatening resignation to force a resolutionDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Over the past couple of months, behaviors have included hitting/kicking/pushing staff and students, throwing or kicking chairs and other objects, destroying classroom materials, eloping from the classroom, and other unsafe behavior.”source ↗
“We’ve had to evacuate my classroom multiple times because of safety concerns.”source ↗
“I continue to be encouraged to try additional classroom strategies before calling for support.”source ↗
“Now I’m extremely anxious that my administrators are angry with me or that I escalated things too far.”source ↗
“Today there were two girls verbally and physically a$$aulting another girl in my class during instruction time.”source ↗
“Now I have an angry parent at the end of the day because I couldn’t get any backup.”source ↗
“I understand not everyone can be available but I’m at a loss of words with what to do about this.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 8Why teachers can't break up school fights
- 5Why do administrators reward misbehaving students?
- 27How to stop classroom interruptions from photo and video documentation
- 73What do you call students who copy or police classroom instructions?
- 7Why do parents get mad about minor rules but ignore failing grades?
- 9How to deal with school administrators who won't follow the rules?