Quick Tips

But, some students continue to tamper with their teacher's emotional interface, methodically manipulating their teacher's "emotional-equilibrium-thermostat," and generally making a nuisance of themselves.

Perhaps you encounter such a student in your classroom. Perhaps that student "ticked you off" today.

You run a lot of descriptive comments, labels, evaluations of this student through your mind…almost all negative.

And, you generally keep these to yourself.

When the Temptation Presents Itself

But, at those choice moments when the sarcastic, biting, "now's my chance to get back at him" inspirations hit; think twice, think better about what you are about to do, think.

While opportunities to insult, put down, diminish your student in a cute, unique, funny, double-meaning-kind-of-way present themselves. Can you defend your comments to your supervisor when you face a complaint from the student's parents?

While you can have the entire class laughing at the "trouble making, thorn-in-your-paw student;" don't.

Don't do it!

Use a variation on the "count to ten" technique, and count from one to the sum of your salary.

But this could take a lone time (although with the size of your salary, not nearly as long as it should, because your salary should be a much larger number).

Maybe it will even take until tomorrow to count this high, but, don't loose any sleep over the incident.

Do the Math

The math supporting the "supper-high-count" is a delay tactic that pays off because the math in this situation is "bad."

And, if you can't overcome the "bad numbers," don't "do the deal."

The numbers resulting from sarcasm, put downs and insults to students (even veiled, sneaky ones that you can get-away-with) are like the interest numbers of a "payday loan."

If you can't repay the payday loan on payday, don't do the deal. The interest for a delay will end up costing you…

But, quick, glib, negative comments "zinged" at a student will cost you because the cost has a payback plan that is worse than the repayment of a payday loan.

While your six seconds of revenge bring a smile, even a veiled smile, to your lips…

• The "put down" student will smolder, fume and retaliate…at a later date, in a few minutes, tomorrow, maybe for the rest of the school year


• Other students may laugh, even applaud (because the trouble maker irritates them, too); but their "guard hairs, hackles, feelers" will be sensitized; and they will (at an unconscious level) be alert and ever vigilant for when you might turn on them


• No matter how you try to pay off the "usury-style interest" charged by this insult-based incident; no amount of kindness, rapport, good words, will cancel the "charge against your reputation" that the moment of spite generated.

School-Based Urban Legend

The "Don't Smile Until XMAS" myth does not apply in this case.

You're not a "burned out, disgruntled, control-jockey" just drawing a (meager) paycheck.

This ""Don't Smile Until XMAS Urban Legend" never worked, never had any place in education, never rose to the level of "professional" behavior.

You are a highly-trained, focused, dedicated professional.

You hold yourself to high standards. In this case to a standard as high as the physicians' "First, Do no harm."

In this case, counting from one to the value of your paycheck offers a double payoff. The strategy of waiting before firing off a negative comment does no harm to your student, and does no harm to your reputation and does no harm to the rapport that you have developed with your students. Avoiding a double negative (the irksome student and a retaliatory teacher response) creates a positive, and you maintain a positive reputation with your students.

More importantly, as you express yourself in a professional manner, you get to think (and feel) good about yourself.