A video of a secondary school student yelling at his teacher is making headlines in the news and going viral on social media.
The boy's attitude and how he responds to his teacher has garnered much criticism from the general public; with many calling his behaviour shocking and many others blaming his parents for his bad upbringing.
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In the video the boy is seen loitering around the class talking to his friends. The teacher then, quite calmly, asks him to take a seat. Ignoring the teachers request, the boy keeps wandering around the class, which undoubtedly annoys the teacher. To this the teacher sternly asks him to sit down.
The boy, gets startled and angered by the teacher's instruction and yells at the teacher saying "Why did you have to shout at me? Am I deaf? I'm asking you, am I deaf?" He then goes on shouting at his teacher, even demanding the teacher to apologize to HIM for asking him to sit down. The teacher who is trying - in vain - to give the boy an explanation actually apologizes to him!
Watch the video here
It was reported in the Straits Times on the 22nd of January that according to the school's principal Mr. Krishnan Aravinthan, the student had apologised for his behaviour, and that he has "reflected on his actions and is very remorseful". The teacher who was at the receiving end of his outburst has also received an apology from the boy.
Mr. Aravinthan claimed that the school takes discipline very seriously. The student has been counselled for his behaviour and the school is using this incident "as a teachable moment for students".
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Keep reading to learn about teaching our kids to deal with anger and frustrations...
The outburst by the student was certainly un-called for. There are several ways the student could have acted differently. What we feel is cause for concern is the fact that the boy wasn't in control of his emotions and lashed out at this teacher.
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It is commonly known that as kids approach adolescence, they go through many changes; changes in their bodies as well as emotional changes. Many psychologists believe this is normal. An adolescent is a walking time bomb - they seem to be angry and hostile first towards their parents and then many other adults around them. But there are ways to lessen the severity of this 'phase' in a kid's life - and you guessed right - we parents can help our kids deal with situations like this.
Tips to teach kids to deal with anger the healthy way
- Have a good relationship with your child - or try to. We're sure you had a great relationship with your kid before they started clamming up and being secretive. If you have noticed your usually very calm child is suddenly throwing temper tantrums, try your best to keep talking to them. Be genuinely interested in their interests and problems. They will then hopefully talk about things that are bothering them. This is the best way of finding out what's going on in their lives.
- Life as a teenager or pre-teen can be very stressful. From body-image issues to studies and relationships to trying to be independent take a toll on them. Let them know that you are always there if ever they need you. Tell them that no problem is too big for you to handle together.
- The mood-swings and hormonal changes can make adolescents feel frustrated, making them feel that they have an excess of pent up energy. Make sure they participate in some sort of exercise so they can expel some of that energy.
- This may seem trivial if you in the middle of the 'cranky' phase - but it is proven to be true. Make sure your child gets enough sleep and eat a well balanced diet. Like we stated earlier, a teen's life is hectic and society expects much of them. They are still too immature to know how to deal with it all. When kids get frustrated they act out in many ways - either they get angry or they get into substance abuse to feel better. In this case substance abuse can even be binging on unhealthy food.
- If your kids has regular temper outbursts, explain to them that there are consequences to their actions and that taking their anger out on others or themselves is not acceptable. There are other ways of dealing with it (like the above mentioned points). Be compassionate towards them and never rule out seeking help of a guidance counsellor or a trusted role-model if your child doesn't open up to you.
- Encourage your child to express themselves creatively. Be it writing, playing an instrument, art or even dancing - these will give your child an outlet to express their inner-most feelings.
We hope these tips will ease the pressure an adolescent's mood-swings put on you. Hang in there, with your help they will soon transition out of this phase, good relationship in-tact.
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If you have any valuable advice to share with parents on this topic, please do leave us a comment below.