Controlling Anger

Anger may not be a good feeling, but it is important for students to know anger is a normal feeling. Tempers can stem from several different emotions, including fear, anxiety, frustration, and nervousness. While anger may seen negative, it can actually be helpful for students to express a problem occurring in life, which allows others to help deal with those issues. Yet, students may not know how to express their emotions, and confusion can lead to anger being dealt with in a destructive way.

Taking out anger by breaking things, especially school property, is never acceptable

Students should learn the good and bad ways to deal with feelings of anger. Acts of catharsis such as yelling, swearing, breaking things, or hurting others will all end with unfortunate consequences, and even if doing those actions feels good in the moment, regret will be the ultimate ending. Although, there are some good ways to let anger out and feel better overall, too. Writing, exercising, drawing, reading, and listening to music are just a few ways for children to satisfyingly let anger out. When students are equipped with this knowledge, getting out of bouts of frustration will seem more doable; however, how can students calm themselves down before their anger escalates?

If a student has a mentor, whether teacher or family member, they can share
ways to keep anger in check 

Anger can be chronically and uncomfortably brewing beneath the surface of a child, but when he/she knows what triggers the animosity, steps can be taken to avoid meltdowns. Specific classes or other classmates are a few things that could agitate a student, so having a trusted teacher or staff member to talk to will help the student feel safe and capable of talking about his/her feelings. Between finding expressive coping skills for anger and having a trusted adult to analyze frustration with, students should have a more accessible way to cope with their feelings. Be the active listener, and thanks for reading!