March 20, 2025

Turn Student Challenges into Opportunities with Reframing

Teachers encounter challenges, hear complaints, and experience missteps—our own or our students’—nearly every day. We might assume that these experiences come with the territory and just need to be managed. In many cases, this thinking is correct, but often, by reframing what students do and say, we can find new answers to longstanding challenges and resolution to chronic frustrations. Consider these seven common occurrences and how they might be reframed to present an insight or alternative for our response:

The student who makes what seems like a disconnected observation. Rather than immediately redirecting the student, we might explore whether the contribution reveals a fertile imagination or the ability to see connections between seemingly disconnected concepts or elements.
The student who constantly seems to be asking “why.” Rather than ignoring the question or providing a shutdown response, we might explore and discover an insatiable curiosity that we can help focus and develop.
The student who incessantly seeks our approval. Rather than dismissing them as tiresome or by offering a perfunctory response, we may find that we can provide reassurance and coaching to build their confidence.
The student who challenges us. Rather than treating the response as a disciplinary matter, we might consider whether it is an opportunity to adopt new and more effective ways to diminish power struggles and sidestep needless conflicts.
The student who refuses to work on a given day. Rather than pressing for compliance, we might seek to understand the reason for the behavior and then decide how we might redirect or otherwise engage the student.
The student with whom we have struggled to connect. Rather than abandon our struggle, we might broaden our connecting strategies to show we care in ways we have not thought about or tried before.
The student who resists our leadership but has followers among classmates. Rather than pushing back, we might engage the student as an emerging leader who needs us to help them to understand the importance of following without giving up power.

These are just a few examples of how we might reframe the experiences and challenges we face every day. Consider spending time reflecting on the distractions, frustrations, and interruptions you face and how you might reframe them to be more productive and satisfying as you navigate your day.