How to Handle a Teacher Who Yells a Lot

Last Updated: February 5, 2022 References

Teachers have to be strict to maintain control of a classroom. However, yelling is inappropriate and leads to a stressful environment. If your teacher is yelling at you, you should talk to your parents about the problem. They can help you find an effective means to deal with the situation. If you're a parent, investigate your child's claims that a teacher is yelling or treating him unfairly. If yelling verges on bullying, it needs to be reported to your school's principal.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Dealing as a Student

1
Talk to your parents. If your teacher has been yelling at you on a regular basis, the first step is to talk to your parents. It can be very difficult to address the situation on your own. Your parents want you to have a positive learning experience and will want to help you find a solution to the problem.^{[1]
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Expert Source

César de León, M.Ed.
Educational Leadership Consultant
Expert Interview. 11 November 2019.}
- Express your concerns to your parents soon after a problem occurs. You want to be able to talk to them when an incident is fresh in your mind. Do not sit and stew for a few weeks, as you may forget necessary details.
- Your parents may be skeptical at first. Try not to take this personally. This is not because they don't care, but because children frequently feel teachers dislike them or are mean to them. Try to explain the specifics of what happened. Tell them what your teacher said as well as her tone of voice.^{[2]
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- Your parents will want to know all the facts. They'll probably ask you a lot of questions about the incident or incidents. Try to answer their questions calmly, even though you may feel stressed out. Your parents might want to schedule a meeting with your teacher in order to assess the situation.^{[3]
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2
Ask your parents to talk to others about their concerns. Oftentimes, a teacher simply has a reputation for being strict or difficult. Your teacher may also be going through a personal problem that's affecting her behavior in the classroom. Have your parents talk to your friends' parents to get a sense of whether other students have similar problems. The more information your parents know, the better they can address the situation in a meeting with your teacher.^{[4]
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- In some cases, your teacher may be unwilling to address the problem with your parents. In this case, your parents may have to report the problem to the school's principal. Having others back up their claims can help them make their case.
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3
Try to treat your teacher with respect. While it can be difficult to respect someone who does not respect you, try to obey your teacher's rules. If your parents are discussing the issue with school officials, it may take a few weeks before it's resolved. During this time, try to minimize tension by respecting your teacher in the classroom.^{[5]
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- Try to follow any classroom rules. Do your homework on time, do not talk in class, and follow instructions during activities. Also, look for opportunities to help your teacher—is there any way you can build a better relationship with them?^{[6]
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  César de León, M.Ed.
  Educational Leadership Consultant
  Expert Interview. 11 November 2019.}
- Pay attention to whether there's anything that you or your classmates are doing to trigger the teacher. Is anyone pushing their buttons when they start yelling?^{[7]
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  César de León, M.Ed.
  Educational Leadership Consultant
  Expert Interview. 11 November 2019.}
- Keep in mind some teachers just yell, regardless of how you're behaving. Such behaviors should be reported to your principal. Your parents should be able to handle this for you. However, in the meantime continue behaving respectfully. You want to be the bigger person in this scenario to avoid giving your teacher an excuse for his or her behavior.
4
Talk to other students. Sometimes, simply venting to others can help you cope with a frustrating situation. If your teacher yells to other students and not just you, talk it out with them.
- You might not find a solution talking but mutual complaining can help you get through the day. Leaving your feelings bottled up can make them worse.
- Be careful where you vent. You want to avoid complaining about a teacher on school grounds as you may be overheard. This can make the problem worse.
5
Remember you'll have many teachers in your lifetime. Even after taking steps to address the problem, some teachers may still be difficult. It may simply be a problem of your personalities clashing. Your learning style may not match how your teacher conducts his or her classroom. Try to relax and get through the year. You will have many teachers in your lifetime. Even if you do not get along with this person, you'll find a better learning environment later on.^{[8]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Dealing as a Parent

1
Ask your child for clarification. Children often make generic comments. Things like, "My teacher's mean to me!" may not necessarily be a sign something is awry. However, if your child's been complaining consistently and seems stressed or worried in school, something may be wrong. When your child is complaining about a teacher, press him for details.
- If your child says something like "My teacher was mean to me today," try to get him to unpack that statement. Press him for details. Say something like, "What exactly did your teacher say? What was happening at the time?"^{[9]
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- Children do exaggerate, especially when feeling miffed or wronged. "Mean" may simply mean the teacher scolded your child for doodling on his worksheet instead of completing his math problems. However, press for more clarification to be sure. Ask about the teacher's tone and her exact words. Even if your child was misbehaving, if his teacher raised her voice and used belittling language, this is a problem.^{[10]
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- For example, your child may say, "She told me I was being a little brat and yelled at me to get back to work." While your child was misbehaving, his teacher is the adult in the situation. Her response was not appropriate.
2
Investigate the problem. If your child's version of what occurred seems inappropriate, you should investigate the situation further. Jot down exactly what your child said occurred so you have all the details. From there, do some investigation of your own. You do not want to get angry and confront the teacher until you have all the facts.
- Check your facts. Your child may be exaggerating. You may want to call another mother and ask her to get her child's account of what happened.^{[11]
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- Talk to other parents. Some teachers have a bad reputation. If other parents have had an issue with this teacher, chances are your child is not exaggerating the situation.^{[12]
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3
Schedule a discussion with the teacher. If you've determined there's an issue with the teacher, make an appointment to talk to her. Teachers are usually willing to talk to parents about issues in the classroom. Calmly give the school a call and request and appointment with your child's teacher.
4
Stay calm. Even if you're angry, go into the situation as someone wanting to resolve a problem. If you enter the meeting yelling and placing blame, you're only going to escalate the issue. Use calm, inclusive language that's free of blame.
- Start off the meeting by saying something like, "My child seems to be having trouble in your classroom. I'm not sure I completely understand what's been happening, but I'm hoping we can work together to find a solution."^{[13]
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- Even if you are calm and respectful during the confrontation, the teacher may get defensive. Many people do not take well to criticism, especially if they're frustrated or overworked. Stay calm if your teacher gets defensive. You do not want to escalate the discussion to the point it's no longer productive.^{[14]
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5
Look for a solution. You do not want to transfer your student from a classroom. A transition mid-year can be stressful. Try your best to brainstorm with the teacher on how the two of you can effectively solve the problem.
- You may find the teacher simply does not know how to deal with your child. You could offer her some insight on how to help your child behave better in the classroom. Say something like, "I know Isaac struggles to concentrate, but I think sometimes reminding him gently is more effective than scolding. It seems to work at home."^{[15]
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- Also the teacher could just simply be a little grouchy and blunt and your child may be taking this personally. If this is the case, you can say something to your child like, "Mrs. Donahue simply has a different way of communicating than Mommy and Daddy do. It doesn't have anything to do with you. Just try to behave in her class."^{[16]
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- Ultimately, strive to leave the conversation with some ideas about how to move forward. Hopefully, your teacher will take your feedback as a learning experience and be better equipped to deal with your child.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Reporting the Problem

1
Do not confront your teacher as a student. If you are a student, you do not want to confront your teacher on your own. If you talk to your teacher about her attitude when you're angry, she might get hurt. If she's already yelling in class, this can make the situation worse. If the problems warrant reporting, you should have your parents handle it.^{[17]
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2
Make an appointment with the school's principal. If you've raised your concerns with your child's teacher and nothing has changed, it's time to go to a higher authority. Contact the school's principal and make an appointment.
- You should only take this step in extreme situations. Even if your child does not like his teacher, chances are he'll survive the experience. You can take this as a learning opportunity. You can teach your child that life is harsh and unfair sometimes, but you have to learn to cope.^{[18]
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- However, in certain situations it's important to report the problem. If you're teacher is yelling at students and using name-calling or derogatory language, this is a form of bullying. It's inappropriate and could turn your child and other students off of school altogether. A problem like this should be reported.^{[19]
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3
Stay calm during the discussion. As with your initial discussion with your child's teacher, it's vital to stay calm. You want the principal to understand what's happening is a problem. If you get angry or emotional, the principal may be less inclined to believe your side of the story.
- Try to be as positive about the situation as you can. Remember, teachers are humans, and they have emotions, too.^{[20]
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  César de León, M.Ed.
  Educational Leadership Consultant
  Expert Interview. 11 November 2019.}
- It may help to recruit other parents. If this teacher is a problem in general, having others to back you up can help. The principal will see it's not just a problem with your student.
- Be firm. For a variety of reasons, your principal may be hesitant to handle the situation. You need to make it clear that you'll continue to raise concerns until the problem is resolved. Explain, firmly, that you're worried about other students in addition to your own child.^{[21]
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4
Consider transferring to another class. School officials are often very hesitant to transfer students to different classes. If a situation is not changing and causing your child distress, however, it may be the best option. Your child may do better in a different classroom where his teacher respects him more.^{[22]
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Expert Q&A
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Question

Is it normal for teachers to yell?

César de León, M.Ed.
Student Mentor
César de León is an Educational Leadership Consultant and currently serves as an Assistant Principal for the Austin Independent School District in Austin, TX. César specializes in education program development, curriculum improvement, student mentorship, social justice, equity leadership, and family and community engagement. He is passionate about eradicating inequities in schools for all children, especially those who have been historically underserved and marginalized. César holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Biology from Texas State University and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from The University of Texas at Austin.

César de León, M.Ed.

Student Mentor

Expert Answer

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No—and most teachers don't yell for no reason. If your teacher is yelling, ask yourself whether there's anything that you or your classmates are doing that might be pushing your teacher's buttons? If so, try to avoid doing those things, and encourage others not to do them, either.
Question

How can I improve my relationship with my teacher?

César de León, M.Ed.
Student Mentor
César de León is an Educational Leadership Consultant and currently serves as an Assistant Principal for the Austin Independent School District in Austin, TX. César specializes in education program development, curriculum improvement, student mentorship, social justice, equity leadership, and family and community engagement. He is passionate about eradicating inequities in schools for all children, especially those who have been historically underserved and marginalized. César holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Biology from Texas State University and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from The University of Texas at Austin.

César de León, M.Ed.

Student Mentor

Expert Answer

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Think about ways you can help your teacher, as well as what you can do as a student to help your teacher understand your needs. For instance, you might have a one-on-one conversation with them, or you may even need mediation if you're really struggling to get along.
Question

What do you do if your teacher is mean?

César de León, M.Ed.
Student Mentor
César de León is an Educational Leadership Consultant and currently serves as an Assistant Principal for the Austin Independent School District in Austin, TX. César specializes in education program development, curriculum improvement, student mentorship, social justice, equity leadership, and family and community engagement. He is passionate about eradicating inequities in schools for all children, especially those who have been historically underserved and marginalized. César holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Biology from Texas State University and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from The University of Texas at Austin.

César de León, M.Ed.

Student Mentor

Expert Answer

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Talk to your parents, your other teachers at school, or your counselor. Tell them what's going on in your classroom and how it's making you feel. It's very important to be proactive, but also try to be positive about the situation. A lot of times you might not know what's going on with teachers in their personal lives, so remember that they're humans and they have emotions too.

Warnings

Yelling is not appropriate in a classroom setting. If your teacher routinely yells at the class or you specifically, this needs to be reported to your principal. Raising your voice is also unhealthy.

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