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Students who are struggling

How to spot students who are struggling

When students are struggling on their degree programme, they experience and express this lack of wellbeing in a variety of ways, and there is no single universally appropriate response. It will depend on the person and the context, and students can react very differently. Some react in visible ways, but, for others, it may be difficult to see that they’re finding things hard. This means that there are both obvious and subtle signs that you should look for that will indicate whether your students are struggling. 

  • Obvious signs: Some examples include not coming to class, not turning in assignments on time, not participating in class. There may also be students who explicitly demonstrate that they are struggling, for example by crying, getting angry and acting out or telling you that they are stressed out, grieving or anxious (read more in the students in crisis section below).    

  • Subtle signs: These signs are harder to spot, and include gradual changes in behaviour, maintaining a facade, ‘hiding’ during class or looking sad.   

  • Ambiguous signs: If you spot a student who exhibits any of these signs, you may still be in doubt as to whether they are in distress; a student may be distant/skip classes because they have fallen in love. So it can be difficult to decide how you should respond to the signs you notice. It’s often a good idea to keep an eye on the student over a period of time. 

Handout: Identify and respond to distress

What have other lecturers experienced?

Here are some examples of signs of distress that other lecturers and supervisors at AU have encountered. Perhaps you might recognise them...? 
  • Students who usually excel but fail to submit their assignments.   

  • Students who have emotional outbursts: some are aggressive, others are sad and start crying.  

  • Students who tell me they are stressed.  

  • Students who keep to themselves and sit alone, or students who tell me that they are lonely. 

  • Students who are under the influence, who disrupt class, who leave class in protest or who are emotionally affected by the teaching materials.  

  • Students who feel pressurised in class, for example because they are perfectionists and don’t feel that they are performing well enough, are ‘slow’ or come to class and turn in assignments late.   

  • Students who find it particularly difficult to keep on top of things and cannot meet deadlines or agreements in connection with their supervisions. 

  • Students who develop symptoms of depression or loneliness while writing a major assignment. 

  • Students who don’t turn up to supervisions or reply to emails. 

  • Students who are prone to exam anxiety and become physically and/or mentally ill in the run up to or during exams. Some lecturers have had students who were so nervous that they fainted during an exam.   

  • Students who find it difficult to participate in group work, perhaps because of a diagnosis. 

  • Students who disrupt the cohesion of the group, for example students who are domineering or disengaged. 

How can you help? The roles of the teacher

Research has shown that students assign teachers different roles with regard to their wellbeing (1): a monitoring role (keeping an eye on the student’s wellbeing), the role of a confidant (listening to the student in times of crisis), and the role of a linking pin (connecting the student to other resources). For students who are struggling, you can also assume the role of an agent for change through effective teaching and classroom management. 

4 Teaching Roles in Responding to Student Distress

The role of a monitor  

To help students who are struggling, you first need to notice that they are not thriving. Be aware of how students are behaving and look out for the obvious and subtle signs that students are finding things tough (LINK: section above), which you can read more about above. Give students the opportunity to tell you about their lack of wellbeing. Here are some ways you can do this: 

  • Schedule regular check-ins. Have regular check-in sessions with your students in class, during which students can raise issues related to wellbeing. Contributing to these sessions should be voluntary. Read more about how to have successful check-in sessions in class (LINK to the activity). 

  • Let students know that they can contact and speak to you. Make sure students know that they can reach out to you, and let them know when and how to do this. For example, on the last slide of every lecture, you could post the following information message: “Your learning and wellbeing is important for me. I offer drop-in sessions every Friday from 13:00 to 14:00, or you are welcome to schedule a 30-minute meeting with me by writing to (your email)”. 

  • Approach a student. To signal your availability to an individual student, you can approach the student by saying: “I’ve noticed that you’ve been engaging less in the class lately/I noticed that you reacted very strongly to the content today. I just wanted to let you know that I’m available to talk if you’d like to tell me about anything that’s going on/tell me about anything that’s happened”. When approaching a student, consult our advice on talking to students about their wellbeing.

The role of a confidant 

When students confide in you within the framework you specified (for example, during a check-in session or during your office hours), you can act as a supportive or an active-empathic listener (2). This involves giving the student your full attention and engagement for the agreed length of time. 

Supervision often involves a closer relationship between supervisor and student; communication can easily shift from the purely academic to a more personal plane. This can encourage some students to confide in their supervisor, while others may feel uncomfortable with the closeness of the student-supervisor relationship.  

To prepare for your role as confidant, it’s a good idea to read our advice on talking to students about their wellbeing. 

  The role of an agent of change 

When students tell you that they’re struggling, you can ask whether their lack of wellbeing is caused by something: 

  • within the learning environment (such as the reading load or feeling excluded from the class community) 

  • related to the learning environment (such as severe exam anxiety)  

  • outside the learning environment (such as relationship concerns, sickness or loss) 

If the cause lies within the learning environment, you may be able to help the student by adapting your teaching to meet their needs or working with the class community. 

The role of a linking pin
If the cause lies outside the learning environment (for example, the death of a loved one) or you don’t feel you have the resources to tackle it (for example, severe exam anxiety), the best option is to point the student  in the right direction.

Talking to students about their wellbeing

The first important step in dealing with a student’s lack of wellbeing is often to talk about it. A student might initiate a conversation with you, as their lecturer or supervisor, because they need someone to talk to. You might initiate a conversation yourself because you suspect that the student might be struggling.   

Research shows that empathetic, available teachers boost student wellbeing, but power dynamics can make both parties vulnerable (3). 
If discussing non-academic issues with a student, it’s safer for both parties to maintain clear boundaries. 
It’s still important to listen, but this should occur within defined settings like office hours (4). 
This approach protects both the student and teacher and upholds the required professional roles. 

Good advice for talking to students about their wellbeing

  • Be an active listener. Give the student your full attention and allow them to say what’s on their mind without necessarily giving advice or sharing your own experiences.  

  • Follow up on your conversation. Agree with the student whether you should send an email or have a follow-up conversation after a few days or weeks. It may be necessary to contact the student counsellor. Make sure you get the student’s consent before you do this. 

  • Give the student your full attention. Don’t get distracted by other calls or emails. This means that you must be realistic with the time you schedule for the meeting – only offer the time that you are able to dedicate to the conversation. 

  • Use neutral language to avoid the student feeling judged. For example, you could say: If you feel like it, I would be happy to hear what is going on/what happened, rather than: What is wrong with you? 

  • Approach the student at an appropriate time in the teaching setting, ideally in public but without the risk of other students overhearing.  

  • Be an empathetic listener. Reformulate the student’s descriptions to ensure and signal that you understand. Ask gentle questions to encourage the student to elaborate. You don’t need to show excessive sympathy (5: 6). You just need to be authentic and honest. 

Phrases you can use in your conversation with the student

Start the conversation

Start by stating explicitly why the conversation is taking place. For example, you could say: 

  • You have asked to talk to me. What would you like to discuss with me? 

  • I have asked to have this conversation because I’ve noticed.../I’m concerned that... 

During the conversation

During the conversation, it’s important that you take a curious, exploratory approach and remain non-judgemental. For example, you could say: 

  • What was your experience? How did you feel? 

  • Can you help me understand why...? 

  • What do you think could help you? 

  • I can see that you’re upset. Can you tell me what’s going on with you right now?  

End the conversation

Conclude the conversation by summarising what you’ve discussed. It’s a good idea to inform the student when you’re running out of time. For example, you could say: 

  • Now we have ten minutes left. Do you have anything else you think it’s important to say? 

  • What do you think is a good next step? 

Consent

If you’d like to discuss the student’s situation with a colleague, it’s generally a good idea to get the student’s consent before doing so – so that you don’t break the trust you’ve been shown. For example, if you want to tell a fellow lecturer that a student is having trouble with group work due to social anxiety, or if you are considering contacting the studies administration office because you are concerned about a student. 

Students in crisis

On rare occasions, teachers may encounter students in a moment of severe crisis. They may break down in tears in an oral exam, become verbally or physically abusive in the classroom, or suffer a panic attack. Situations like these can be difficult to manage, because you need to help the student, maintain a professional relationship, and minimise the risk to you, the student and others in the room. Here is some advice on how to handle these situations. 

If the crisis poses no risk to others

If a student breaks down or reacts strongly but does not pose a risk to others, you can take the following steps:
  • Approach the student calmly and kindly offer them a break, possibly outside the class/examination room.  

  • Offer them a chair and a glass of water.  

  • Ask them if it’s okay to touch them. If they agree, put your hand on their shoulder. 

  • Remind them that they are safe. If their breathing is affected, invite them to breathe calmly with you for a minute.  

  • Reassure them that these things happen (once they are calm).  

  • Help them to contact a close friend for support or get a trustworthy person to stay with them or talk them through the episode.  

  • Invite them to rejoin the exam/class (if appropriate) or invite them to stay outside with a friend or confidant. 

  • Debrief the situation with your manager/colleagues afterwards. If you have any questions, contact the student welfare counsellors through the study portal

If the crisis poses a risk to others

If a student breaks down or reacts strongly and does pose a risk to others, you can take the following steps:
  1. Stay calm and acknowledge the student’s anger by saying something like, “I understand that this is important/that this has upset you/that you are angry.” 

  2. Tell them that you would like to understand what happened, but that you need everyone to be safe – you, the student, and the other people in the room.  

  3. Tell them that you will give everybody some time and space, and ask others to move back from the student or to leave the room.  

  4. Avoid escalating the conflict in any way, such as by raising your voice, asking the student to calm down (this denigrates their emotions), making fun of them or patronising them. (7).  

  5. Talk to them about what triggered them (if they have calmed down sufficiently) and, depending on their answer, decide on the best course of action.  

  6. If the student’s angry outburst is followed by a breakdown and they no longer pose a risk to others, you can follow the steps above.  

  7. If the situation becomes dangerous, call for help. Call 112 or AU’s internal emergency number: 8715 1617. This number will connect you to staff at the Securitas call centre, who will activate AU’s internal alarm procedure and emergency management team to the extent they deem necessary.  

  8. Debrief the situation with your manager/colleagues. 

In relation to exams

For some students, the pressure at exams is so intense that they not only experience ordinary and expected uneasiness and nervousness. For example, some teachers have experienced:
  • That students become physically and/or psychologically ill in connection with an exam. Some lecturers have had students who were so nervous that they fainted during an exam.   

  • That students suffer from exam anxiety so extreme that it can incapacitate them and affect their exam, and the reading period preceding it, very negatively.   

  • That students have cheated in an exam, which made a very difficult conversation necessary afterwards.  

  • That students repeatedly fail an exam or fail to show up for an exam.   

You can support the students before, during and after the exam in the following ways:

Before the exam

Prepare your students for the exam. Here are some examples of steps you can take: 

  • Help them deal with any exam anxiety they might be experiencing or refer them to a support resource that can help. List of support resources at AU  

  • Clarify rules and guidelines for exams and re-exams on your degree programme. Including rules in relation to cheating and plagiarism. 

  • Set aside time for an informal chat about the exam during which students can ask any questions they might have.  

  • Have your students interview each other in order to identify any students who might have extra challenges in relation to the exam.  

  • Create a questionnaire.  

  • ‘Take the temperature’ of your students’ level of exam anxiety before the exam to help ensure that everyone gets through it with as little distress as possible. For example, you can:  

  • Discuss why the exam is important with your students – and what it’s important in relation to. Future career, next semester, academic development...?  

During the exam

For oral exams, it’s often particularly important to create a calm space where students feel safe. For example, you can: 

  • Offer the student a glass of water before the exam and ask if they’re ready to start before the exam begins. 

  • Give students plenty of time to answer questions. 

  • Let them know that if they get stuck, it’s ok to pause, take a deep breath and find their train of thought. 

  • Smile and express your acknowledgement by nodding encouragingly when the student makes good points. 

  • Give the student constructive feedback when informing them of their grade. 

For written exams, it’s important that the students know what’s expected of them. For example, you can: 

  • Be clear about the requirements and criteria – also before the exam 

  • Formulate the assignment precisely and clearly so that the students know which question(s) to answer. 

  • Make sure students know whether – and if so where and how – they can get help or guidance. 

After the exam

After the exam, particularly after an exam that the student has found difficult, it’s a good idea to: 

  • Contact the student and discuss their grade, performance or provide other forms of feedback after the exam. 

  • Give the student good advice that they can draw on the next time they sit an exam. 

If you are struggling with your own wellbeing, you can find more information about staff wellbeing here. You can also share your experiences of supporting students with your colleagues and department for inspiration or support. 

Where students can get help


Sometimes, the best support you can offer a student is to refer them onward. There are many support services available at AU that are free of charge for students:

Questions to ask yourself

  • Are my students displaying any obvious or subtle signs that they are struggling with their wellbeing? 

  • How can I talk to my students about student wellbeing? 

  • What roles should I take on as a teacher in a specific situation? 

  • How can I manage situations in which one or more of my students are in crisis? 

  • Do I know where I can refer students for help? 


Contact

The content is written by Hanne Balsby Thingholm at Rådgivnings- og støttecentret in collaboration with Centre for Educational Development and student guidance counsellors (VEST).


Please contact the editors at AU Educate if you have any questions about the content of the platform or if you need consultation on your teaching from one of the many skilled professionals at the Centre for Educational Development