Why “Pressure Passes” Are A Ridiculous Behavior Strategy Smart Classroom Management
Have you heard of pressure passes?
They’re slips of red or yellow paper that allow difficult students to leave your classroom anytime they like. Yep, they just flash you the pass and then walk out.
They’re all the rage among counselors and administrators, who can then pat themselves on the back for doing something without actually holding anyone accountable. Yay! Win-win.
Oh, yes, that’s the other thing. You, dear teacher, don’t have a say. They just tell you what they’re going to start doing with Layla or Anthony. “Here are your passes. Enjoy!”
In some schools, the students don’t even have to show a pass. They can simply leave whenever they feel like it. A mental break, they call it.
Here’s why it’s a ridiculous idea.
1. They’ll miss class.
Obvious, right? Our students are supposed to be learning, which they can’t do if they’re not there. This begs the question? Are you now responsible to get them up to speed?
What if they leave in the middle of a test or essay or while you’re teaching a critical lesson? This also sends the message that the real purpose of school is unimportant.
2. They’ll take advantage of it.
Well, of course. Students who have a proclivity to misbehave aren’t going to use a pressure pass earnestly. It’s naive to think otherwise.
They’re going to skip out on the writing assignment. They’re going to wander the halls. They’re going to disrupt other classes. They’re going to cause trouble, which then you have to deal with.
3. They’ll be unsupervised.
Just ask them to stay right outside your classroom. That’ll work. You can just peek out every once in awhile while also supervising 24 or 32 students. Easy as pie.
This is obviously absurd. It’s also dangerous. Students can never, ever be left unsupervised. Picture yourself on the witness stand. “Well, I just assumed he’d stay right there.”
4. They’ll further disrupt your class.
Pressure passes will empower your most challenging students to cause more trouble. Reality always wins. Where there is zero or weak accountability behavior gets worse.
Go ahead and try to send them to time-out now. They’ll just walk out of your classroom. And make no mistake: When some students aren’t held accountable, others will expect the same treatment.
5. They’ll have an excuse.
By allowing a student to leave when they feel the need, you’re very effectively telling them that they can’t control themselves. They’re not like others. There is something very wrong with them.
Which will follow them for life. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy that is difficult to reverse and can only happen when they hit rock bottom and realize they’ve been lied to.
Students Lose, As Usual
I had a student one year who suffered from panic attacks. They were rare but did happen. Of course, I would let him stand just outside the classroom and take the time he needed.
We prepared for it ahead of time and he knew the protocol—brown paper bags, focus on breathing, a mantra of “I’m okay.”
This isn’t what we’re talking about.
We’re talking about giving up on students who desperately need fair, consistent, and tough-loved accountability. To improve—actually improve—students who misbehave need to be repeatedly put in position to face their problems and failures head on.
They need to reflect and begin to see the illogic of their self-sabotage and how their behavior tramples on others.
Remove this healthy reflection and inner struggle, which is what the current educational winds are conspiring to do, and the whole shebang spins ever lower into the cosmic toilet bowl.
We must reject it. If a student is misbehaving in your classroom, you handle it—most effectively and easily with the SCM approach. Only refer them to administration if they fight, threaten violence, or otherwise behave dangerously.
If someone suggests pressure passes or everyone’s favorite behavior contracts, stand your ground. It’s your classroom. Explain your reasoning if you wish but clearly and emphatically protect the student and learning in your classroom by saying no.
If you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.