DR. WALLACE: I'm about to become a new middle school teacher for the first time this winter. I'll be starting my career just after the holidays as the teacher I'm replacing is retiring Jan. 1, 2024. I'm very excited to begin my educational career as a teacher, instructor, mentor and guide for young people in the largest county of the state next to one I'm currently living in.

However, as a small, petite young woman, I'm a bit concerned about my physical presence. I'm a pacifist and wish to run my classrooms in a very open, nurturing and symbiotic way with students I hope to reach so that they can grow and develop into productive young adults someday. One of the main reasons I sought out teaching as a career is that I've been blessed with very decent interpersonal skills, and I usually get along quite well with everyone I meet.

One of my concerns, therefore, is that I've heard and read that there is sometimes violence inflicted upon teachers in some classrooms in America. How can I be as prepared as possible to effectively diffuse, defect and smooth over any potential "situations" before they develop? I've never had a problem that resulted in an altercation with anyone in my life thus far, but I know that I should enter my new profession with my eyes wide open and should be as effectively prepared as I possibly can. Do you have any suggestions in this regard? — A New Educator This Fall, via email

A NEW EDUCATOR THIS FALL: You are wise to take your future profession so seriously and to prepare yourself for many possibilities that could arise in a classroom.

I trust that your odds of experiencing an altercation in one of your classrooms will be small, especially given your interpersonal skills, but they will exist as a remote possibility nonetheless.

Fortunately, I'm aware of the work of two ladies who provide specific information on this topic. The first is Mary Ellen Flannery, who authors articles for the NEA, the National Education Association. One of her recent articles featured the work of behavior specialist, Rosa DiPiazza.

DiPiazza works with both teachers and students in an effort to promote classroom harmony that focuses on meeting the needs of students.

When to advising teachers, DiPiazza offers these key suggestions:

No. 1: Remain calm and do your utmost not to lose your cool. Students are more likely to act out once an instructor loses decorum and presence. To stay calm as an education under pressure, she suggests focusing on calm breathing, practicing mindfulness and providing suitable labels for your feelings when a flare up might arise.

No. 2: Realize that some students may have lived through domestic violence, evictions and other types of traumas. It's possible the minds of some students can shut down under duress, so seek to stay calm and diffuse whenever and wherever possible. No. 3: Offer breaks to students who are experiencing rising agitation. A key is to help them recognize their feelings before they feel the need to act out upon them.

No. 4: Create a spot within the classroom to use as a "calming area" which can include sensory putty and other calming implements. This area can also be used for students to practice breathing exercises in an effort to calm down. Be sure to indicate the area is not a form of punishment but rather an area to be used as a positive resource when needed.

No. 5: Realize that this is no quick fix or right answer for every problem or challenge a student may be facing. Students at times may feel depressed or experience a bad day for a variety of reasons. Teachers should seek to be supportive, be good listeners and take the time to validate a struggling student's feelings. The combination of a calm presence overlaid upon genuine concern can go a long way to both diffusing things and building the foundation for long term rapport between a teacher and a student.

These ladies both well understand this issue, one you mentioned you are presently concerned with, so I encourage you to look up their work, listen to their podcasts and do all you can to study this important topic before you enter your first classroom in 2024.

I trust that with your preparation, personality and diligence you'll be a fantastic teacher and I wish you enduring success. Focus on helping your students with their individual needs and educational development and I trust you'll soon feel very good about your career choice.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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