Dealing with rigid or stubborn students can be challenging, but it's essential to foster flexibility and open-mindedness in a classroom environment. Here are some strategies to help address rigid behavior:

1. **Build Relationships**: Establish a positive teacher-student relationship. Students are more likely to be flexible when they feel respected and valued.

2. **Listen Actively**: Encourage students to express their thoughts and concerns. Sometimes rigidity arises from a need to be heard.

3. **Provide Choices**: Offer students choices within reasonable limits. This can help them feel more in control and reduce resistance.

4. **Use Socratic Questioning**: Ask open-ended questions that encourage critical thinking and self-reflection, helping students reconsider their perspectives.

5. **Model Flexibility**: Demonstrate flexibility in your own thinking and problem-solving. Students often emulate their teachers' behavior.

6. **Real-World Applications**: Show how the material or lesson applies to real life. This can make learning more meaningful and less rigid.

7. **Group Activities**: Collaborative projects can encourage flexibility as students learn to compromise and work together.

8. **Praise Effort**: Acknowledge and reward students' efforts to be more flexible and open-minded, even if they haven't fully succeeded yet.

9. **Provide Feedback**: Offer constructive feedback on their rigid behaviors and suggest alternatives.

10. **Consult with Support Services**: If rigidity is interfering significantly with a student's learning or social development, consider involving school counselors or specialists for additional support.

It's important to be patient and persistent when working with rigid students. Building flexibility and open-mindedness often takes time, and consistent efforts in these areas can help students grow and develop these important life skills.