Leaving The Ego At The Door
Regardless of how many behavioural plans, strategies, policies
etc a school has in place, nothing can be put in place to manage an adolescent’s
uncanny ability to ‘read’ a teacher and identify the things that make that
teacher impatient, angry, rigid and/or upset. The only person that can manage
this is YOU!
It is vital that teachers avoid taking the comments and manipulations of
students personally, a task that sometimes may seem impossible. Many teachers
believe that they must have absolute authority in the classroom and they
mistakenly believe this comes automatically with their status as the teacher and
does not necessarily have to be earned (Beaty-O’Ferrall, Green and Hanna, 2010).
When students in your class question your authority by being non-compliant or
engaging in disruptive behaviour, they may easily trigger an emotional response
from yourself. It is important to develop self-awareness of your
vulnerabilities, such as a need for power for example, and develop responses
that are more strategic rather than emotional.
Teachers should view classroom management as an ongoing exercise
in building relationships. It is critical that teachers find ways of building
relationships with all students, from the most motivated to the most difficult.
The goal of any teacher should be to focus more on learning within the classroom
rather than discipline.
etc a school has in place, nothing can be put in place to manage an adolescent’s
uncanny ability to ‘read’ a teacher and identify the things that make that
teacher impatient, angry, rigid and/or upset. The only person that can manage
this is YOU!
It is vital that teachers avoid taking the comments and manipulations of
students personally, a task that sometimes may seem impossible. Many teachers
believe that they must have absolute authority in the classroom and they
mistakenly believe this comes automatically with their status as the teacher and
does not necessarily have to be earned (Beaty-O’Ferrall, Green and Hanna, 2010).
When students in your class question your authority by being non-compliant or
engaging in disruptive behaviour, they may easily trigger an emotional response
from yourself. It is important to develop self-awareness of your
vulnerabilities, such as a need for power for example, and develop responses
that are more strategic rather than emotional.
Teachers should view classroom management as an ongoing exercise
in building relationships. It is critical that teachers find ways of building
relationships with all students, from the most motivated to the most difficult.
The goal of any teacher should be to focus more on learning within the classroom
rather than discipline.