12:13
Unknown
Maintaining classroom order depends upon the teacher’s ability to
maintain his or her own state of inner order, which can be described as a
state of authentic peace and poise.
Some students are quite skilled at “triggering” teachers out of their peace and poise and into a state of insecurity.
These bossy or defiant students effectively trigger the teacher’s insecurity by creating classroom disorder with impunity.
An extreme example of this is the seventh grader who recently tried
to disempower and intimidate his teacher by taking over the class.
His teacher felt publically humiliated and was stunned into
speechlessness as the precocious 13 year old brazenly stepped in front
of the class, explaining that he was the one in charge now.
Understanding where a behavior like this is coming from can empower a teacher.
One probable motivation
behind the student who tries to run the room is the student’s need to
regain the sense of power and self-respect that someone has stolen from
him.
He may be getting bullied at home. He may feel intensely deprived of
something that he thinks all of the other kids have, like a happy and
harmonious family life.
Whatever this student’s background, he’s obviously being driven by
the urge to compensate for an inferiority complex that has been
programmed into him.
When we understand the motivation behind a student’s behavior we can come up with a way to satisfy the motivation that effectively defuses the student’s drive to use inappropriate behavior to get what he is after.
In the midst of classroom chaos, though, it can be hard to play child
analyst. It is easier to let our emotional reaction get the best of
us.
And yet, that may be the most important time to maintain self-control.
You encourage the disruptive student to press your insecurity buttons
when you become insecure in reaction to the actions he uses to usurp
your power.
The moment you start trying to prove your power you stop really being
powerful and begin giving your student more power over you.
When you worry about proving your power in the classroom you are
being distracted from using your power to make a real, positive
contribution through your teaching profession.
This not only lowers the real value of your labor; it also makes your labor unfulfilling.
You weren’t hired to prove your power or your worth to your students.
You were hired to do your best teaching in line with the needs of your
students.
As long as that remains your primary focus and intention you will act
in real integrity in the classroom, which ultimately brings honor to
oneself.
To recognize exactly WHAT is truly needed from you in the classroom, you need to maintain your peace and poise.
Just by remaining calm you discharge the student’s incentive for
trying to take your power, because you are showing him that his efforts
are not working.
Beyond that, self-confidence is a foundation for competence. You
have to feel secure about yourself to do your best work, to access your
highest level of creativity and problem-solving ability.
If you maintain your composure you can be most effective at coming up
with ways to help your students feel as powerful and in charge as they
need to feel while preserving the classroom order necessary for
successful teaching to take place.
The simplest method for doing this involves giving the student a
voice. Take time after class to help the student to clearly articulate
what he really needs from you to feel secure, satisfied, respected, and
supported by you.
Having calm conversations in which you discuss things clearly and
without antagonism creates a positive bond between teacher and student
that may defuse any possibility of future conflict.
It can also help you to better understand how to satisfy the
student’s legitimate need for a sense of power, control and
self-respect.
