Class Calm

When I started teaching eighteen years ago, I experienced an ongoing confusion over whether a teacher should have a kind or stern demeanor. If word got out about a problem incident in one of my classes the stern crowd would immediately emerge and harumph something like, “That would never happen in my class. You’ve got to be more stern.” So then I would veer over to the stern lane and then there would be another incident and somebody from the kind camp would assert, “Oh, the word is that you are too strict. The students feel constricted in your class. Remember, it is all about how you make them feel.” Back and forth I went, never knowing which approach was the better.

This went on for a long time but in recent years I got it straightened out and I want to inform anyone who might be struggling with this how easy it actually is to strike the correct balance. To begin with, if you have not read my post on Alfred Adler, I would recommend doing so. To recap, Adler was clear that a teacher should never scold. This has little to do with a student’s ‘self-esteem’ but more to do with the simple fact that such a form of criticism will not solve the underlying problem, whatever that may be. As well, you, the teacher, are going to take the focus off of the problem (the student is lazy or acting up or not following directions or whatever) and put everyone’s attention on your response, which is now something that will be assessed instead of the student’s conduct being evaluated. 

Further, whatever plus side the stern approach offers, it takes a certain amount of intensity to keep up that act. It takes more energy because, among other reasons, some of your more bold students are going to, at least subconsciously, take the tough guy approach as a challenge and direct it back to you in various forms. You are going to have to work about three times as hard each period worrying about from whom the next challenge is going to come. As well, the meeker students are going to pull back even more which will in turn require extra effort on your part to draw them out when they next need to participate. And really, are they paying you enough to go home at the end of the day more tired in return for you acting like George Patton toward your students? Mind you, if you enjoy being that way and it is working, go ahead.

So we have discarded the stern approach. But the question remains, does the kind approach work or will you simply be regarded as a doormat? It depends. If you are not operating at a high level of preparedness, you will become a doormat. However, if you are following most of the normal dos and don’ts then the kind approach will likely work.

Let’s briefly review how the teacher can be at the top of his/her game:

-Be prepared with bell to bell instruction.

-Employ a seating chart.

-Circulate around the classroom throughout the period.

-Separate the students from their backpacks and electronics.

-Plan relevant and interesting lessons.

-Find a way for all students to be involved at all times.

-Greet students at the door before class.

-Have a procedure for everything and rehearse it with the students.

-Take care of small problems before they grow.

-Document everything.

-Call home when warranted.

The list could go on but you get the idea. Going back to the stern approach for a moment, please ask yourself if the harsh tone you are using is simply a way to compensate for not being in a sufficient state of readiness.

To be ‘kind’ is not a sign of weakness. Rather, it is a sign that you invested a lot of work and foresight before the students arrived to help ensure that things would go smoothly. The issue will not be that you are weak. The issue will be that your problems will be so minimal that there will seldom be an occasion for a tough guy approach.