Leadership & Classroom Management
Successful classroom management comes as part of successful rules and discipline and even goes one step further. There are many important factors in creating a work environment managed by yourself that helps students to succeed.
The most important thing into becoming a successful classroom manager and teacher is to gain the trust of students. Do this by showing students you follow through with everything, punishment and reward wise. Do as you say, ALWAYS.
Once you have gained the trust of their students it is easier to inspire them through your lessons, lectures, and classroom help to participate and excel in school.
As hard as it can be, especially with the state wide required tests, always focus on the success of your students successfully. This will allow them to trust you more as well! If a student can trust you they are willing to do more for you (in terms of participating and trying their best).
Continue to learn new things always as well. This will allow you to be the best you can be for your students. Any leader in any situation is constantly trying to better themselves for the better of the group they lead and the same is true for teachers!
The most important thing into becoming a successful classroom manager and teacher is to gain the trust of students. Do this by showing students you follow through with everything, punishment and reward wise. Do as you say, ALWAYS.
Once you have gained the trust of their students it is easier to inspire them through your lessons, lectures, and classroom help to participate and excel in school.
As hard as it can be, especially with the state wide required tests, always focus on the success of your students successfully. This will allow them to trust you more as well! If a student can trust you they are willing to do more for you (in terms of participating and trying their best).
Continue to learn new things always as well. This will allow you to be the best you can be for your students. Any leader in any situation is constantly trying to better themselves for the better of the group they lead and the same is true for teachers!
Good Use of Kind Authority
Using leadership calls for Authority. There are five different types of authority that can be used in a classroom. A great teacher knows what they all are and understands fully how to use them.
Attractive (Referent) Power: This is where a teacher has authority be relying on their personability, and common interests with students to have "attractive power". Teachers take the time to get to know and emotionally invest in students. This is possibly the most effective and healthy authority as "students do not care how much you know until they know how much you care". Students are more willing to work for a teacher that cares. However teachers should be careful to still take stances and not allow their relationships with students to get in their way of effectively teaching and disciplining.
Expert Power: When a teacher is perceived knowledgeable in a subject they have Expert Power. It is driven by the students want to know. If a teacher is humble about their learning it is an effective way to have authority in the classroom and an easy way to gain respect. However, if a teacher only has expert power, having students who do not share the same passion of their subject can lead to teachers not liking their job.
Reward Power: This is where teachers gain authority by rewarding their students for good actions in class. These include anything from games to prizes. However, what is effective is different for every student. This is to make sure that each student feels valued. However, the fault of using this alone will result in students needing these extrinsic rewards, rather then intrinsic, to be motivated to do well in school.
Coercive Power: The teacher uses their power to deny privilages, and give consequences and punishments. In this type of authority they instill that not crossing the line is better then crossing the line and facing consequences. This helps create boundaries for a class. If used to much though, it can produce a hostile environment where students are not comfortable to do anything.
Position (Legitiment) Power: This is where a teacher has "power" in the classroom, in their minds, because they have the position of being a teacher. No one else in the classroom is able to be a teacher. However, it still works when substitutes come in with a sense of confidence for them as well. Those who seem nervous in their position will not be able to project this as well.
So which one is the best?
The simple answer is- none. Independently they have too many faults. The best practice would be to combine multiple together at a balance and mix that works for a particular classroom. Every class is different, as each student is different, and will call for different authorities. I find that caring for students (referent power), using both positive and negative reinforcement with the giving and taking of privileges (reward and coercive power) while having an air of confidence (position power) is the best option. Why? Even if a teacher is not 100% on a subject (expert power) everything else combined can make it seem like they are. Students will easily follow because they are cared for and are rewarded and disciplined justly. It is SO IMPORTANT to make sure the students know they are important, are cared for, and that their teacher believes they can succeed!
Attractive (Referent) Power: This is where a teacher has authority be relying on their personability, and common interests with students to have "attractive power". Teachers take the time to get to know and emotionally invest in students. This is possibly the most effective and healthy authority as "students do not care how much you know until they know how much you care". Students are more willing to work for a teacher that cares. However teachers should be careful to still take stances and not allow their relationships with students to get in their way of effectively teaching and disciplining.
Expert Power: When a teacher is perceived knowledgeable in a subject they have Expert Power. It is driven by the students want to know. If a teacher is humble about their learning it is an effective way to have authority in the classroom and an easy way to gain respect. However, if a teacher only has expert power, having students who do not share the same passion of their subject can lead to teachers not liking their job.
Reward Power: This is where teachers gain authority by rewarding their students for good actions in class. These include anything from games to prizes. However, what is effective is different for every student. This is to make sure that each student feels valued. However, the fault of using this alone will result in students needing these extrinsic rewards, rather then intrinsic, to be motivated to do well in school.
Coercive Power: The teacher uses their power to deny privilages, and give consequences and punishments. In this type of authority they instill that not crossing the line is better then crossing the line and facing consequences. This helps create boundaries for a class. If used to much though, it can produce a hostile environment where students are not comfortable to do anything.
Position (Legitiment) Power: This is where a teacher has "power" in the classroom, in their minds, because they have the position of being a teacher. No one else in the classroom is able to be a teacher. However, it still works when substitutes come in with a sense of confidence for them as well. Those who seem nervous in their position will not be able to project this as well.
So which one is the best?
The simple answer is- none. Independently they have too many faults. The best practice would be to combine multiple together at a balance and mix that works for a particular classroom. Every class is different, as each student is different, and will call for different authorities. I find that caring for students (referent power), using both positive and negative reinforcement with the giving and taking of privileges (reward and coercive power) while having an air of confidence (position power) is the best option. Why? Even if a teacher is not 100% on a subject (expert power) everything else combined can make it seem like they are. Students will easily follow because they are cared for and are rewarded and disciplined justly. It is SO IMPORTANT to make sure the students know they are important, are cared for, and that their teacher believes they can succeed!
Spiritual Relevance
Mark 10:45 states "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many". As teachers we give our lives to serving our students in an authoritative position. It is a selfless job that takes a servant heart in order to do, in any grade or position! It must be remembered that while we are in a position in authority, our whole purpose is still to be there to serve students.