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Teaching
Style and Classroom Management
Dr. Thomas W. Phelan, ParentMagic Newsletter, Special
Teachers' Edition, July 2005
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The process of
maintaining a calm and productive classroom environment starts
with the teacher. The action and attitudes of a teacher toward a
student who is misbehaving can make the situation better or
worse. Have you ever noticed that on a day that you are not
feeling well, the students are more poorly behaved? Students
look to the teacher for consistency and safety in the classroom.
Some kids will become anxious and withdraw if it appears that a
teacher cannot handle behavior problems. Other students,
however, will retaliate if they feel a teacher is overreacting
to a situation in a hostile and unnecessary way.
Effective Teachers are Both Warm and Demanding
Teachers manifest different personalities and teaching styles in
the classroom and it is helpful to categorize these approaches
in terms of some basic dimensions. It has been said that good
teachers are both warm and demanding. Being warm means caring
and emotional support for students. Being demanding—in the good
sense—means expecting something from your kids, both in terms of
academic work and behavior. Depending on whether the warm and
demanding switches are in the “OFF” or “ON” positions, we can
describe four fundamental teaching styles.
Authoritarian: Demanding ON, Warm OFF
Teachers in this category are quick to “jump” on every behavior
that is not acceptable in the classroom. Support and positive
reinforcement, however, are rare. The authoritarian teacher may
use a loud voice to get the attention of her students. She may
act shocked and angry when students don’t follow her directives.
The “benefit” of this style is that the teacher frequently gets
the immediate compliance from her students. The cost of the
authoritarian style includes student anxiety and minimal
long-term positive effects. No student enjoys a teacher’s
yelling. Although kids may comply out of fear, this teaching
technique rarely produces behavioral changes that last over
time.
Permissive: Demanding OFF, Warm ON
Teachers in this category are often “too nice.” They want
students to like them and they want to be helpful, so they are
warm and supportive but not very good at setting limits.
Permissive teachers may focus on effort while de-emphasizing the
quality of students’ productions. Disruptive behavior may be
ignored or handled with weak, soft-spoken “reprimands” or
pleading. While warmth and support are good qualities, students
still appreciate discipline even if they don’t show it. The cost
of the permissive style is a classroom that is out of control.
Constructive learning does not flow well. While students may
describe a permissive teacher as “nice and easy”, when push
comes to shove they do not feel that they can trust her to take
care of problem situations.
Detached: Demanding OFF, Warm OFF
The detached teacher tends to be neither warm nor demanding. She
may sit at her desk when students are working or grade papers
when “supervising” the playground. Students who need extra
emotional support do not get it from her, and students who need
firm behavioral limits do not get that either. The detached
teacher may miss important “warning signs” from students who are
having trouble, academically or behaviorally. Other students may
withdraw and feel unimportant. And still other kids may increase
acting-out behavior.
Authoritative: Demanding ON, Warm ON
The authoritative teacher is the ideal, though this approach is
easier said than done! This teacher has a positive, kind and
supportive relationship with her students, but they know when
she “means business.” Because she has an effective discipline
plan and her classroom is orderly, the students trust her and
respect her. There is more time for academics. This teacher
feels empowered and energized because she sees positive growth
and development in her students. Her students feel safe as well
as capable.
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