This paper explores the issues associated with two typical student teacher interactions. (8 pages; 2 sources; MLA citation style.
IIntroduction
Student-teacher interactions can result in a good experience or a negative one, and that in turn can have an impact on the learning that takes place. Such interactions are one of the basics of education.
This paper describes two typical interactions, and discusses the theoretical, psychological and social issues associated with them.
IIChoosing Typical Interactions
When we think of student-teacher interactions, several come to mind immediately. Probably the most typical occurs when a teacher calls on a student for an answer; another very typical interaction occurs when a teacher disciplines a disruptive student. The second would seem to carry a far more serious potential for harm to the student’s self-esteem than the first, though both must be handled tactfully.
IIICalling on a Student for a Response
This routine activity can present some difficulties, because students may feel that teachers are picking on them, playing favorites, or otherwise showing partiality. One source refers to this as one aspect of “interactional fairness” and says that students consider “violations” of interactional fairness very severe. (Whitley, PG).
There are five separate aspects to “interactional fairness,” and students expect teachers to adhere to these standards. (The “standards” are not written, but common experience has lead students to expect teachers to adhere to them.)
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The five are impartiality, respect, concern for students, integrity and propriety, and we can also explore the theoretical, psychological and social issues associated with each one.
Impartiality is the quality of being impartial; that is, “[S]tudents expect an instructor to treat everyone in the class equally.” (Whitley, PG).
In theory, while it’s improbable that any teacher would intentionally favor one student over another, teachers are human and it’s likely that in the normal course of human interaction, they will find young people they like very much and others they don’t like as well. If teachers are not careful their preference for certain students may manifest itself in such things as allowing those students to dominate discussions. (Whitley, PG).
Even the appearance of partiality is distressing to many students; Whitley says that studies found that 90% of students thought that favoritism was inappropriate to at least some extent, while 45% thought it was unacceptable under any circumstances. Teachers much monitor their behavior carefully to avoid giving even an impression of favoritism.
Psychologically, favoritism may lead less-favored students to low feelings of self-esteem, which may lead to disciplinary problems, while socially, the popular students bask in the glow of being “teacher’s pet” and the rest of the class becomes resentful.
The second facet aspect of interactional fairness is respect. “Respect involves treating students politely.” (Whitley, PG).
A vast majority of students (85%) consider that it is inappropriate for an instructor to ridicule a student under any circumstances. Whether the ridicule takes the form of inappropriate comments about the student’s work, rolling his eyes, making other facial gestures, drumming his fingers, etc., students found it unfair.
Likewise, students expect that their instructors will listen to them impartially when they respond, particularly when they disagree with the instructor or haven’t understood the point. Instructors who are seen as demeaning or impatient rapidly lose the students’ respect.
Respect also encompasses patience. Although it is particularly difficult to have patience with a disobedient pupil, students felt that even in these stressful situations the instructor should remain respectful. Belittling a student for falling asleep in class, for instance, will cause the instructor who uses this tactic to lose the students’ respect.
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The third aspect of interactional fairness is concern for students. Students expect that their teachers will have genuine concern about them and their academic progress. Students expect teachers to learn and use their names, and to talk to them before and after class with students who are having problems. They also expect that their complaints will be given due consideration, and suitable action taken if the complaints are valid. (Whitley, PG).
The fourth aspect of interactional fairness is integrity. “Integrity means being consistent and truthful, and explaining one’s policies, procedures, and decisions and why they are necessary, so that their fairness can be judged and understood.” (Whitley, PG).
Teachers must also follow through with promised rewards and punishments, and admit ignorance if they don’t know the answer to a question.
The final aspect of interactional fairness is propriety, which means “acting in a socially acceptable manner and not offending students’ sensibilities.” (Whitley, PG).
This means that teachers should consider carefully whether or not it’s appropriate to tell an off-color joke, for instance; a majority of students find this offensive. A far greater number of students consider it inappropriate for a teacher to show an upsetting film without first warning them about its content. And 88% of students in Whitley’s example felt it was inappropriate for a teacher to expect students to reveal personal information in a classroom discussion. Students also expect teachers to maintain a certain social distance; 54% felt that student/teacher dating was inappropriate, and 70% disapproved of student/teacher sexual relations (this was obviously a college-level survey).
But it can apply to all grades: teachers are expected to maintain a somewhat formal relationship with their students, one that precludes any type of social activity.
If we consider the psychological and social implications of all facets, it seems apparent that we can bring them down to a single concept, and that is simply that teachers have power, and students do not. This is a relationship that must be handled carefully because the potential for abuse is enormous. Whether we’re discussing respect, concern, propriety or integrity, all the issues have the inequality of the relationship at their core. When a teacher abuses his or her power over a student, the consequences can be devastating. The student feels helpless, shamed, and inadequate; he may begin to develop feelings of worthlessness and low self-esteem. Many studies have identified low self-esteem as one of the issues common to children who behave violently. Although it’s impossible to trace a direct link between a teacher’s rude comments and a student’s subsequent violent behavior, there is cause for concern.
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Rather than emphasizing on maintaining discipline in a classroom, classroom management would be more appropriate for an effective teacher. Discipline has two significant limitations such that discipline highlights the individual rather than the classroom and secondly it connotes negative behavior (352). Whereas classroom management is broadly defined as "all of those positive behaviors and ...
Socially, as I mentioned above, a teacher who’s seen as partial to certain students can create problems for them and for their classmates. Although it is difficult, teachers must strive for impartiality at all times.
IVDisciplining a Student
Disciplining a student is one of the least pleasant duties a teacher has to perform. But of course it’s sometimes necessary. However, discipline is also one of the areas of teaching that causes considerable controversy; it must be handled correctly or the result may be a student who’s even worse than before; a class that’s disrupted; and a teacher whose reputation is sullied.
In the U.S., 23 states still permit corporal punishment (paddling), despite numerous studies that show paddling is ineffective as a form of discipline. I think this form of punishment is particularly outrageous and probably deserves a paper of its own; the possibility for greatly demeaning a student, not to mention serious physical injury, clearly exists. (Magnuson, PG).
Discounting physical punishment (which has taken so strange aberrant forms according to Magnuson, such as taping a child to the wall), teachers also have to take great care when disciplining students using non-physical means. Demeaning a student in front of his or her classmates, having them stand in a corner, erase the blackboard or other such punishments are humiliating and may well have the effect of making the student increasingly rebellious.
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The first step in instituting discipline is to establish and follow a clearly understood “code of conduct”:
“… having a discipline policy … prevents unequal treatment. With a policy, there is no question about what punishment should and will be enforced.
“Parents should sign a copy of the policy, and teachers, paraprofessionals, and the principal should feel comfortable enforcing the policy at all times.
“The principal must be proactive and make sure there is a policy, and that all the teachers understand it and abide by it … Everyone should be on the same wavelength with regard to discipline.” (Magnuson, PG).
Magnuson also suggests specific ways to handle discipline. First, have the child call home and explain what happened. Second, and possibly most important, don’t just discipline bad behavior, reward good behavior as well. Third, keep all communication lines open. Fourth, “teach character education and service learning.” Fifth, if possible, use other students to resolve problems:
“One school in Washington state has a school court with students acting as judges, attorneys, and police officers. According to the principal, the court takes care of about 90 percent of discipline problems.” (Magnuson, PG).
Fifth, consider in-school suspension; sixth, work with parents and finally, consider hiring in-school counselors to help with the most difficult students.
VConclusion
The teacher-student relationship is one of the most important in life, but it’s also one of the most difficult, and one that can have significant psychological and social consequences for both parties. By following some of the guidelines explored herein, it might be possible to avoid some of its inherent pitfalls.
VIReferences
Magnuson, Peter. “Spare the Rod, but Don’t Spoil the Child.” Communicator [on-line]. April 2000. Accessed: 20 Nov 2003. http://www.naesp.org/ContentLoad.do?contentId=154
Whitley, Bernard E., David V. Perkins, Deborah Ware Balogh, Patricia Keith-Spiegel, and Arno F. Wittig. “Fairness in the Classroom.” American Psychological Society [Web site]. Undated. Accessed: 20 Nov 2003. http://www.psychologicalscience.org/teaching/tips/tips_0700.html
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(The article first appeared in the July/August 2000 (Vol. 13, No. 6) issue of the APS Observer.)