25 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make and How to Avoid Them (46 page)

When these teachers feel personally touched by a wrongdoing, they look for someone to blame. When there is doubt, they will settle for a scapegoat.

Prudent teachers only make accusations when there is unquestionable proof. They usually rely on what they see and hear, but they are aware that sometimes they can be mistaken. These teachers tread lightly when there is uncertainty. They avoid making oral or written statements about a student that they can’t prove because they could be sued for libel or slander. In
Scenario 23.2
, a teacher accused the student of stealing a vase. She made the accusation in front of a third party, the class. Froyen (1993) contends that the teacher’s comments could be construed as slanderous if they subjected the student to the scorn of a third party, namely the class. Teachers can also be sued if they spread this information and damage a student’s reputation. Good teachers are hypervigilant about what they say about students in the presence of the class.

Mistake

24

Inappropriate Reactions

SCENARIO 24.1
Volunteer or Else!

My worst experience was with my fifth-grade teacher, Ms. F. I remember it was my first oral report and everyone, including myself, was terrified. We had been working for quite some time on the assignment; learning all about library research, how to set up a presentation, etc. She asked for volunteers and one student presented. Then, she asked for volunteers again and no one raised their hand. I will never forget how that woman flipped out! She started yelling and told us all we were cowards and everyone would be receiving an F. I lost all respect for that teacher. Everyone had worked so hard. She offered no encouragement for us and didn’t give us the opportunity for success.

An important principle of classroom management is that teachers should provide an environment that is conducive to learning. An important principle of assessment is that teachers should provide meaningful, relevant feedback. An important principle of behavior modification is to use praise rather than punishment and humiliation because studies show that praise and encouragement are more effective. An important principle of motivation is to give students an opportunity to experience success, to promote future success. The teacher in this scenario violated all of the above principles. She provided a punitive environment that was not conducive to learning. She threatened to give everyone an F, which was meaningless, false feedback. She punished her students by yelling at them, calling them names, and giving them a bad grade. She effectively denied the students an opportunity for success by ignoring their hard work.

Knowledgeable teachers are very cognizant of these principles and employ them at every opportunity. They would know that something was amiss if all of the students were reluctant to volunteer. Perhaps the students needed practice or needed to be desensitized to speaking before a group of people because it was their first time giving an oral report. Wise teachers would take into consideration that fifth grade heralds the onset of puberty for many students, which adds a new variable to the shyness equation. Sensible teachers would recognize the futility of punishing students for their reluctance and would know the consequences of denying the students an opportunity for success. They know that they would extinguish the good, productive behavior of their students by failing to recognize their hard work and effort. The teacher in this scenario should have resisted an angry, ineffective outburst and exercised patience, understanding, praise, and practice to achieve desirable outcomes.

SCENARIO 24.2
Silence Is Not Always Golden

When I was in second or third grade I experienced a very embarrassing moment that I have never forgotten. My class was in the lunchroom with all of the other classes. Because the noise level had reached a high level, the principal, who monitored the lunchroom daily, had called a “silent lunch.” This meant that no one in the lunchroom was supposed to be talking, for any reason.

For about twenty-five minutes the room had been quiet, and my class was about to be dismissed. As I packed the remains of my lunch back in my lunchbox, I dropped a napkin and whispered to the person next to me, asking them to pick it up. At this moment the principal came up behind me and screamed, “Young lady, do you know what silent lunch means? I suggest you shut your mouth.” I was very hurt and embarrassed and have never forgotten that experience.

The concept of a “silent” lunch as a punishment for talking is a throwback to the tactics used in character education or moral education that was popular during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (Sprinthall et al., 1994). The assumption was that children learn best when everything is quiet. “Good” teachers with “good” control had the quietest classrooms. This obsolete approach presumed that teachers had an obligation to keep students quiet. There was no flexibility and zero tolerance for noncompliance. This obsolete practice of “no talking and I mean no talking” still contaminates many classrooms today.

Informed teachers have abandoned the penal model of education where children are treated as if they are in jail. They realize that they cannot teach children to be independent, self-directing, and responsible by insisting that they be docile, dependent, and controlled by teachers
(Sprinthall et al., 1994). Sensitive teachers recognize that children are humans, not pawns. It is human to want to communicate and enjoy other people. It is inhumane to demand silence from children all day. Most adults would balk at such treatment. Flexible teachers would never insist on absolute silence and certainly would not embarrass or humiliate a child for such a minor breach as whispering. Recess and lunch periods should belong to the children; it is their free time. Teachers and administrators should respect that.

SCENARIO 24.3
Abandoning the Band

The worst experience that I can remember from my high school years took place when I was drum major of the high school marching band and I was conducting a practice on the football field during class time. In the middle of practice, the band instructor threw up his hands and left the field for the rest of the period. I was left to fend for myself in front of the entire band. Although I was used to doing this, I had never had to conduct the band when the disagreement between the director (the real person with authority) and myself had been so blatantly obvious. It was really hard for me to retain my authority among my peers when the person who was supposed to be backing my authority had abandoned ship, so to speak.

In this particular situation, I felt that the instructor handled things in a really unprofessional manner. As a kid, I felt confused and wondered what I had done that was so wrong. In retrospect, I feel that the instructor (as the adult in charge) should have controlled his emotions and dealt with the problem in a more reasonable and adultlike manner.

The band director who threw up his hands and left the field seemed to be very frustrated and stressed. One explanation for his abandonment of his students may be
selective avoidance
(Charles, 1983). Selective avoidance is when a person who is highly stressed simply avoids anything and anybody that causes stress.

A professional educator knows that leaving a source of stress may be appropriate for some situations, but it’s not always prudent or advisable. Although the drum major is frequently in charge of the band, the teacher is ultimately responsible for the class, not the student. He should have stayed unless there were other adults present. Most teachers realize that delegating students to help with some of the tasks of teaching can reduce stress. Effective delegation is good; shifting responsibility is not. Wise teachers know that it is unwise to leave a class, including a band, unattended with a student in charge. There are unpleasant legal consequences if something goes wrong and the teacher was not there to assure that every effort was made to prevent the occurrence. As the student suggested, the band director should have faced the music in a more adultlike manner by telling the student what was wrong and by working with the student for a solution.

SCENARIO 24.4
Oops! Too Bad for You

One day another student knocked over my desk. The teacher watched and snickered. I had to pick up my desk myself and tried not to cry. There were no apologies from teacher or student. It was difficult to concentrate the rest of the day. I thought I had done something wrong.

Every person has a radius of personal space that encompasses their person and their belongings. When an outsider trespasses in their personal space, the person is entitled to an apology. This is in accordance with the conventions of our society. Failure to give an apology or to show contrition is considered bad manners or rude behavior. It also sends a silent message that the person who is violated is not valued. When teachers condone rude behavior and fail to demand an apology for bad behavior, they rubberstamp the lack of value for this person. Teachers who laugh at a student’s misfortune communicate that they do not care about that student.