Most of the classroom management instruction that I received from the University of Minnesota-Duluth, which was very little, centered on preventing behavior issues before they began, and, when an issue arose, I was told it was best to eschew the reflex to try to make a student behave themselves and engage the student in a heart to heart conversation that seeks to unearth what the underlying cause of the behavior may be and find a common solution.
Of course, the standard line in these nebulous lessons is “avoid power struggles.” However, what if your students are like mine? What if, for whatever reason, they are looking for a fight? What if they want a power struggle? What if they will not find a common solution with you, but rather fight you until they feel they’ve won? Why can’t we teach educators to take control and be powerful? There is no other solution at times than to wield power effectively and efficiently in order to save one's classes from the thugs who want to see them unproductive and chaotic. Of course, I want to respect each student and his or her needs. I want to show them compassion and avoid tearing them apart, but I also want to win, quite frankly. I want to rescue my class from those who want to prevent me from teaching effectively. I want this, but I’ve never been taught how to achieve this.
I suppose, in this sense, I have something in common with my students that I had not realized before. Many of their attitudes towards school have been fueled by bad teachers who did not teach them effectively. They are likely to feel like they’re sinking with no one to save them. I feel that way as well when it comes to effective classroom management. I have had bad teachers, too.
