ABSTRACT
Teachers strive very hard to complete the semester's huge number of academic requirements. In addition many reports are to be filed, records need to be kept, meetings are to be attended, etc, etc. The job of the teacher is very demanding. Because of feeling pressured, teachers inadvertently resort to autocratic ways of dealing with the children which are not very effective. They usually experienced some of these methods which are quite discouraging in their own childhood classrooms. Let's look at some of them:
Fault finding and nagging: "How many times do I have to tell you that you should have your materials ready to work with?" "John, pay attention!" "Betty, look at the blackboard."
Threats: In all probability no educational method is used more often than this: Teacher shrieking, "Jack, you're so slow; I'll give you five more minutes and if you're not finished by then I'm going to take 50% off your grade!"
Punishment: Some teachers cannot imagine how a class can run smoothly without punishments. "I told you to stop talking to your neighbor but you will not! Go to the principal's office right now." "You have to stay in for recess because you broke a rule."
Rewards: The problems of using rewards are (a) they are seen by children as their just due and they are not willing to do further work unless another reward is given, (b) children expect bigger and better rewards as time goes on, (c) there is no inner motivation in rewards, and (d) children do not experience the simple joys of accomplishment and of learning for the sake of learning something which is interesting when they work toward a pay off.
Moralizing, preaching: "When I was your age . . ." "You know you should plan ahead so you get your homework done!"
Stereotyping, labeling: 'You're the lazy one in our class." "You're a procrastinator." "You're the baby."
Being sarcastic: "Look at the big shot." "Someone's gotten up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."
Taking full responsibility: The teachers see the classroom as their own. In autocratic classrooms teachers run it all. There is no shared responsibility.
