TCM Table of Contents – Classroom
Management Resources – School
Climate – John Shindler
– TCM Workshops
Appendix
G: Teacher Authority as Power
Due to the fact that the teacher is in the
role of the manager of the class, they require power in another form: the
authority to influence student behavior. This could be termed “teacher
authority.” Teacher authority is, in a sense, “the right to ask others to do
something.” We ask students to do many things in a day, and we need to make our
requests from a basis of authority. Without it, we would have little efficacy. In
French and Raven’s (1974) examination of classroom interactions, there are five
basic forms of teacher authority. Each needs to operate to some degree, but
some will be emphasized and utilized more than others. These five types of
authority are: Attractive/Referent, Expert, Reward, Coercive, and Position/Legitimate.
When the teacher relies on personality,
relationship building, or the fact that they share common interests with
students, they could be said to use attractive authority. Attractive authority
can be developed through getting to know and emotionally investing in students.
In a sense, when the teacher makes deposits in what Covey (1995) calls the
“emotional bank account” they can use their withdrawals as opportunities to
influence behavior. Attractive authority can also come from the teacher’s
having a personality that is perceived by students as being likeable, funny or
charming. It is natural, as well as strongly encouraged by our media-driven
culture, for students to want to follow and respect those that have qualities
that are judged to be “cool.” We could imply that teachers to varying degrees
have the ability to cash in these qualities that could be termed “personality
capital.”
The use of attractive authority to influence
student behavior can be both effective as well as healthy. It is difficult to
be effective without having it to some degree. Students work harder for
teachers they like and perceive as caring (Murray & Pianta,
2007). However, pandering for student approval and letting the need to be liked
drive one’s teaching choices leads to problems. If the teacher confuses
relationship-building with an implicit bargain that says, “I will be nice to
you if you are nice to me,” they start down a slippery slope that leads to
giving away power and being taken advantage of.
When the teacher is perceived as being
knowledgeable in the subject, well prepared, or intelligent, they possess what
could be called expert authority. We have all had teachers who did very
little to invest in the affective quality of the class, yet were well respected
and able to manage the class to a great degree due to the fact that students
felt there was a great deal of value in what these teacher had to say. Expert
authority is driven by the students’ desire to know. Some of this power comes
from a natural human deference for those who are perceived as wise or possess
what could be called “intellectual capital.”
The use of expert authority to lead can be
effective. It can translate into respect if the teacher is not arrogant or
entirely imperceptive of the needs of his or her students. Humor can be a great
asset for the teacher who chooses to integrate it.
To trust exclusively that expert authority will
be sufficient has been the downfall of countless teachers (Valli,
1992). Many teachers enter the profession with a passion for their subject but
leave only one year later when their passion is met by a disappointingly high
degree of disinterest and disrespect.
Teachers have the ability to reward their
students in many forms. Those rewards are usually employed to influence student
behavior. This form of influence could be termed reward authority. In Chapter 7,
various forms of “rewards” are discussed. They include grades, recognition,
prizes, praise, privileges and anything else that students might desire, given
to them (externally) by their teacher. The notion of rewarding student behavior
can be potentially effective, but effects differ vastly from different kinds of
rewards.
The book discusses the need for teachers to
maintain the social frame relationship between student success and the
corresponding teacher reward. This implicit relationship is important to ensure
that students feel valued and competent. Over time it may be desirable for the
teacher to help foster intrinsic sources of motivation within students rather
than develop an expectation that the only way students will understand success
is from extrinsic rewards. In its most healthy form, reward authority is
experienced as a deep affirmation and a willingness on the part of the teacher
to recognize student effort. In its least healthy form, it is a tangible or
emotional token economy (see Chapter 7 discussion related to extrinsic rewards
and the use of praise). In this application, student behavior is conditioned by
a systematic use of extrinsic rewards and/or the giving of love. It does have
the effect of modifying behavior, yet essentially creates “addicts” of reward
and praise whose work is primarily undertaken to obtain the reward rather than
learning or growth.
The teacher has in their power the right to
use disincentives, to say “no,” withhold privileges, and give consequences or
punishments to students. When they do this they are exercising coercive authority.
Coercive authority implies that if a line is crossed something will happen that
will be less than desirable for the student. No matter how much of the other
forms of authority a teacher possesses, without some amount of coercive authority,
it is likely that some students will take advantage of their freedom to cross
lines without concern for boundaries.
Used constructively, this form of authority
is important to draw lines and boundaries. It helps promote a sense of security
in the class for those students who are not inclined to cross lines and who count
on the teacher to take action when necessary. Used zealously (in its
traditional form), it can bring a hostile energy to the class. In Chapter 18
related to the 4-Style manager, we discuss how relying on coercive authority
can undermine the level of motivation in the class. Shame, punishments, guilt,
humiliation, personal attacks, and withdrawal of affection are all forms of ineffective
coercive authority.
By virtue of the fact that the teacher is in
the position of “the teacher,” they have authority. The governance of the
school places each teacher in a position of responsibility for the management of
the students in the class. In a sense, it is not so much earned as it just
exists. There is no other person in the classroom who
can fulfill the duties of the teacher. We could use the term “in loco
parentis” (in the role of parental authority) to describe this type of
power. The teacher is the sanctioned authority in the room as well as the
educator.
Unlike the other forms of teacher authority, position authority is not so much earned or
cultivated, it exists by default. Nevertheless we can do a better or worse job
of projecting our merit of this role. This is especially true of new and of
substitute teachers. Those who expect respect usually receive it. While
position authority may come essentially from a contract, it is also projected
in an air of legitimacy and confidence. Those who project an affect
characterized by illegitimacy or doubt that they belong in the position will
suffer from a limited amount of position authority and will have problems that
come with this.
To be effective, one must incorporate at
least some amount of each of these five types of authority. However, each
teacher must thoughtfully consider the use of each of them within their goals
and personality. Each form will produce different effects on the socially
constructed classroom reality and lead to different sorts of results with
students. For the most part, they are not mutually exclusive. One could utilize
a higher or lower degree of any or all of them simultaneously. As noted in our
discussion of each form, it may be more the case that effectiveness will be
less related to which forms of power are employed than the manner in which each
is employed.