It goes without saying that teachers play an immeasurably essential role in students’ lives. They have an opportunity to establish a supportive community that helps classroom management and create a positive atmosphere based on mutual trust, clear expectations, and clear routines (Rapp and Arndt, p. 206). However, teachers frequently face communication challenges determined by cultural, environmental, and personal peculiarities of students and teachers themselves, as well. Specific behavioral patterns common for people from one cultural background may be interpreted incorrectly by the representatives of another culture. For instance, Arabic or Italian students who frequently speak in a loud voice or use gestures in everyday speech may be regarded by a teacher as aggressive or irritated. In turn, the teacher’s communication style may insignificantly affect students’ productivity and concentration in case they are familiar with a different level of discourse. In addition, students may have sensory sensitivities or a different perception of personal space and boundaries that should be considered by all participants of the educational process.
In order to establish appropriate classroom management and create a healthy atmosphere on the basis of mutual trust, respect, and understanding, a teacher should use certain strategies. The modeling of practices that a teacher would like to see and the teaching of character may be regarded as the most essential strategies that help to minimize cultural and individual differences. The modeling of practices implies the building of the students’ characters by a teacher through his or her example (Rapp and Arndt, p. 211). In other words, if a teacher wants students to treat each other with respect and understanding, he or she should primarily respect them. If a teacher listens attentively to a speaking person, deals with minor inconveniencies graciously, and takes responsibilities, students will subsequently adopt the same behavioral patterns in the classroom. The strategy of self-monitoring is closely connected with the modeling of practices and may be applied for the teaching process as well. Students are giving an opportunity to monitor and control their actions and words in order to reduce disruptive behavior and increase positive performance.
Regardless of permanent debates related to the public schools’ role in character education, a specific strategy that focuses on the development of character traits is highly significant for students. Classroom management emphasizes six character traits that “teach the fundamental principles of being a good citizen and student” – respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, trustworthiness, and citizenship (Rapp and Arndt, p. 212). As a matter of fact, each trait is essential for membership in the school community and good citizenship (Rapp and Arndt, p. 212). In general, helping students to develop necessary skills of mutual respect, care, and fairness may be regarded as a highly considerable part of the teaching process.
In addition, it is essential for any competent teacher to create the classroom’s climate that does not tolerate bullying in all forms. Teaching aims to support all students regardless of their gender, ethnicity, physical and mental peculiarities, and socioeconomic status. At the same time, a teacher should understand and find an approach to a bully as a supportive environment implicates caring as well. There are a substantial number of extensive resources dedicated to the reduction of bullying at school that may be helpful for teachers. The purpose of the teaching process is to explain to students that they should be treated equally and accepted with all strengths and weaknesses.
Work Cited
Rapp, Whitney H., and Karina L. Arndt. Teaching Everyone: An Introduction to Inclusive Education. Eurospan, 2012.