Authority in the Classroom

I've always wanted to be the nice teacher allowing students to learn with freedom and not restricted will so many rules it becomes a burden. The more interaction I have with my students the more I realize that I have to rethink my authority in the classroom.

My mentor teacher started a research based project in our class requiring the students take all the articles, speeches, and other pieces of literature that we have studied and put them together to give a skit dealing with the essential questions. The students seem to enjoy the group work, but at the same time social problems arise. She told me to watch the students and work with them through their work and she would be there for backup. She felt this would help me and give me experience.

First period everything went according to plans. I had no trouble at all, but second period was a whole new ballgame. First of all, I have a lot of boys in that class and separating them is hard to do. I had spread them out over the groups to the best I could. My mentor teacher looked at the list and had made some modifications, but even at that, we had four boys together that would social more than work. I knew this before class even started and I was prepared.

At first I just used my presence as a way to control them. My other groups worked efficiently without my need for the most part. All of my time was consumed by this one group. As the class wore on, I realized that I had to assert authority or I was going to lose all that I had hopes of gaining in the classroom.

I begin by explain that what they were doing was a huge part of their grade and that each time they got off subject points were being deducted. This had a calming effect, but at the same time I had to make them understand I was in control. I tried my hardest to show this and at the same time not feel like I was an authoritarian.

Today, Monday, was much better. I feel as though I got somewhere Friday, but I feel that I need to work on this skill to become a better teacher!