Foundations Article #7

         This exercise of reviewing articles on Foundational Issues needs to be improved a bit. I have spent 5 hours today reading articles from Educational Studies from 2006 and 2005. I have written one response to one article that was a bit more of a case study than an analysis. Time is a precious commodity and I find this particular part of the classroom expectations difficult because I’m spending too much time looking for an article that is of value. That being said this article I’m reviewing deals with the lack of interpersonal skill training in professional teacher programs and suggests some ways at looking at particular situations.

            After two years of graduate classes and a semester of student/teaching, I am a bit surprised at the lack of classroom instruction regarding classroom management and interpersonal skill development. Most of my classes have focused on instruction, assessment and theories. The policies of classroom management is something an individual must develop a bit on his or her own, but there should be some basic concepts regarding the do’s and don’ts of classrooms in the millennium. However, that is not the crux of this article, this article attempts to address interpersonal skill development and training, which is something I have very little education in. Typically I have regarded skills of that sort as a development of one’s own identity, not a course in learning to empathize and communicate.

            The premise of this article is that more formal education in relationship management and teachers and educators will have the abilities to deal with real life situations as they present themselves in the classroom. This article acts in a reactionary manner, not in a preventive manner. It lists seven tools the authors find valid when dealing with classroom conflicts. The authors are educators as well, and used experience and discussions with other teachers to develop these seven suggestions.

I think the idea is valid. I do believe classes in classroom management and possibly psychology may help some teachers deal with their students. My own experiences have shown that you never quite know what’s behind the next door during the day so experience and exposure to different situations is important. I also think that interpersonal skills are extremely difficult to teach. It’s an inherent skill that needs to be developed personally. You can’t teach the essence of understanding, empathy, compassion and conflict resolution. Only exposure to different situations allows you to learn and experience the different ways people react when put in certain situations.

 Stemler, S., Elliott, J., Grigorenko, E., & Sternberg, R. (2006). There’s more to teaching than instruction: seven strategies for dealing with the practical side of teaching 1. Educational Studies (03055698), 32(1), 101-118. doi:10.1080/03055690500416074