Educators possess different philosophies and styles for their teaching. Some work from an authoritarian perspective, leveraging their power as the teacher to control student behavior and dictate classroom participation. Others employ a more democratic approach, sharing power with students and supporting them in managing their own behaviors.
Research indicates that a democratic approach is more effective, both for classroom management and student learning.
Meet Marcos Torres who teaches language arts at Corona High School in Calif., a Title 1 school within the Corona-Norco Unified School District serving a diverse array of students. By Torres' estimation, 60-65% are Latino and 20-25% are White, with smaller representations of African Americans and Pacific Islanders. The school also serves a community where gangs affect many students' lives.
In the video below, Torres shares why he moved from an authoritative classroom to a more relational and democratic model of teaching.
Look For:
- How did issues of power and domination play out in Torres' early years of teaching?
- What does he suggest as the key to getting control of a classroom?
Go Deeper:
In this essay from Rethinking Schools, author Steven Wolk suggests teachers use class meetings as a democratic way to help students express their values.
Reflect On:
- What does Wolk say is the goal of democratic classroom management?
- Which two aspects of class meetings could you include in your repertoire of strategies?
Ready Resources:
Assess your current approach with the Grasha Teaching Style Inventory. Grasha's Expert and Formal Authority styles coincide with an authoritative approach, while Grasha's Personal Model, Facilitator and Delegator styles coincide more with the democratic approach.
Learn more about how to introduce class meetings as a first step toward democratic classroom management, and see how Morning Meetings transformed one elementary school.
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