5) Helping skills
6) No – lose conflict resolution
In looking at these elements, Thomas explains that the teacher’s role, overall, is to develop meaning and mutually beneficial relationships. His research depicts 4steps teachers can utilize to establish ‘control’ of the class but also to be mindful of the relationships between student and teacher.
Step 1: The Behavior Window: Owning Problems
Dr. Thomas’ classroom management philosophy is built on a framework of problem ownership. He developed a graphic tool that looks at the views of the situation and who owns the problem. From there, teacher will analyze with the student what skills can be utilized to fix the problem.
Step 2: Active Listening
This step is all about actively listening,
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When both parties are working collaboratively to find the solution, there will be more apt for student buy-in, thus maintaining healthy relationships. Implementation of conflict/resolution helps student relationships grow positively out of conflict, giving the teacher an environment where students feel their voice matters.
Overall, Dr. Gordon Thomas’s work compels us to promote self-control and equips teachers with strategies to give students control over their own behavior. I know there are times, when I never want to listen to a child when they are repeat offenders of certain behaviors, but if I am to develop an atmosphere where everyone can feel safe and respected, I know that Thomas’s work will highly benefit me. In working in an elementary school environment, I know that using I-messages in describing how I feel when students ‘act out’ will go a long way. It is often times very easy to ‘shun’ a student’s behavior, but never have the dialogue to work through why a behavior happened or how it made one feel. Thomas Gordon’s work has opened an understanding that no matter the age, students are people too, and sometimes need guidance and respect just as much as teachers. How we treat our students in regards to discipline should be how we address conflicts amongst