Reflections from Dewey-- Chapters 4

 Chapter 4: Social Control


This chapter seems to apply to classroom management as well as group dynamics in projects.  Dewey argues that, like rules in a basketball game, classrooms need boundaries that are fair and agreed upon.  When there is a clear understanding of mutually agreed upon rules, many disputes and power struggles are prevented.  Dewey also points out that children are naturally social and they can often "police" each other, without adult intervention.  My friend Mike, who has taught in a PBL classroom, told me that one of the great things about PBL is that kids do keep each other accountable and the teacher is relieved of some of his/her "whip-cracking."  Dewey also talks about the teacher's role in the classroom as a facilitator; he uses the analogy of the teacher like a referee who simply enforces the rules rather than arbitrarily making rules up.

"The teacher reduces to a minimum the occasions in which he or she has to exercise authority in a personal way.  When it is necessary, in the second place, to speak and act firmly, it is done in the best interest of the group, not as an exhibition of personal power.  This makes the difference between action which is arbitrary and that which is just and fair." 

I think the key word in this quote is person" "exercise authority in a personal way... not as an exhibition of personal power."  Classroom management shouldn't really be about the teacher personally (although it often is... bad days can definitely have an impact on how you behave as a teacher!)-- it should be about the expectations of the class, not the teacher's mood or feeling.  Well defined and fair expectations are definitely important in created an effective classroom.  

"There is incumbent upon the educator the duty of instituting a much more intelligent, and consequently, more difficult kind of planning.  He must survey the capacities and needs of of the particular set of individuals with whom he is dealing with and must as the same time arrange the condition which provide the subject-matter or content for experiences that satisfy these needs and develop these capacities."

Over and over I heard the key to good classroom management is good instruction.  When the students are engaged and working bell to bell, there just isn't room for shenanigans.  I think Dewey is speaking to this, but I think he means more than just keeping kids under control.  The creation of a student-centered classroom, in which students are engaged and curious and creating their own meaning is harder to plan for because it can't be a one-size-fits-all curriculum.  The teacher has to know his/her students well and take the time to create creative and unique plans for the students. Teaching students how to think (or giving them room to learn how to the think critically) is a lot harder than teaching kids specific pieces of content.