When we think of schools, we usually think of the school yard as the place where hurtful behaviour such as bashing, bullying or teasing is most likely to occur. However, it is not only outside but also inside classrooms that students – and, indeed, teachers – can unwittingly or deliberately cause individuals to feel downcast, upset or affronted. How does this happen, and what can be done about it?
Let’s take a moment to compare teacher-centred and student-centred classrooms. In the former, the teacher traditionally dispenses knowledge from the front of the room, while the students listen and absorb information. Although the teacher may ask individuals questions, or occasionally call them to the front, the classroom is a relatively safe place. Learning for each student is essentially a private matter: interaction with classmates is strictly limited. Student-centred classrooms are very different. Here students are expected to interact with their peers on a regular basis.
Many communicative tasks encourage students to speak spontaneously and to use the target language in creative ways. When small group work is in progress, the teacher can only effectively monitor one group at a time – meaning that the behaviour of students in other groups often goes unnoticed. The freedom that students enjoy under these circumstances can be easily abused. Because of the public nature of language learning in communicative classrooms, and because students naturally feel vulnerable when required to perform in front of others (especially in an unfamiliar language), it is vital that we do everything we can to minimise threats to the selfesteem of our students – and to redeem situations when we sense that individuals within our classes are feeling hurt, angry or demeaned by the actions or words of others. What precisely can we do?
The first and most important thing we can do is ensure that the overall classroom climate is as friendly and supportive as possible. We need to behave openly and confidently, regularly surveying the class in a pleasant manner and giving the impression that we notice whatever goes on. We need to set a good example by showing that we respect and value all students equally. (We do this by expressing interest in what individuals have to say, ensuring that everyone has a turn, offering praise regularly to different individuals, and so on.) Above all, we need to behave in inclusive, class-centred ways – constantly seeking to draw fringe students more fully into the community life of the class group. The second way we can minimise threats to the self-esteem of individuals is to make it clear that we will not tolerate certain kinds of behaviour: sniggering and whispering behind people’s backs, muttering mother-tongue asides, laughing unkindly when others make errors, and so on. At the beginning of each new class we need either to outline our expectations for the class, or to establish acceptable rules of behaviour collaboratively with our students. Either way, we must maintain the classroom codes of behaviour that have been established, enforcing them whenever necessary (which need not be in a heavyhanded way). Only by our being consistent in this regard will nervous students develop confidence in us to protect them as far as possible from damage to their self-esteem.
Despite our best efforts, individuals or groups within the class will inevitably do things that are challenging, insulting or hurtful to others. When we notice things going wrong – a normally extroverted student hanging their head, individuals starting to argue, students turning their backs on one another, or even someone storming from the room – there are various steps we can take. I call this damage limitation: action we can take to reduce the tension within the room, to restore a sense of equilibrium within the class and, as far as possible, to restore the self-esteem of damaged individuals.
Rather than ignore what has happened, it is preferable to take some kind of action (either then-and-there, at the end of the activity or in the following lesson when emotions have cooled). Experienced teachers are often able to take remedial action on the spot. They may use techniques such as behaving in an exaggerated way (or making a humorous aside) that highlight the inappropriateness of a student’s behaviour or remark, bringing in an additional example that ridicules the notion of making opinionated, generalised statements, or reminding the class of the consequences of people behaving in unthinking ways towards others. Most teachers have a quiet word with the injured party after the event – and find ways in subsequent lessons of showing that the offended student is a supported and valued member of the classroom community.
As teachers, we can never be aware of all the subtle interpersonal undercurrents and tensions that occur between learners in any language classroom. These are particularly difficult to detect when they occur between members of the same cultural group (whose norms of behaviour may be unfamiliar to us). Neither can we be aware of specific comments (including those we ourselves make) that may cause offence to individuals.
However, by maintaining a supportive classroom climate, remaining constantly alert to classroom ‘vibes’, and moving into damage limitation mode when appropriate, we can significantly reduce interpersonal discord within our classes – and minimise its impact when it does occur.
Rose Senior is a teacher educator and author of The Experience of Language Teaching, published by Cambridge University Press. rosesenior.com