The Teacher Power Responsibility (Week 4 Post)

Brookfield, S., & De Golia, J. (2019). The skillful teacher: On technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom (3rd ed.). Tantor Audio.

What is Justifiable Power and Authority in the adult learning environment?

I work in adult learning environments and do feel that most students are aware of where the power lies. We exercise power in many ways... the way we manage our classroom, the way we deal with conflicts, the way we follow policies. Our students are observing. It can also be tied to last week's post. We should lead/teach by example, meaning do as I do versus do as I say. The article below I found helpful in providing excellent examples and detail on how power shapes learning.

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1306968.pdf

(LET’S TALK ABOUT POWER: HOW TEACHER USE OF POWER SHAPES RELATIONSHIPS AND LEARNING) Leslie Frances Reid and Jalal Kawash.

"Teachers’ use of power in learning environments affects our students’ experiences, our teaching experiences, and the extent to which learning goals are met. The types of conversations we hold or avoid with students send cues regarding how we use power to develop relationships, influence behaviour and entice motivation. Reliance on prosocial forms of power, such as referent, reward, and expert, have a positive impact on outcomes such as learning and motivation, as well as perceived teacher credibility"

Brookfield considers 3 factors of justifiable teacher power. The first is transparency. Students should understand how their work is being assessed, how the class is run, assignments are set. Being up front and honest.

The second is being Responsive. The more intentionally we address concerns publicly, the higher the chance that our students will respect the use of our teacher power. The key is that we are transparent and honest about addressing problems or concerns the students raise.

Lastly, Consistently Fair. Being consistently fair and modeling fairness in the classroom... following the rules and policies has a big role in exercising power justifiably in your classroom. I you can do these 3 things... you are being responsible and using your power wisely.