Maintaining classroom management as a teacher is one of the most difficult challenges that an instructor will face daily. The personality of the teacher plays a large role in their ability to keep order in the classroom, as well as their students learning. If you are having trouble maintaining your classroom management it’s important to consider what type of personality you have and how that might be getting in your way.
What Are The Different Teacher Personalities In The Classroom?
Here are ten different personalities, along with their effects on classroom management.
1. The Bouncer
The bouncer teacher is able to keep their students in line, but they often use rather aggressive tactics to do so. When students misbehave this type of instructor will yell and threaten them with major consequences if they do not behave appropriately. This approach can work in the short term but it does little to teach students appropriate behavior or help them improve with their behavioral problems.
2. The Avoider
The avoider teacher does not like to confront students; they also think it is unfair if they have to do things themselves which means they tend to pass work along rather than doing it themselves. These types of teachers tend to make students responsible for the management of their behavior, which is unrealistic and unfair. When students are responsible for doing things themselves, they will usually fail to do so since they have little motivation to change their own behavior.
3. The Passive-Aggressive
The passive-aggressive teacher tries to maintain control through subtleties rather than blatant aggressiveness. They use sarcasm to insult students and pass along subtle threats of consequences if they don’t follow the teacher’s wishes. This approach is considered passive-aggressive because it doesn’t come out and make demands or threaten clear consequences for misbehavior; instead, it relies more on underhanded means to control behavior which will often lead to resentment among students.
4. The Enforcer
The enforcer teacher will use threats of punishment and actual punishments to keep students in line. This approach can work for a while, but students soon begin to lose respect for the instructor and start to think this type of management is unfair. The upside of these types of teachers is that they tend not to allow behavior problems to linger. The downside is that they can come across as mean or disrespectful toward students instead of supportive and willing to help.
5. The Comedian
The comedian teacher will use humor to control classroom management, but their jokes are usually at the expense of other students. These types of instructors engage in sarcasm and teasing which tends to make students disinterested in the material they are learning. This approach is also considered detrimental to classroom management since it can lead to further disruption amongst students, especially when mean comments or teasing become involved.
6. The Micromanager
The micromanager teacher likes to control every single aspect of the lesson plan and their classroom environment. They allow little to no room for student choice or creativity and students quickly become disinterested in the material they are learning. This approach to classroom management is a detriment since it doesn’t allow students any ownership of their education which can cause problems with motivation levels among students.
7. The Micromanager’s Friend
This type of teacher is very much like the micromanager teacher, but they tend to go overboard on the control of their classroom. They do just about everything for students which leaves them no room for independent learning and can cause boredom among students since there is little variety of opportunity for creativity. This approach will make it difficult to keep student motivation levels high, let alone address any behavioral problems that might arise.
8. The Logical Consequences Teacher
The logical consequences teacher believes that the best way to teach students is by having them experience the natural, logical consequences of their actions. These types of instructors make it clear to students what they are expected to do and what will happen if they don’t follow those expectations. This approach can be very effective when dealing with behavioral problems in the classroom, but it’s important to remember that not every student will respond well to this type of motivation.
9. The Buddy Teacher
The buddy teacher is informal and tends to become buddies with their students. They give out compliments easily, try to relate learning material to real-life examples, and provide all sorts of support to help students in need. The upside of this type of teacher is that they tend to build strong relationships with their students, but the downside is that it creates lax classroom management when certain boundaries can’t be maintained.
10. The Principle-Based Teacher
The principle-based teacher believes in teaching students life skills. They teach them about citizenship, how to be good workers, and also let them think for themselves. This approach can work very well when it comes to classroom management since the students will take on more responsibility for their actions and learn valuable life skills at the same time. This type of teacher is great because they allow students ownership of their education which means motivation levels should be high.
What Are The Annoying Teacher Personalities To Students?
Every teacher is different, with their own set of strengths and weaknesses. As a result, students have various reactions to different teachers. Some find themselves particularly annoyed by certain types of teachers for whatever reason. This list is by no means exhaustive, but below are nine things that students tend to hate in their teachers:
1. The Distant Teacher
Sometimes referred to as the “emotionless drill sergeant”, distant teachers don’t seem involved in the class. One of the main goals of teaching is to make students passionate about the subject you are teaching (i.e., if it’s English class then they should be interested in reading and writing). By showing limited enthusiasm, distant teachers fail to motivate their students. This can also indicate that the teacher does not care about the course content or engaging their students in learning material. Students do not like this as they cannot connect with the teacher and often as a result their grades suffer as well as interest in the subject material.
2. The Directive Teacher
Directive teachers do not allow students to learn on their own. Instead, they tell them what to think and how to think it. As soon as a directive teacher utters the words “I’m the teacher, I will do the thinking for you”, students are turned off. This type of teaching shows that a teacher doesn’t trust their students to think for themselves. Teachers need to realize that to help someone learn, they have to let them try first. Directive teachers often forget that there’s nothing wrong with students making mistakes and having to reflect on their learning.
3. The Overcoach
These teachers try to do everything for the student; they hover over them, checking their work and constantly explaining concepts. This type of teaching leaves little room for independent thought and makes many students feel belittled and incapable of knowing what to do without the teacher’s constant guidance. It can be helpful to occasionally monitor a student’s progress, offer advice and encouragement but constantly checking on them is overbearing and frustrating to the student.
4. The Monopolizer
Monopolizers will not let students participate in a discussion or share their ideas, despite their desire to do so. When monopolizers speak, students pay attention. They enjoy listening to the teachers and often as a result, their opinions are never heard. This can be very frustrating for students who want to share what they know but don’t get the opportunity.
For example, if a student turns in an assignment to you that is very well done and seems different or better than everyone else’s, allow them to speak up and share it with the class. It is also important for students to be able to work with one another; therefore, talking over or interrupting other people is not acceptable behavior in the classroom.
5. The Bubbling Over-Listener
The bubbling-over listener doesn’t let students talk at all! They are always talking over students and sounding like a broken record. This can be hard for students to take because they feel that their instructor does not want to give them the chance to express themselves or learn from one another. As a result, they become disengaged and frustrated with the course material and instructor.
6. The ‘I Don’t Care’ Teacher
‘I don’t care teachers’ are the most frustrating teacher to have in a classroom. They do not communicate with students, they are never prepared for class, they appear disinterested in their job and they provide little feedback on student work. When these types of teachers are paired with the directive or overly bubbling listeners, students feel lost because there is no direction on what they should be doing. As a result, students feel like the material is not important and grades suffer as a result.
7. The ‘No Excuses’ Teacher
These teachers never give students an opportunity to explain why they are struggling or late with assignments; instead, they make excuses for them. This can leave some students feeling frustrated and disenchanted, as they work hard but get no feedback on their progress.
8. The Negative Nelly
Negative nellies are always complaining about something new every day. They complain about students not doing their work or being disruptive, which is a normal part of student life! When you have been teaching for some time it’s important to remember that you will have good days and bad days, students are difficult sometimes but other times they’re great.
And if students are doing something you don’t like, try to correct them without sounding too negative.
9. The Dreamer
Teachers who dream during class leave students unsupervised and unproductive. This type of teaching is very frustrating for students because they did not come to school expecting that this would be their day off! They want to get work done and speak with their friends but get distracted by teachers who are too into their own thoughts.
Final Thoughts
As a teacher, your personality impacts your relationship with your students. This impacts your classroom management abilities. Remember, you will not have the perfect personality for the teaching profession. So, you have to give up some traits and continue to work hard to acquire others that will make you effective in the classroom. Keep working, you will get there. Thank you. Find more of our articles here.
