Redl & Wattenbers Model

Brief Note regarding the Model: To familiarize the student with the purposes and means of effective classroom management by having groups and discipline dynamics. To help the student closely examine his\her own values and beliefs. "What you believe will be reflected in how you teach." Here the role of a teacher is very crucial because the teacher has to know his/her beliefs and making sure that they dont contradict students beliefs. Have an alternative for punishment.

The model is design to help provide principles for Classroom Management regarding the issues of group dynamics and behavior in the classroom. Also, to see how effective is a diagnostic principle and what are the outcomes? The model shows that to have a successful and workable group dynamic structure, the teacher and student have to work together. Focus of the Model:

The model gives insight to group dynamics, group behavior, and roles of students and teachers. How to use several techniques to engrave discipline in the classroom? How teachers can use diagnostic thinking to handle misbehavior? How to give students confident in their own way of thinking and developing self-control? The main purpose is to give a teacher an idea of how to deal with behavior in the classroom, by understanding group behavior, causes, and the aspects of control.

There are many principles they present, but the three, in my opinion, that are important are Group Dynamicsit has great effects not just on the group members, but an individual as well. The tool of diagnostic thinking is very important in solving many behavior problems. It helps teachers explore hidden information and behavior changes in his/her students. Relating that to controlling and correcting students behavior by influencing the student through a small talk, positive praising, etc.

They identified several different roles that individuals adapt when they function within a group. The following are a few of the roles a teacher will experience. Leaders, Clowns, Fall Guys, and Instigators Leaders are the ones who fit the ideal role of the group having intelligence and social skills, but also can be dangerous that they are the ones doing most of the work. Clowns, as the term explain itself, are those who entertain their group, keeping the tension out of place, but also damaging the teachers ability to teach. Fall guys are those who take the blame or mistake on their shoulders to gain favor; teachers need to be very careful about these kinds of students. Instigators are the troublemakers, who make their group lives miserable by misbehaving and getting away with it. In addition, Redl and Wattenberg described different group dynamics involved in classrooms. They are as follows. Scapegoating, Teachers Pet, Reaction to Strangers, and Group Disintegration (for more insight look Charles, C. (1999). Building Classroom Discipline. Longman: California. P-16-31).

By looking at the sheet in your hand you will see that there is much more to the model than on that paper, but those are just main and key concepts of what Redl and Wattenberg presented. From the top, those points are for teachers to take in consideration when using discipline and group dynamic techniques with students. Those are few aspects that the model suggested. Next, what is the focus and logic of the model? And how to implemented those principles to control classroom behavior? Regarding these points they suggest that teachers at all time should be aware of students feelings and assist or do whatever possible to develop self-esteem. Further into the model, they present various principles dealing with teaching and how teachers should make use of them, but the ones I thought, in my opinion, are more crucial to teaching since they deal with behavior. The view on discipline can be understood when the connections can be understood more fully by examining student roles and behavior in the classroom, group dynamics, psychological roles of teachers, diagnostic thinking, and influence techniques. It is understandable that there is no picture-perfect in a teachers classroom, there has to be difference among students, which distinguish them from each otherin a group. Those 4 categories are the most common ones to be seen and they are noticeable. The ones that are very easy to tell are Leaders and Clowns. They are opposite of each other that is why they go hand-in-hand. Myself is an example of a class clown and a leader. I do take charge when it comes down to making sure everyone is working on their part, but also loosing up on the serious act and creating a humorous atmosphere gives the group a balance viewthis is just the positive side I said about those 2 categories. Lastly, the model addresses behavior problems in the classroom, as you can see at the end that those are some of the major ones that can appear. Basically, those occur in the main category called group dynamics, which simply means students in groups and how they are working, what kind of behavior are coming to surface by psychological forces, and is teachers expectations are met or are they contradicted?