“Not Taking it Personally”: “Performing” the Teacher’s “Role” and Responding to Challenging Behaviours

Abstract

This paper views the teacher’s role as “performance,”; as Acting theory defines it. This paradigm for teacher reflection allows practitioners working with students with challenging behaviours to mark out a space in which to operate where teacher response can avoid negative emotionalism, stress and personalisation of conflict with the student. This approach recognises that there is a “role”; that is played by teachers which is both professional and adopted, separate from the sense of self and personal identity that can be wounded by student oppositional behaviour, particularly if it is abusive. Being alert to aspects of performing that role enables teacher response to challenging behaviours to be de-personalised, thus increasing the teacher’s sense of self-efficacy, the effectiveness of interventions that defuse oppositional behaviour and effective student learning. Some of the delivery techniques of the craft of acting (body awareness, tone, breathing), and the concepts of the classroom as “stage”; and positive reinforcement as “script”; are discussed to assist teachers to bridge the gap between knowledge of the skills of positive reinforcement and positive correction and their implementation. The paradigm under discussion has been developed from my own professional experience in ED/BD classes, from imparting training and development on de-stressing the management of challenging behaviours to teachers and teaching assistants, as well as to practicum students under my supervision, and from the delivery of parent education courses to parents of students with oppositional behaviours. The methodological comparison between aspects of Acting theory and the performance of teaching is offered as an aid to enhance a professional, calm, and astute approach to the implementation of positive reinforcement and positive correction techniques. The use of Acting theory enables a professional mind shift for teacher reflection so that negative stimuli to student behaviour problems from teacher responses can be avoided.