The Haim Ginott theory is a communication theory that is designed to eliminate barriers that can prevent people from learning. Whether the student is just starting in kindergarten or they are pursuing a doctorate, how they are able to learn depends on the presence of good communication.
Think about the teachers you liked in school. Then think about the teachers that weren’t really your favorites. For most people, a favorite teacher was able to communicate effectively to make learning fun and easy. The least favorite teachers made communication difficult, which made learning difficult.
Barriers that can be built that prevent learning can be very simple. Maybe a teacher is very strict and that causes a student to focus more on the classroom rules than the materials being taught. It is Ginott’s theory that seeks to recognize these barriers and then remove them.
How the Haim Ginott Theory is Different
Ginott worked as an elementary school teacher before becoming a professor of psychology, so he had unique experiences that could be enveloped into his theory. At its core, Ginott suggests in his congruent communication theory that confrontation should be avoided at all costs within the learning environment.
Although this process is often used within the school environment, Ginott’s theory could be applied to any situation where a teacher is providing information to a student.
Instead of seeking out confrontation, Ginott suggests that feeling validation should be the primary use of communication. When people feel like they are accepted and their presence is validated, then they can have a healthy level of self-esteem. Then, because the student feels good about themselves, they are better able to learn.
The 3 Tenets of Classroom Behavior
Ginott’s theory assumes that a student must feel welcomed and valued within a classroom for a successful learning experience. To create that necessary foundation, there must be three tenets followed by all teachers for this to happen when addressing behaviors in the classroom.
1. Teachers must seek harmonious communication.
Communication that is harmonious is defined in Ginott’s theory as communication that sets clear, brief expectations for behavior. A teacher might say that a student can use their phone in an emergency while in class, but using the phone for research or to talk with others without permission is not allowed.
Harmonious communication must also focus on the behavior instead of the student to be effective. If a student is on the phone without permission and this is disrupting the class, harmonious communication would have the teacher say that phone use was disruptive – not that the student was being disruptive.
2. Teachers must invite cooperation.
Teachers must encourage cooperation in the classroom through demonstration of their own behaviors for communication to be effective. Teachers that lecture loudly to be heard over students or demand a student pay attention would be examples of what not to do. To invite cooperation, Ginott’s theory suggests that the teacher focus on themselves instead of the students.
If the classroom is too noisy, the teacher would say something like, “I am hearing way too much noise in here right now.” That is different than, “You need to be quiet and pay attention to the lesson.”
3. Teachers must promote discipline as an alternative to punishment.
Rules are in place for a reason. They promote an environment that encourages learning by discouraging disruptions and distractions. Punishment causes a child to feel like they’ve paid for their misbehavior and invites them to repeat it. Discipline should be clearly outlined so that all students can learn from the situation, using guidance instead of criticism to get the point across that a disruption has occurred.
Honest Communication Creates Honest Results
In a teacher-student relationship, there must be honesty. There must also be a willingness on the part of the teacher to encourage every student to be their very best. That means teachers should praise the efforts a child makes instead of praising the character of the child or attributes of their personality.
That also means teachers must avoid sarcasm and criticism of personality characteristics as well. Sarcasm and criticism tears down a student, especially if the student is a child, and it reinforces the personality characteristics and learning traits that the teacher is criticizing in the first place.
Corrections are necessary, but they should be brief. The focus should be on learning, not behavior. Students should be praised for their efforts instead of a teacher’s perception of who they are as an individual. By creating this type of structure, the Haim Ginott theory suggests that every student can have the best possible opportunity to learn.