EXAMINATION 4238 Question 1.

EXAMINATION 4238
Question 1.

William Glasser bases his management of children in the classroom on the meeting of their 5 basic Drivers. Explain how you would act in a classroom to ensure that the 5 drivers in Year 9 students are met and thus allow effective learning to take place.

Answer 1.
This classroom would have to take a constructivist approach . I envisage active, engaged learners, an enthusiastic teacher and a myriad of opportunities for the children to learn with and from each other, using quality resources. Hattie’s research discovered that the greatest variance in a student’s ability to achieve n their potential, regardless of their initial ability, was in fact the teacher! So here is how I would go about ensuring that the basic drivers of year 9 were met in the classroom.


Love belonging and acceptance- Live by example. Teenagers hate hypocrisy. Walk the talk! The classroom would be orientated in such a way that the the students would feel welcome and understood creating a mood that is authentic and loving. Communication and respect are paramount to a successful classroom. By the teacher appropriately sharing their quest for learning, struggles and failures as well as hopes, achievements and questions, the relationships develop trust. This ideal learning space gives students a sense belonging, like a nest, a 'sense of place' - an identity, this is something all communities need, and indeed it can be argued that a principle cause of alienation, crime and dysfunction is the loss of this sense of identity. By nurturing respect and responsibility in a teaching/learning situation our ability to solve problems increases. These relationships “become effective” and lay the basis for a teacher to support students in making right choices in relation to their behaviour.



Personal power competency and achievement- Today's learners are strong individuals who need to be empowered to find their own paths. They need to be anchored in a secure sense of self in order to determine their optimal ways of learning. All intelligences must be catered for and given recognition. In an atmosphere of mutual respect and support, individual power and freedom enrich the learning potential of students.
I would negotiate boundaries based on common sense and negotiate logical consequences should these boundaries be transgressed.


Survival safety and security- An ideal learning space gives students a sense of home, it offers security and orientation, This is a trusting, safe learning environment where risks are taken and where intellectual boundaries are constantly pushed. The idea is not to actually MAKE them do things but strive to organise it that they arrange, plan and do it themselves.


Freedom, independence and autonomy- Allowing students, step by step, to consciously recognize the balance between freedom and responsibility. Support them in increasing their levels of self-responsibility with maturation.
Cooperation is essential to successful education. Help students work hard and willingly journey with the teacher towards ever new goals as this will promote quality in school work. Students are given various response options to tasks set in acknowledgment of their multiple intelligences.
“There are two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children.
One of these is roots, the other, wings.” Hodding Carter

Fun and Learning- 'Expert teachers are proficient at creating an optimal classroom climate for learning. ' Hattie
Rejoice! Acknowledge achievements, and positive behavior. Enjoy the time you get to spend with your students. Also acknowledging when you are tired or burnt out and taking necessary steps to revive. I would strive for a learning environment that was relaxed and creative, active and receptive to new experiences.


This model helps teachers develop effective relationships whilst promoting a high degree of autonomy and resposibility for students. If difficulties arise the teacher must first ask “ What is the purpose of the students behavior? and “How can I help the student learn a replacement behavior.” This is based on the premise that the only person whose behavior we control is our own.
Rudolf Steiner asserted- "KNOW THYSELF"- , and in doing so you learn to understand the world around you, including your students.