Social Powers Model:

Building positive student-teacher relationships is essential. A prerequisite for learning is feeling safe and cared for; by being a caring and supportive figure in the classroom, my students can trust that I will be there for them and meet their educational and social needs.

The social powers model identifies four different types of power used by teachers and their effect on student-teacher relationships (Alderman & Green, 2011):

Types of Power:

Coercion: a confrontational and controlling approach where students feel compelled to make changes.
Manipulation: providing students with situations in which they feel they are in control, empowering them and increasing intrinsic motivation.
Expertness: students view teachers as experts and problem solvers; students may desire to impress the adult and feel emotionally supported and safe.
Likability: the personal characteristics of a teacher influence students’ behaviour in a positive way.

Overusing one power and underusing others can negatively impact student-teacher relationships, create confusion around classroom rules and cause students to feel unsupported. I believe in using a combination of powers, focusing on the latter three to create a safe classroom environment. The use of coercive power can often lead to students feeling dysregulated and overpowered, leading to more challenging behaviours. Using non-confrontational language helps students understand that behaviours are unacceptable while feeling supported in their attempts to change their behaviours.