How teachers’ autobiographies influence their responses to children's behaviors

Abstract

Psychoanalytic theory postulates that an individual’s for gotten past can shape his or her behavior in the present. In psychotherapy, clients relive past conflicts and direct them toward their therapists in the present. This phenomenon, known as transference, is not limited to treatment considerations, but influences all interpersonal interactions. However, the professional literature has given minimal consideration to the importance of transference for understanding classroom dynamics. This and a companion article focus upon how transference shapes relationships between teachers and students by integrating narrative case studies with a literature review. However, the ideas and examples are thought to be relevant for all mental health and educational workers with children. The previous article provided an overview of transference concepts as they emerge in the context of clinical psychoanalysis and human development with implications for classroom life. This article centers on transference as it affects teachers and teaching, as it emerges through teachers’ behavior and their dreams, and how consultation and emotional education can become vehicles for professional education and personal change.

Keywords:

• autobiography
• classroom
• dynamics
• transference