Protector or Prison Guard? Using Metaphors and Media to Explore Student Teachers' Thinking about Classroom Management

Abstract

Some of the discipline problems that plague beginning teachers may be traced to the way they think about classroom management. As part of an ongoing seminar accompanying student teaching, we used metaphor development and videotape analysis to help the student teachers explore their thinking about classroom management and to learn more ourselves about developing teachers' conceptions of management. Results indicated that the 27 student teachers had complex views of management, integrating problem prevention through group leadership and engaging instruction with vigilance. By the end of the teaching experience, the student teachers were more aware of the ways that the sometimes contradictory needs of individuals complicate the teaching of groups.