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Teacher Effectiveness Training Model
By
 Thomas Gordon
 Influencing may require teachers to use
power in different ways that promote
resistance, rebellion and blaming.
 Rather Gordon emphasizes self regulating,
self-control and self-discipline.
Gordon emphasizes that rewards and
 Thomas Gordon’s approach encourages the
creation of warm supportive relationship
between teacher and student where the
teacher is sensitive, accepting and non-
critical.
 Gordon’s approach stresses that the teacher
uses minimal control and seeks to
understand the students and the source of
their problem.
 Problem ownership
 Identifying students needs
 Making a trade
 Modifying the environment
 Active listening
 Sending confronting I-message
 Shifting gears to reducing resistance
 Problem solving
 When values collide
punishments are ineffective in achieving a
positive influence on students. Gordon
indicates having influence on children is
very much different from controlling them.
 In order to help children solve the difficulties they
encounter in the classroom, it is essential to first
identify who owns the problem.
 Teachers commonly try to force changes in
students regarding problems owned by students
and consequently block the flow of communication
needed to help students solve their problems and
teachers block effective communication between
them and their students.
 Some of the unacceptable ways of responding to
students are: Ordering, commanding, directing,
warning threatening.
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 Teachers have to understand the needs of
students in order to tackle the discipline
problems so teachers need to be listeners.
One important aspect in this situation is

accept students (mis)behaviour as an
attempt to satisfy needs instead of
categorizing it as misbehaviour.
 Teachers have to realize that children’s
(mis)behaviour has a reason behind it.

 A method of listening where you reflect back
your understanding of what a person says to
you. This is meant to confirm to them that
you understood their message, and to give
them a chance to correct you if you don’t.
More importantly, however, this
communicates your acceptance of the
person’s thoughts and emotions.
 help and communicate an acceptance of
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• Changing or modifying the
 Exchanging unacceptable classroom environment.
behaviour for one that is
• ‘Rich’ vs ‘improvised’ materials
acceptable to you.
 For example ;……………………..
 An I-Message is a tool for influencing
 This approach to solving problems provide others to change behavior that somehow
a release of distressful feelings and interferes with your ability to meet your
emotions as well as allowing them person needs.
who owns the problem to solve it. It's a non-blameful, non-judgmental
 description of the unacceptable behavior,
 In addition, listening provides the teacher how it affects you and how it makes you
with a format for showing willingness to feel. They are so effective because you are
confronting someone else's behavior and
students despite their troubles. not attacking the person. As a result, other
people will be much more likely to change
their unacceptable behavior.
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 Shifting gears mostly causes and immediate

 In listening, it mainly solves students reduction in students’ resistance.
 Examples of ‘I’ Messages
needs/problems. Teachers need to send ‘I-
 " When you do (nonblameful description of
messages’ in order to restore and maintain  It could be understandable that responses from I-
other's behavior) such and such . . .
order and discipline in the classroom in messages may sometimes be provoked, given the
" The tangible effect on me (now or in the fact that I-messages confront students with the
situations where students are not in a
future) is . . . prospect of having to change their unacceptable
position to give excuses or explanations in
" That makes me feel (name the feeling) . . . behaviour.
forms of excuses.

 When students feelings are acknowledged despite

what teachers may wish, students are much more
willing to modify their behaviour appropriately.

 In managing discipline problems in classrooms,
both the parties need to initiate mutual problem
solving. It involves the following steps.
 
 Define the problem
 Generate possible solutions
 Evaluate each solution
 Make a decision
 Determine how to implement the decision.
 Assess the success of the decision.
 Conflicts usually involve cherished beliefs,

values, personal preferences, personal tastes,
lifestyles, ideas..
 They may involve things like gang
membership, religion, drug use, manners,
moral behaviour, justice, honesty, sexual
behaviour and fashion.
A common sense principle that underlies
the foundation of the Gordon model. Simply
stated, the principle holds that people who
are invited to participate in making
decisions or setting up rules that affect
them somehow are more willing to abide by
them or keep to their part of an agreement.
We all like feeling that our views are being
represented.

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 Promote autonomy and self-regulation for

students
 Teachers may find difficult to change their Edwards, pp. 145-171 & McInerney; p 218-
 Promotes good student-teacher relationship. 
role from directing and controlling students 220.
 Allows students to deal with personal to actively listening.
problems and feelings. 
 Difference between beliefs of two groups.
 More than a 2 way communication.
 Difficulties in imposing i-messages.