Compare and Contrast

Theories of Congruent
Communication
by Haim Ginott
and
Theories of Democratic
Teaching
by Rudolf Dreikurs
PREPARED BY:
1) KANAGESWARY
2) PRIYA DARSHINI
3) KOMALAVALLI

Haim Ginott

About Ginott
He was born in Israel in 1922
He studied clinical psychology at Columbia University in
New York
He was a clinical psychologist, parent educator and
author of 3 books: Parent & Child, Parent & Teenager,
Teenager & Child
He worked with troubled youth in a guidance clinic in
Jacksonville, Florida
His experience in Jacksonville has guided him to his
unique combination of compassion and boundary
setting

Quotes
Children are like wet cement.
whatever falls on them makes an
impression.
If you want your children to improve,
let them overhear the nice things
you say about them to others.

Theories of
Congruent Communication
by Haim Ginott

Description of the theory

It is important to use
discipline in place of
punishment.

Teacher must model

communication that is
congruent with pupils
emotions and surroundings.

Teachers should always be

respectful of pupils needs.
Pupils should never
experience any teacher
belittling them.

Teachers must include

cooperative learning

Approaches/Strategies
:

1) Sane
Messages
(Messages that focus on what needs to be
corrected without attacking students
character or personality)
Address situations rather than students
characters
Acknowledge and accept students feelings
Often teachers use language that blames,
orders, accuses or threatens to students
Use language that focuses on situation and
facts not threatening students self esteem

2) Express Anger
Appropriately
Students can annoy and irritate teachers
making them angry
Teachers should express their anger
appropriately
Use I-messages, rather than Youmessages
I-message, example : I am hearing a
lot of talking that is disrupting the
class
You-message, example : Why are you
always talking, I told you to stop talking

3) Invite
Cooperation
Describing the situation when a problem
occurs and indicating what needs to be
done
Do not boss the students around give
them choices in matters that effect their
life in the classroom (seating
arrangement/classroom procedure)
Provide opportunities for students to
experience independence, accepting
their capabilities
Always ask yourself, How can I be
most helpful to my students right now?

4) Praise
EVALUATIVE PRAISE
Comments on students character
Example Good boy for raising your hand

APPRECIATIVE PRAISE
Responding to effort or improvement
Teacher shows appreciation for what the
student has done

5)No WHY
Question
Avoid asking why questions when discussing
behavior
It will make students feel guilty and defensive
Instead point out that there is a problem and
invite students to discuss ways to solve the
problem

NO WHY QUESTIONS!
Why cant you be good for a change?
Why do you forget everything I teach you?

Strengths &
Weaknesses
Weaknesse
s

Strengths

Focus
on
positive
treatment, acceptance
and acknowledgement.

Positive
rapport
enhance
classroom
learning environment.

Develop positive self

esteem by encouraging
pupils
to
take
responsibility for their
behavior.

Lack
comprehensive and
cohesive model.

Less effective in
dealing with severe
behavior
infractions.

Practicality of the
theory in a local ESL
classroom

Use Clear
Communication
Teachers clearly
communicate their
expectations in a
manner that helps
students feel accepted.
This open
communication
promotes autonomy
among the students.

Teacher would be more of a

facilitator for conversations
that include every member of
the class and address all the
important issues
It is important
to value the
contributions
and to listen to
everyones
ideas

Teacher should always strive to guide students to

acceptable behavior rather than criticize
Negative criticism can lead to the lowering of a
childs self-esteem and increase self-doubt
Criticism should be used constructively for
improvement
Negative remarks should not be made about a
childs personality (i.e. character should not be
attacked, embarrassment should be avoided)

RUDOLF
DREIKURS

About Dreikurs
Born
Died
Fields
University
Known for

February 8, 1897
(Vienna, Austria-Hungary)
May 25, 1972 (aged 75)
(Chicago, United States)
Psychiatry
University of Vienna
Individual psychology

Quotes
The proper way of training children
is identical with the proper way of
treating fellow human beings.
A child needs encouragement as a
plant needs water.

Theories of
Democratic Teaching
by Rudolf Dreikurs

Turn to think
that

Student
s
unable
to
satisfy
the
needs

Lead
students to

Mistake
n goal
can
help
them
satisfy
the
needs

Seek
attention
, seek
power,
seek
revenge,
withdraw
from
class
activity

To solve this problem, Dreikurs

suggest Democratic teaching.

4 Key Concepts of
Democratic Teaching
Democratic style
- Democratic vs
Autocratic & Permissive

Encouragement
- Effort vs Achievement

Mistaken goals
Seeking attention
Power struggle
Exacting revenge
Displaying inadequacy

Consequences
- Logical consequences
vs Punishment

The
Approaches/Strategies of
Democratic Teaching
Mistaken goal
Democratic style
Mistaken goal
Provide lessons with social
Discussions and teacher

interest in mind
Communicate with one another
Mutual respect
Look for positive attributes in
students
Examine pupils behavior
patterns

learns how to accept pupils

opinion
Students involve in making
decisions in the classroom

The
Approaches/Strategies of
Democratic Teaching
Encouragement
Give positive
reinforcement
Appreciate students
effort of learning
Display students work
Dont require perfection

Consequences
Apply logical
consequences
Give relatable
punishments to
students

Strengths &
Weaknesses
Weaknesse
s

Strengths

Make
consequences
understandable

Positive reinforcement

Promotes autonomy

Redirect
behavior

Difficult to respond to
non
controllable
pupils

May have problem in

engaging
conversation

Trouble determining
the actual motives

pupils

Form mutual respect

Focus on causes
misbehavior

of

Practicality of the Theory

in the ESL classroom
Classroom activity
Giving encouragement
When Problem with misbehavior

Why

Sense of belonging
Positive reinforcement
Make consequences understandable & redirect behavior

How

Discussion, grouping
Feedback & Display pupils work
Use logical consequences

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

BETWEEN THE THEORIES
OF CONGRUENT
COMMUNICATION AND
DEMOCRATIC LEARNING

SIMILARITIES
Teachers

give rewards to pupils

good behaviour.

Teacher

respects pupils opinion.

DIFFERENCE
S

DEFINITION
DL

A theory which allows students

to take part in the teaching and
CC
learning activities along with
the teacher.
Congruent communication is a
style of speaking that does not
attack others, but instead
remains harmonious with feelings
being experienced. (Ginott,
1971) (cited in Charles 1999, 57)

Key concepts
Identify and address mistaken goals of
misbehavior.
Act as democratic rather than autocratic
or permissive.
Use logical consequences rather than
punishment.
Understand the difference between
praise and encouragement.
Address situations rather than
character.
Accepts and acknowledges feelings.
Uses brevity in correcting
misbehaviour.
Uses appreciation rather than
evaluative praises.

TEACHERS
Democratic teachers are neither
permissive nor autocratic.
Democratic teachers provide firm
guidance and leadership by establishing
rules and consequences.
For democratic teachers, freedom comes
from discipline.
Teachers clearly communicate their
expectations in a manner that helps
students feel accepted.
Teachers should be in control of their
emotions when addressing a discipline
problem.
Teachers should refrain from using
punishment.

STRENGTH
Dreikurs Theory

Ginotts Theory

Democratic classrooms and

teaching styles gives
opportunity for the students to
participate in the teaching and
learning process.

Addresses the students action

rather than the students
character. The class moves
along much better, Terry, when
you raise your hand and I call
on you.

Mutual respect motivates

students to behave
constructively.

Invites cooperation between

the teacher and student.
Devin, would you please take
our new student to the
restroom?

Promotes respect and

communication among teacher
and students.

Allow students to express their

feelings and opinions.

WEAKNESSES
Dreikurs Theory

Ginotts Theory

Might be difficult for

Absolutely does not work
teachers to identify and
in violent situations
understand students
reasons for misbehaving.
Teachers may not be able
to respond properly and
to provide logical
consequences for all
misbehavior.

Students themselves
need to know how to
communicate their ideas
and opinions. Many
students do not.

PRACTICALITY
Democratic teaching
Suitable to be used in
dealing with problematic
students.

Congruent Communication

Teachers clearly
communicate their
expectations in a manner
that helps students feel
accepted
Gives students opportunity Teacher would be more of
to correct their
a facilitator for
misbehavior.
conversations that include
every member of the class
and address all the
important issues.
Helps students change
Teacher should always
their mistaken goals.
strive to guide students to

REASONS

Helps minimize interruptions in the classroom instead

of making spectacles out of minor misbehavior.

For example, if a typical disruption occurs like a

student out of their seat, the teacher could quietly
tell that student that it is distracting for others to
have someone walking around the room rather than
yelling in front of the class. For this same reason, it is
also important to have the rules and specific
consequences posted and remind students of them
often.

 It

can be weaved in easily to any existing

classroom or school management system
without disruption.

Asking

questions and listening to students,

brevity, acceptance, and respect.

According

to Ginott, the teacher would be

more of a facilitator for conversations that
include every member of the class.

Its important to value pupils contributions

and listen to everyones ideas.

Teachers must not prejudge pupils.

Teachers do not impose guilt on pupils.

REFERENCES
Manning, M. L., & Bucher, K. T. (2007). Classroom
Management: Models, Applications, and Cases
(3rd ed.).
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson
Education, Inc.

The Dreikurs Model(2013),Retrieved January

28,2016, from
http://www.teachermatters.com/classroomdiscipline/models-of-discipline/the-dreikersmodel.html