Book+Review

Control Theory in the Classroom by William Glasser, M.D.  In William Glasser’s book, //Control Theory in the Classroom//, he discusses his idea to get students to enjoy school. He says that students are intelligent enough to succeed in school but more than half of students just don’t care. “When no more than half of our secondary school students are willing to make an effort to learn, and therefore cannot be taught, what we have is not so much a risk to the nation as an enormous waste of human and financial resources” (pg 3). He describes his control theory that states that human needs need to be met in order for students to begin to see the benefits of education. According to Glasser, “A good school could be defined as a place where almost all students believe that if they do some work, they will be able to satisfy their needs enough so that it makes sense to keep working” (pg 15).  In the second chapter, Glasser talks about our motivation and how it relates to his control theory. “Basic to control theory is the belief that all of our behavior is our constant attempt to satisfy one or more of five basic needs that are written into our genetic structure” (pg 17). He says that we need to stop seeing the world as us reacting to something that happens. He says that everything in our lives are conscious choices that we make. No matter how fast we make it, it is not a reaction. “Therefore, it follows that if our behavior always arises from within ourselves, never from an outside stimulus, that all we can do is //act//; as living creatures we never //react//. Once you accept control theory you will give up the words //react// and //response//, because neither we nor any living creature ever does” (pg 18). As an example of this, when the phone rings, we answer it, not because it’s a reaction, but because we want to control the phone and talk to the person on the other line. After we make a decision so many times, we do it quicker and quicker, but it is still not a reaction.  Control theory explains that we need to know what is going on with our students in order to reach them. If they are hungry, all they will think about is how and when they will get food. Learning will not take place at this time. If they are lonely, they are thinking about finding someone to love them or comfort them. Again, learning isn’t going to take place. “Control theory, which claims that what is going on inside the student, rather than the outside situation, is the cause of all behavior, explains that, regardless of your best efforts, these students choose not to work in your class because it does not satisfy their need to do so. The control theory explanation is that we always choose to do what is most satisfying to us at the time” (pg 19). No matter how wonderful the teacher is and how creative the lesson is, if the material isn’t satisfying a need for the child, they will not be concerned with it.  Glasser later talks about how the control theory can be a hopefully process in that we can help students right now to satisfy needs and then help them with their education. He talks about letting failures be in the past, but not branding it on the student. If they failed math last year, but this year they are doing well, don’t let that F follow them all through high school. Nothing will kill a student’s motivation more than thinking they failed once and it will never go away. They will just stop trying at this point.  As stated earlier, there are five needs that are built into our genetics that always need to be satisfied. Humans need to (1) survive and reproduce, (2) belong and love, (3) gain power, (4) be free, (5) and have fun. All these needs can be met in the classroom. Teachers need to make their students aware that there is //power// in knowledge, and that they can find //belonging// in the classroom and with classmates. Teachers need to add laughter and light heartedness to classrooms to be sure that students are having fun. When they aren’t bored, the work they are doing seems more important and will go by faster. Teachers can also give students freedom by letting them choose different things in the classroom, from the book they read, to the way they will be assessed. Glasser says that these are thoughts that all teachers need to be aware of so that they can reach all their students.  Later in the book, Glasser goes into the “Learning-Team Model”. He believes that allowing students to work in team of 2-5 students will help ensure that all 5 of their needs are met, and better learning can take place. Students will gain a sense of belonging when they are with this small group of students. The teacher will choose them so that the levels are high, medium, and low. “The stronger students find it need fulfilling to help the weaker ones because they want the power and friendship that goes with a high-performing team. The weaker students find it is need fulfilling to contribute as much as they can to the team effort because now whatever they can contribute helps. When they worked alone, little effort got them nowhere” (pg 75). Glasser cautions teachers who become enthusiastic about this team model approach because generations and generations have a picture in their head of traditional ways in school. We slowing have to change the thinking in schools. “It will take time to realize that teaching is not doing things //to// or //for// students: Teaching is structuring your whole approach in a way that [students] want to work to learn” (pg 79).