Psychology and Pedagogy of AngerRichardson, Roy Franklin
Science
Psychology and Pedagogy of Anger
Richardson, Roy Franklin
Anger
When anger enters into the role of discipline, of the three types
already discussed, that which springs from the sentiment of justice is
most efficient in instruction. Anger which arises from irritable
feelings, from its nature becomes a dangerous emotion to be used in
discipline. Emotion of this type develops by a cumulative process till
the point of anger has been reached. It too readily ignores justice and
is easily transferred from the real offender and may finally break out
against an innocent party who may have unwittingly touched off the
feelings which have been accumulated by previous stimuli, consequently
anger of this type which is so frequently displayed in school rooms
usually defeats the ends of discipline. Anger with a fore-period of
lowered self-feeling because of the personal element entering into this
type of anger and the tendency to ignore justice can evidently be
resorted to but sparingly in school control unless it also involves the
sense of justice.
Another point the teacher has to take into account is that from his
position, if he is held in respect, the anger he excites in the student
will usually be preceded by humiliation and, if he has been unfair, it
will be intensified by the sense of offended fairness. Anger of this
type is the one most frequently followed by an emotional disposition
against the offender. It is the residuum of unsuccessfully expressed
anger of this type which becomes a disturbing element in school control
with the student who is irascibly inclined. The wise teacher who
understands the individual emotional life of the pupil and the nature of
the after-period of anger, will skillfully remove the morbid residuum
and ally the resentful pupil on his side. Dislike following anger, is
skillfully removed, will frequently increase the friendship of the
offender more than before the offense. This principle of compensation in
the after-period is thus to be utilized in discipline. It may be a good
plan deliberately to bring a moody pupil to the point of anger and let
him vent his wrath. Any punishment in discipline has the possibilities
of being dangerous to school control, especially with the student of
pugnacious disposition, if the justice of the punishment cannot be
recognized by the offending pupil. Evidently a mistake in control is not
to recognize the individual differences in emotional life and to attempt
to use the discipline of fear with an irascible boy who knows no fear.
Anger, disappearing unsuccessfully, may leave a morbid residuum which
completely disqualifies the student for efficient learning, consequently
when it exists, it is the business of the educator to remove the
morbidity, transform it into work or to have the pupil transferred; for
it may be as serious a hindrance to learning as adenoids or defective
sense organs.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account