Chapter 60: Haim Ginott-Congruent Communication

Cloudy with a chance of sarcasm. Sunny with the highest expectations. A teacher’s words and actions make all of the difference in the classroom. Haim Ginott challenges us to a standard of professional practice that is decisively affective and significantly effective. This chapter presents the highlights of Haim Ginott’s theory of classroom management. Much of the content in this chapter comes from his book Teacher and Child (1972) along with information from Building Classroom Discipline by C.M. Charles (2008, 2010). Throughout Teacher and Child, Ginott explains his theories of classroom management eloquently and concretely. His major focus centers on the vital role communication plays in teaching, student learning, student behavior and classroom management. While Ginott contends that this language phenomenon makes a lasting impact on students, Charles (2008) asserts that it creates the personal and caring tone that prevails in classroom discipline theory today.