Tiger Talk Tiger Talk: Empathetic Cross-Cultural Communication for

Classroom ManagementJohn Heyenga

Education 702.22 Seminar in applied theory and research 1. Spring 2010

Table of Contents

• Introduction • Statement of Problem • Literary Review • Non-Violent Communication• Hypothesis • Bibliography

Introduction• In NYC public schools, teachers and students often come

from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. • They have problems with communication as a result. 

• When the students’ behavior requires disciplinary response, they often present challenges to the teachers.

• When the teachers respond with punishment, or expression of frustration, the result is that the students take the

miscommunication to the next level. • On the other hand, when the teacher responds with authority, but calmly and supportively, the conflict can be

defused. • Another way for the teacher to reach out to students is to

learn their style of communication.

Statement of Problem• In struggling NYC public schools, students frequently

display profane language, transgress rules and directions, and avoid academic work. 

• At the same time, many of their teachers are from very different cultural backgrounds and economic sectors. 

• When they communicate their rules and keep discipline in a way alien to the culture of their students, friction can result. 

• Eventually, teachers’ responses to misbehavior may become more punitive, even as discipline fails and trust and communication break down.

Founders of Behaviorism

• Russian psychiatrist, Lev Vygotsky •       Theory of "proximal development."  • Founder of the Behaviorist school of

psychiatry, B.F.Skinner •  Communication performed for rewards.

• Noam Chomsky  • Language is more complex than just rewards.• Innate cognitive abilities.

Articles on Intercultural Communication

• Chubbuck, S. M., & Zembylas, M. (2008). Effective emotions and communications in an urban school.

• Grossman (2008) advises educators to notice the surrounding environment in which the student lives. The article also gives advice for educators on how to address and manage negative personal feelings toward children. 

• Rogers (1995) gives details on how to spot and deal with tricky personalities in the classroom. This is a good article to inform the educator on the frequency of repetitive problem behavior in the classroom. Instead of believing the problem students exhibit are unusual the author in facts details the commonality of these types of behavior.  

Articles on Empathy

• Brown (2005)  “Congruent Communication,” "punitive" remarks tend to fail with young adolescent students who are still developing their adult modes of communication, as well as synaptic connections.  Instead teachers should practice building a strong personal relationship with the student that develops mutual trust. “

•  Ross, Bondy, Gallingane, and Hambacher (2008) have some useful points on tone that relate closely to it. The thesis of their article is that teachers should insist on students meeting established academic and behavioral standards. Information on the purposes, structure, and tone of insistence and the successful implementation of this strategy in three low-income, mainly African-American, classrooms on the first day of school is provided. 

• MacNaughton, G., Hughes, P., & Smith, K. (2007). Ways to relate to challenging students. The key is for the educator to try and start anew with the students and relate to them in a way that positively recognizes their differences.

Non-Violent Communication

“This approach to communication emphasizes compassion as the motivation for action rather than fear, guilt, shame, blame, coercion,

threat or justification for punishment. In other words, it is about getting what you want for reasons you will not regret later. NVC is NOT about

getting people to do what we want. It is about creating a quality of connection that gets everyone’s needs met through compassionate

giving.”

(NVC website: http://www.cnvc.org/node/369)

Hypothesis: “Tiger Talk” • Literary review shows that the majority of teachers and students

in cities use different cultural modes of communication.• Literary review shows that discipline using punitive tones of

voice is not effective with these students. • A tone of voice that is empathetic and soothing, but

authoritative, is more effective.• When teachers employ the students' style of communication,

they can defuse conflicts before they begin.• Hypothesis(HR1): The implementation of "Tiger Talk" (the

combination of cross-cultural communication styles and empathetic tones) over 6 weeks, to a class of 24 6th graders in the Bronx, will improve discipline and teacher-student communication.

Method• Project: Several lessons will be employed, such as: A compilation of  “Tiger

Talk” vocabulary made from a communication survey of middle school students in the Bronx. A code of empathetic responses will also be made.  The teacher will make a list of target behaviors to be achieved  over the course of six weeks.

• Participants: Twenty to fifteen fifth grade to seventh grade students (12 boys, 10 girls, age range: 11- 13 years) from M.S. X in Bronx, New York will be studied.

• Instrument: A consent form will be given to the principal and parents of M.S. X. It will explain the reason for the action research project and will inform them of the method in which students will be studied and assessed.    

• Along with a consent form, parents and students will be asked to take a survey on communication that will aid the research project. The teacher will create an “empathy code” to follow and an observational survey to fill out on a daily basis.

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