Power & Authority

I finally figured out why our dear male teacher has more 'power' and 'authority' over the children. He just has to cross his arms on his chest, and children will keep quiet, while the other teachers can raise their voice, go one-to-one, use the naughty chair, and yet nothing will happen effectively.

They keep telling me that it's because he's a male while we're females, which is partly true, but it's an answer that I cannot accept fully. Today I finally get it.

It's the power of standing, way above eye level. He is a teacher who jokes with children yes, but when talking to children, he doesn't bow down/ kneel down to their eye level like many of us do. He just remains at his whatever position and location, while I would usually walk over and bow lower to talk closer to their ears. I guess that showed authority of a higher level. Because I'm the 'friend', as the other teachers would tell me.

Perhaps I'm understanding it wrongly as I have always believed that being a child's friend is the most wonderful tool to learn together and teach the right way because like all other generations of human kind, children do listen to their friends a lot too. But sigh, it seems to work for some kids, but for many, it just isn't working. Maybe that's why they say parents are parents and not friends, they might just have a good reason for it.