Abstract

Aggressiveness and violence in schools are concerns that educators have to address. Using a random method of sampling, this study focused on six secondary schools located in the Chicago Public Schools System. Each school's administrator was interviewed, and two teachers at the school were also interviewed by a person trained in the Urban Teacher Selection Interview. Clusters of comparable traits were identified, and a statistical comparison was made, with teachers scoring well on the Urban Teacher Selection Interview. This study articulates common characteristics of gentle teachers (de-escalators) who provide students with classroom environments which promote non-threatening, accepting, risk-taking communities. Twelve teachers are described as de-escalators or escalators by their school administrators. Gentle teacher characteristics are identified through the use of Q-sorts, t-tests, discriminant analysis, and the Urban Teacher Selection Interview. A high correlation is found between outstanding teachers in the interview and characteristics that administrators find common to teachers who de-escalate violence and aggression. Five appendixes present statistical results, the administrator interview form, and the teacher interview form. (Contains 45 references.) (Author/SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.