Establishing authority in the classroom

The position of TA automatically comes with a certain amount of authority, which is referred to as legitimate power. Having said that, you can increase your perceived amount of authority by demonstrating expertise in the subject area (expert power). Expertise needs to be combined with the ability to actually communicate the complex material as well. It is much harder to communicate complex information than it is to be an expert in complex information.

In addition to these skills, authority can be further enhanced through softer skills such as demonstrating care for the students and providing additional support when necessary (referent power).


For the large majority of students who are in the class because they want to learn, you don't need to "establish" your authority. You already have it at the start of the course, simply because you are the TA. The thing you have to do is to avoid losing that established authority.

There are two important ways not to lose it. The first (which may only be obvious to you after somebody has stated the obvious!) is to be aware that you already have it, in exactly the same way that if somebody walks into a room wearing a police uniform, they already have authority simply because of "that badge." Of course TA's don't usually wear any distinctive uniform, but it should be clear enough to most people that you are the TA, and not just another student taking the course!

The second way is basically common sense: don't ask the students to do stupid stuff, and don't behave in generally unpredictable or irrational ways.

If you are the person "in charge", other people will expect you to take charge, and tell them what you want them to do - they aren't mind readers! If you have progressed through the education system as far as becoming a TA, you already have a lot of experience of other teachers and lecturers demonstrating that type of behavior (some more competently than others, of course). The only unfamiliar part of the scenario is that you are now the person in charge, not somebody else!


Acting is a big part of teaching. Thus, I strongly recommend the following book

  • Keith Johnstone, Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre, Routledge, November 2012.

which contains gems such as these:


We've all observed different kinds of teachers, so if I describe three types of status players commonly found in the teaching profession you may find that you already know exactly what I mean.

I remember one teacher, whom we liked but who couldn't keep discipline. The Headmaster made it obvious that he wanted to fire him, and we decided we'd better behave. Next lesson we sat in a spooky silence for about five minutes, and then one by one we began to fool about — boys jumping from table to table, acetylene-gas exploding in the sink, and so on. Finally, our teacher was given an excellent reference just to get rid of him, and he landed a headmastership at the other end of the county. We were left with the paradox that our behaviour had nothing to do with our conscious intention.

Another teacher, who was generally disliked, never punished and yet exerted a ruthless discipline. In the street he walked with fixity of purpose, striding along and stabbing people with his eyes. Without punishing, or making threats, he filled us with terror. We discussed with awe how terrible life must be for his own children.

A third teacher, who was much loved, never punished but kept excellent discipline, while remaining very human. He would joke with us, and then impose a mysterious stillness. In the street he looked upright, but relaxed, and he smiled easily.

I thought about these teachers a lot, but I couldn't understand the forces operating on us. I would now say that the incompetent teacher was a low-status player: he twitched, he made many unnecessary movements, he went red at the slightest annoyance, and he always seemed like an intruder in the classroom. The one who filled us with terror was a compulsive high-status player. The third was a status expert, raising and lowering his status with great skill. The pleasure attached to misbehaving comes partly from the status changes you make in your teacher. All those jokes on teacher are to make him drop in status. The third teacher could cope easily with any situation by changing his status first.


Again I change my behaviour and become authoritative. I ask them what I've done to create this change in my relation with them, and whatever they guess to be the reason — 'You're holding eye contact', 'You're sitting straighter' — I stop doing, yet the effect continues. Finally I explain that I'm keeping my head still whenever I speak, and that this produces great changes in the way I perceive myself and am perceived by others. I suggest you try it now with anyone you're with. Some people find it impossible to speak with a still head, and more curiously, some students maintain that it's still while they're actually jerking it about. I let such students practise in front of a mirror, or I use videotape. Actors needing authority — tragic heroes and so on — have to learn this still head trick. You can talk and waggle your head about if you play the gravedigger, but not if you play Hamlet. Officers are trained not to move the head while issuing commands.