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Some time ago I heard a very bold, and potentially life-threatening,
statement from a colleague in the staffroom. He, we'll call him Mr. Footinit,
had just returned from a training day where he had clearly had a revelation and
decided…
"If pupils behave badly in a lesson it is the teacher's
fault."
Needless to say coffee was spilled and spat out en masse
when he shared this little gem but I have to say… with some trepidation… this
is a view I almost totally agree
with.
We all know there
are many factors which influence the behaviour of the young people in our care,
including diet, home life, peer pressure, hormones, medical disorders, bullying
and TV, to name but a few. We also know that, as teachers, we have absolutely
no control over these factors at all; so how on earth can it be the teacher's
fault when a child misbehaves?
The teacher cannot
ensure a child doesn't stuff his face with additive-laden sweets and fizzy
drinks for breakfast on his way to school any more than she can prevent him
watching inappropriate films and TV programs at 3am. We teachers have no
control over those things; they happen outside school so they are outside our
control.
So there we go.
Case closed. When a pupil behaves badly in class it can't possibly be the
teacher's fault.
But incidents of bad
behaviour seldom just ‘happen'. They are usually triggered by what can often
seem relatively insignificant events and then escalate dramatically as a result
of the reactions of others – including the teacher.
A teacher who
reacts to challenging pupils with aggressive body language, shouting, sarcasm,
unfair punishments etc. may cause resentment and open defiance together with
all the associated behaviours. Similarly, when minor problems are left
unchecked by the teacher they will undoubtedly get out of hand. When either of
these things happen, Mr. Footinit's comment is not too far wide of the mark.
The teacher who
seldom ventures to the back of the classroom where the ‘likely lads' hang out
is asking for trouble just as the teacher who pre-judges and snarls at Ryan,
Liam and Connor before they've had chance to sit down is asking for an
argument. The way we approach challenging children is crucial in terms of
managing the classroom and diffusing and de-escalating problems before they get
out of hand. And our approach is the
only thing that is under our direct control.
We can't change a
child's inappropriate parents and we can't change what goes on outside the
classroom but one thing we can change – tomorrow
– is our approach towards our most challenging pupils; the way we interact and
communicate with them. Obviously we communicate differently to people we
actually like, respect and get on with because we feel differently about them
than those who annoy us or cause us problems. Clearly then, the first essential
step in changing our approach lies in taking a step back and changing the way
we actually feel about these young
people; changing our whole attitude
towards them.
I interviewed
hundreds of ‘at risk' students recently to try and find out what it was
specifically that made them so unsuccessful at school. These kids were aged
between 11 and 15 and were the ones you'd always find scurrying around
corridors during lesson time – usually because they'd been thrown out of the
class. They were all ‘at risk' of being permanently excluded from school
because of their behaviour and negative attitude.
The results shocked
me.
In EVERY instance,
every single pupil told me that the reason they had problems in certain lessons
and with certain members of staff was because the member of staff made it quite
clear that they didn't like them and didn't want them in their class. Their attitude towards these kids was totally
negative and was clearly conveyed in their body language, their voices, their
facial expressions and their actions.
They had the
expectation, if not hope, that unsavory behaviours were bound to occur. As we all know, in this game,
teacher expectations are a powerful force so the kids rarely failed to
disappoint.
Let's look at the following simple exercise to illustrate
the important part our attitude towards challenging pupils plays in effective
classroom management…
Two new pupils have arrived at your school and you are told you
must have one of them in your class. Which one would you prefer?
Pupil A
•
Mother
died when he was 5. Father left home when he was 4.
•
Lived
with grandmother for 1 year before she died.
•
Since
then, lived in 3 foster homes and been excluded from primary school.
•
Scars
and burns – attributed to abusive father.
Pupil B
•
Manipulative
•
Incapable
of following instructions
•
Needs
constant attention from staff
•
Violent
towards staff and fellow pupils
•
Doesn't
form relationships easily
Unless you're
someone who loves a challenge you would probably opt for Pupil A, based on the
principle that you feel sorry for him. Alternatively, you may have already
guessed that the two pupils are, in fact the same person. The description of
Pupil A focuses on the person, his background and some of the terrible factors
that have contributed to his failing. The description of Pupil B focuses on the
behaviour the pupil displays.
The point of this
little exercise is that when dealing with ‘problem' children, it is easy to
label the child solely in terms of their behaviour, rather than the whole
child. Our attitude towards them then develops accordingly.
Teachers with
negative attitudes generate problems for themselves. They wind kids up; they
expect trouble (and get it). Their classroom has a negative air. When behaviour
problems occur, which they frequently do in this environment, they quickly
escalate into serious confrontations because the teacher's response tends to be
aggressive, sarcastic or dismissive.
The teacher with a
positive attitude has positive expectations. Rather than being on the lookout
for, and expecting, problems in the classroom they look for, and frequently
find, solutions. They communicate on every level that they are there to help
the pupils rather than find fault with them and when problems do occur, they
respond in a manner that conveys care, fairness and consideration without
compromising the need to be firm and in control.
If you want to see
positive changes in your ability to manage difficult pupils a good place to
start is with your attitude towards these young people. Try to remember that
they aren't born badly behaved. Remember they have a history which has shaped
them and are likely to have had far more emotional pressure to deal with in
their short lives than you or I ever will; and treat them accordingly. If you
do that, no one can ever say it's your fault when they don't behave!
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