Teachers that shout ,don't have to?

[Feminine]

AIBU? I will accept it quickly if I am.

Where I live (small US town) the last 30 years of teaching ethics seems to have gone unobserved... part of this is that a great majority of the teachers shout a lot

With the teens I can see it is becoming fruitless,they just shut down.

I think if a teacher gains control of the class through other skills ,things for all are more productive.

There are a few teachers my 13 year old son will not even attempt to ask for help, as the default position is to yell everything impatiently!

I am not talking (particularly) about when a child has done wrong ...maybe that is accepted as being appropriate?

I don't think loud really gets you very far ...I don't think adults respond well to being barked at either?

I have massive respect for teachers, it must be a thankless task sometimes.

So,this is not in any way a teacher bashing post ...

Just don't think that these days there is any need to shout /yell /bellow while conducting a regular class.

Am I wrong?

[AgentZigzag]

I'm not a teacher, but I can't imagine how they'd get the DCs attention without shouting, given how noisy thirty children can be

[mnistooaddictive]

I am a loud person, students often perceive me as shouting when I do not think I am. Sometimes you need to get attention quickly!

[Hulababy]

I am not a naturally loud person. I am not normally a shouter.

However when I was teaching in secondary there were times that I did shout. It depended on the class and the sitation at the time.

I don't like to hear teachers ranting and shouting all the time but sometimes, if used sparingly, there is a time and a place for raised voices in a classroom full of teenagers.

Shouting all the time can be counter productive.

[Cartoonjane]

As mnistooaddictive says soemtimes kids think you're shouting when you're just being loud. I have definitely had that. On the other hand some teachers do shout for real.

Personally I have a no shouting rule as I think it gets you nowhere. And in fact most teachers I see shouting are getting absolutely nowhere and are doing it out of desperation. There are a few (but fewer and fewer I'd say) who do a sort of sereant major act quite successfully, maybe with some humour which involves shouting and which works well for them. In general though I think shouting is horrible and unproductive. I find it quite upsetting to think of lots of shoutiung going on in schools.

[neolara]

I agree with Hulababy. I used to teach a million years ago. I rarely shouted which meant that on the odd occasion I did, the kids generally took note. I believe that if a teacher shouts a lot, it generally just turns into white noise which kids ignore.

[AgentZigzag]

We had a teacher at secondary school who we called 'Foghorn' because she had such a resonating voice she could have us in our seat within seconds without shouting.

Scary

I don't believe in humiliating children, but I don't mind teachers raising their voice to my DD if she's messing about.

[Ihavewelliesbutitssunny]

I think that constantly shouting doesn't work as people just think of that as your default position and it doesn't get their attention anymore. I think that there are lots of others ways to communicate with young people rather than shouting. It sometimes useful in extreme situations eg to get attention quickly

[meditrina]

I don't think it's productive to shout.

If you need the loudness (eg so your voice carries over a hockey pitch) then that's OK, as is use in extreme circumstance (eg warning of immediate danger or if dealing with a fight/rampage), but not otherwise.

[CailinDana]

Shouting needs to be used sparingly or it loses its effectiveness IMO, plus you lose your voice. I rarely had to shout because I have that "scary" resonating voice which is so useful. I'll never forget going up at uni to make an announcement. The students were already leaving and the lecturer said "Oh I think it's too late," implying I wouldn't get their attention. She was rather shocked when I just said "Ok" in my normal voice and everyone turned around! People often think I'm shouting when I'm not, I'm just naturally forghornish loud.

[NestaFiesta]

YABU. In an ideal world, parents and teachers would never need to shout at their kids as communication would be perfect and everyone would get on.

However, in reality, I would not criticise a teacher for shouting as I have not walked in their shoes and I do not know their class the way they do.

I agree that if a teacher shouted 100% it wouldn't be effective. Used sparingly, it can get kids to do what you need them to do.

I am saying this as it was never my intention to be a shouty mum. However, sometimes after asking nicely around 8 times- guess what technique finally gets the shoes on the feet or the DS up the stairs?

[sugarandspiceandallthingsnice]

As a teacher I don't shout, it doesn't work. I can add an edge to my voice without shouting. In the school I work in, parents shout all the time at their children so you can see them just shutting down and blocking it out.
In fact I find it best to lower my voice to get attention, they need to be quiet to listen.
I have a rain stick/bells that I use for getting attention so I don't have to shout.
On the rare occasions I have shouted the class is which makes it soo much more effective.

[Feminine]

Thank you all.

Not much more I can contribute as I am obviously no expert in the classroom.

I think its interesting that some of you can maintain order without shouting ,I had hoped that would be the case.

nesta I agree with you on the asking nicely at home ...I find myself having to shout sometimes too :)

I was just talking to one of my sons 'shouty' teachers on the phone,surprisingly he was rather quiet this time

Oh well ,I guess it is up to the teacher really!

[NacMacFeegle]

I'm a teacher, I've never needed to shout.

Working with teenagers, it's largely pointless, as they shout back. And they are often bigger than me. Icy calm works a whole lot better - especially on kids who come from very shouty homes.

[DoMeDon]

Any adult who shouts at my Dc will soon be weighed down by a raft of handouts on anger management, appropriate adult behaviour, conflict resolution, etc, etc, etc. I look forward to it

[NinkyNonker]

Haha, try not having to raise your voice to get attention in some of the classes I have taught!

However if you mean shouting someone as against to get the attention of the class then that is different.

[Feminine]

Yes, ninky I am mainly talking about the teachers that bellow as the default position...even in a one to one explaining situation.

To get the classes attention must be very difficult.

DoMeDon seriously?

[DoMeDon]

Completely - (obviously not a one off situ where DC being totally awful) but if you cannot conduct yourself without shouting on a daily basis then you need to address your behaviour and should not be around impressionable and potentially vunerable young people.

[NinkyNonker]

Yes, shouting always just makes someone look like they have lost control.

A friend told me proudly how hot they are on discipline at her baby's nursery, how when she arrived the other day a staff member was bellowing at a young toddler from the group above for grabbing another toddler's water cup. I was , anyone ever tried that at mine I'd be fuming, especially if only a toddler.

[notherdaynotherdollar]

Any adult who shouts at my Dc will blah blah blah

and that is precisely why teachers have little respect shown to them by their pupils - because the parents are always there to undermine .....

maybe little johnny needs a good telling off

[NacMacFeegle]

I have to disagree. I have seen grown adults screaming in children's faces (OK, teens, OK, disruptive children) but it achieves precisely nothing.

Little Johnny may need his boundaries reinforced, or may need reminding about appropriate behaviour, but Little Johnny does not need to be resoundingly humiliated, frightened or verbally abused. Ever.

I may be lucky - when I taught in mainstream (in Tottenham) I taught music, so more often than not kids wanted to be in class - so I had leverage there. But there is, IME, no need to abuse children. Particularly not children with frankly hideous home lives, as is so often the case with "naughty" children.

[DoMeDon]

nother- I can only laugh at your post. I am considered strict by most parents I meet. I instill good behaviour by example not by shouting like an unhinged wally. I think most teachers are shown a lack of respect as DC often don't know what it looks like. Dc here have manners and are disciplined if they don't. Shouting shows up the person doing it and makes the recipeint shut down.

I am sure they are lots of precious johnny parents out there, I am not one.

[NinkyNonker]

A good telling off does not need to involve shouting, that can just be a loss of control. It does nothing to foster respect. I have my own fair share of experience teaching in a very tough secondary school, and can maintain respect without needing to shout. And I maintain if I felt an adult in a position of responsibility yelled at my child as an attempt to force an upper hand I wouldn't be very impressed.

[DoMeDon]

ninky - that's exactly what I'm saying - shout to be heard, maybe even shout as a one off but shouting as a standard!?! Def some life skills missing IMO.

[Feminine]

Thanks DoMeDon I didn't mean my to look argumentative ...I was wondering :)

I kind of agree with you ,I don't teach ( I talk to the kids within the class sometimes) not the same thing though.

As I live in a caveman town ,I am totally green as to what the norm is or should be these days.

[Mitmoo]

I've seen plenty of teacher using brilliant techniques to control classes without shouting. I loved one school so much and their excellent teachers I moved my son into there when he'd had enough of too many useless ones at a previous school who failed to maintain any discipline.