to think that if you let the students in your class do any of these things you are doing them a disservice?

[pickledsiblings]

• listen to music players whilst completing work (unless it's a music lesson/relevant)
• eat and/or drink (not water obviously)
• get up and walk around at will
• swear/use foul language to you/each other under their breath (whilst you pretend not to hear)
• dry-hump each other (to which you merely raise an eyebrow)
• routinely turn up to lessons with no pens, pencils, books
• treat the floor as a bin
• deface books
• break pens etc
• use their mobiles for texting (against whilst you pretend not to notice)

All opinions most welcome!

Any teachers willing to admit to any/all of these? Would be particularly interested in hearing your justifications.

Haven't there been studies that show evidence of an improvement in work if allowed to listen to ipods? I might be making it up.

I agree although I will admit that I teach a boy who is always breaking pens.

If you've an issue with a teacher then make a complaint, the job is hard enough without this kind 'oh I'm so perfect and this teacher is soooo wicked and oooo aren't I so fucking special for putting in the public forum'

Who knows maybe the teacher is one of the hudreds every year having a nervous breakdown.

I wonder why you started this thread?

Are the students dong all of the above at once. I would want to know why the teacher is not being supported.

I've had all of those things happen except the dry humping, but I challenged them all. Is that ok with you? I imagine some of those things could happen and the teacher might not notice, but there's no justification for ignoring it if they do notice. I'm not a class teacher at the moment and it was constantly stopping to deal with that kind of crap that made me want to be a tutor.

Are you angry about something that is happening in your dc's class? Have you talked to the school?

No issue with any teacher in particular faerie, more an issue with the kinds of student behaviour on display and a lack of understanding (mine) on how one might successfully cope with such behaviour.

Bring back the cane I say.

Sounds like a normal mainstream secondary school. This behaviour happens up and down the country in all social classes.

Unfortunately kids are untouchable and their parents back them up if a school tries to discipline their appauling behaviour. Or some parents says that their dear darling has "special needs" and should be allowed to prance around the classroom doing sweet FA. Their "rights" to an education comes without responsiblites to sit down and behave.

I take it these are secondary students?

And if the do really have SN reallytired?

Where are you seeing such behaviour OP?

FWIW, we would see all of those in the school I work at. Successful teachers challenge all of them and have an endless supply of pens available

Yes OMDB, secondary students.

Yup, all of that's the teacher's fault, obviously.

I don't recognise any of them from my own school days.

I have no issue if someone wants to listen to music while redrafting an essay or anything else that involves working alone without any instruction needed during that task...as long as they are actually working.

I've also ignored (pretended not to hear) muttered swearing if it will cause a situation that I'm already dealing with to escalate.

tabulahrasa, is that in keeping with your school's policy on music players?

I am no longer a teacher, but the secondary he schools I have worked in all had strict rules about most of these. I have always abided by by the rules of any school I was in, unless I was teaching A level students, then I have relaxed a few of these rules (allowed hot drinks in some lessons, allowed to listen to music in some lessons).

I have also taught in FE colleges, and allow some use of phones, food and drinks to some extent, but with conditions - the privilege can be revoked if they take the piss.

I now work with young offenders and I dont give a rat's arse if they eat or drink, turn up without equipment (I will provide), send the odd text to friends or swear occasionally i(not at each other) as long as they turn up and are reasonably engaged. Cant afford to sweat the small stuff!

OP - you still haven't told us why you want to know. Are you a parent who has been into school? A PGCE student? A pupil?

It really depends on the school you are in, the kids you have and the person you are and how well you hold authority.

Are we supposed to be delivering the curriculum simultaneously while dealing with all of these things ?

Sounds like an average lesson in an inner city comp I worked at years ago
The constant interruption to deal with the incidents you mention often meant that very little was taught. Thats the reality in so e schools, sad but true .

I have seen some teachers - mainly Tech/Graphics/Art - get excellent results in terms of behaviour and exam results - by letting their students do whatever they like, as long as they get their work done and don't disrupt others (so, they can listen to an ipod, eat sweets etc).

I would very much doubt that iPods are in any way conducive to constructive learning...probably the kids are lazy normally and wanted to keep the privelege, so made a bit more effort that time. Everyone can concentrate in silence if they make an effort. Today with all the TV watching and flashy adverts it's just got to be a bigger effort, and the people who want to listen to music more say they "have" to do it. What rot.

The only thing I feel I am fighting a losing battle on is the not bringing a pen to lessons.

They don't drink water either. No drinking in my lab.

You might get good results in the moment, but long term....I could see it having a pretty bad effect.