To think this head teacher has lost the plot?

[pointythings]

link here

I read this today and was just . In what world does this make any sense? By all means let's have rules about walking in an orderly manner between classes and enforce them, but this smacks of the Ministry of Silly Walks to me. I don't understand how anyone could think this was a good idea.

If you were a 3 year + trained professional in your discipline why does/would your respect need to be earned?

Well, yes. If you went to a solicitor who had been in practice over three years, wouldn't you expect them to demonstrate that they know the law, are able to apply it pragmatically to your case, can turn your work round within a reasonable time period etc? Or would you just say "He's a 3 year + trained professional, he must be wonderful?"

It always amuses me when schools claim that things like rigid uniform policies lead to good academic results, as they can never explain how other countries consistently produce good results despite their schools having no uniform at all.

My children's junior school does this, I honestly didn't know it was an issue. I just assumed it was to stop the kids running about being daft in the corridors. They still charge about like chimps on speed in the playground, then the bell goes and they line up. Then teacher comes up and they all walk in quietly with hands clasped behind their backs. Even my dd manages it and she has dyspraxia and I suspect hypermobility. I did worry she'd end up on her face but as yet it's been OK.
I guess it sounds a bit like a line of inmates going into their cells But it's actually quite a sight to see how they calm down and walk so nicely to class.
I guess now I know it's not the done thing I'll try and conjure up a bit more irritation about it. But maybe I'll save that for the pita rule about deciding what days you want hot dinners for the week on Mondays. Now THAT'S a stupid rule...

I am a parent at her other school.... she's now at both.
Where to begin!

Utter tripe and ridiculous. I imagine it will work fine until

• They need to carry things
• They fall over face first first (my kids had enough trouble looking where they were going, let alone remembering to put their hands out to save themselves......
• anyone actually tries to police this

Just bonkers!

Oh dear. Little loves would be floored if they had to walk like this in a secondary school.

OfficeGirl1969 - absolutely right.

It's a bit silly, and won't work, and the idea that this is how you walk at uni is a bit of a joke. It's more like a prison officer walk to me. However, I agree with the sentiment of being quiet and calm and arriving at class ready to learn.

I think they have made up the term "University Walk" I think walking like that betrays a lack of confidence.

I'm a primary headteacher, and don't automatically expect respect. However, lots of people think it is totally acceptable to come in and use heads and our colleagues to work out all of their frustrations in life.

Interesting that I seem to be the only person on here to be far more offended by their motto and its missing conjunction:

‘go shine in the world’ OUCH!!!

Mrs Tiggy, that's interesting that your school already does this and it works and causes no problems (my daughter is also dyspraxic, so I did wonder.) Your post does make me feel a little about all the people on here who appear so sure that it "won't work"!

Do tell more Charlie!

What conjunction is missing from "Go shine in the world"?

kesstrel - I guess "and". As in "Go and shine in the world". Without the "and" it seems more like American idiom than British idiom.

I think we could add the Lambeth walk to the list of possible dances you could do through the school.

I can understand that the head wants teachers to walk calmly in corridors, but I think the hands behind the back rule is excessive. I also object to the stupid name ("university walk") and the ridiculous rationale about shining in the world and doing better academically or being more self-confident or whatever it was. I very much doubt there's any evidence to support any of that.

If she'd just said, "It's so kids don't barge into each other in the corridors", I'd have had a bit more respect for her.

It's shit power-crazed mentalness.

It would be a deal dealer for me.

Not teaching anyone anything. Doesn't teach anyone about personal space either. You learn by doing. You learn nuances of personal space by experiencing your own and other people's attitude to it. Not by not doing.

But mottoes are supposed to be pithy. If I read "Go shine in the world" in a poem, I would assume the choice of wording was deliberate, to emphasise the word "shine" and make the phrase sound more immediate and imperative. I think the same should apply to a motto. And I would be more concerned about that, and about its grammatical correctness, than whether it "sounded American".

Ds wouldn't be able to walk like that. If someone tried to force him to have his hands in a certain position he would have a meltdown.

I would like to see a double-blind, randomised, peer-reviewed study that shows children who walk with their hands clasped behind them become happier more fulfilled adults.

On the other hand, I suspect a lot of children who aren't neuro-typical or who have sensory issues might appreciate being able to walk down corridors without being afraid of being touched or poked.

I half expected this to be about our head teacher!

She is on a massive power trip, and certainly doesn't have parents on her side!

It's her first headship and there has been a huge staff turnover and lots of children have left the school.

She is rude to people, doesn't communicate, and when asked a perfectly reasonable question in a polite way about which teachers will be going on a residential trip sends a very passive aggressive reply without answering the question.

Yes there needs to be discipline in school, but you can do this without going over the top.

kesstrel: 'And I would be more concerned about that, and about its grammatical correctness, than whether it "sounded American".'

I don't think it is grammatically correct, though. If you're giving someone an instruction beginning "go", you'd either write "Go to..." or "Go and..."

I fear the consequences compos!

I've looked it up, and it appears to be "correct in some dialects" - which probably means American! So I will concede gracefully. I think I have been reading too much French lately, where "serial verbs" like this are common.

Charlie that tells its own tale.

I used to teach in that school many many years ago..(totally misses point of thread)

'Go shine in the world' would set my teeth a-twitching.

...but... we are not in America!!!!!!
Sorry, I just hate it. Grammatically incorrect and American. Mottos really don't have to be pithy.

Yes, I hope a parent tells this headteacher to
'Go AND swivel on my middle finger'

Mrs Tiggy, that's interesting that your school already does this and it works and causes no problems (my daughter is also dyspraxic, so I did wonder.) Your post does make me feel a little hmm about all the people on here who appear so sure that it "won't work"!

Well, no, because in Mrs Tiggy's child's school they seem to do it only when walking from the playground into the school, at a time when there are staff supervising the class and therefore able to police it. They don't seem to be saying that children should walk around the school in this manner all the time.