How much is your class disrupted by bad behaviour?

[Catinthetwat]

I was just wondering how much of a problem behaviour is in the classroom. I keep hearing that it's getting out of hand.

Interested to hear from teachers and TA's...

There seems to be the misconception on this thread that poor behaviour is the result of poorly dealt with SEN, or because kids can’t access the curriculum.

While this can be the case, a lot of poor behaviour is because pissing about is more fun than engaging with the lesson. From kids with no SEN who could easily get a C in maths.

Fazackerley

They just have zero respect for the young ,ineffective teacher (tbf according to dd she just sits at her desk sending emails and handing out worksheets)

This overlooks one very important fact.

If the pupils are not willing to behave then they won't be able to learn no matter what the teacher does.

I can't believe the key motivation for my Dd in first year to do well, is to ensure they get into the top set to avoid the disrupters. The key kid in their class isn't so bad. But his mum and dad are oblivious and think it's joyous boy hi jinks and banter. 🙄. I wonder how strongly worded his reports have been.

I'm leaving teaching because of sick of constantly battling behaviour. Teaching seems to be more crowd control these days, rather than imparting knowledge and wisdom.

AnnaFiveTowns

-Change "isolation" rooms into something more nurturing (often the pupils there have some kind of SEMH issue going on which is why they are there)

Could someone please bust this myth. It real isn't often the case at all.

While this can be the case, a lot of poor behaviour is because pissing about is more fun than engaging with the lesson. From kids with no SEN who could easily get a C in maths.

My DCs would agree with this, they both say that the behaviour is noticeably worse in the subjects where they are not set than it is in the top sets. Not SEN but pissing and being rude and disruptive then kicking off when they are sent out of the room. My youngest can't wait to get into the GCSE years when they think it'll be better.

Girlofgold

I wonder how strongly worded his reports have been

They won't be strongly worded at all, the report will be soft and worded in the mushy bullshit that teachers have to put down to prevent parents from being offended.

Ten years ago you would never of heard of a child throwing a chair in year two at a teacher or punching the teacher but my forth child has witnessed these behaviours

I saw both of those things happening ten years ago.

While this can be the case, a lot of poor behaviour is because pissing about is more fun than engaging with the lesson. From kids with no SEN who could easily get a C in maths

We aren't allowed to say that though are we. Every single thread about behaviour in the classroom theres at least one.person who pipes up saying uts God life skills to learn to be able to work next to someone who all but eats your work. That they likely have some kind of undiagnosed SN and we should be understandingand invite them to your party even though they pushed you down the stairs and stole your pen

I do think that actually this constant assuming theres something wrong with them doesn't help. As chances are they are just idiots and selfish. Meanwhile the kids who di have SN, we dint really hear about them do we. Dd wouldn't know who those kids are cos they arent really the ones causing the problems . When you look at the Ofsted reports which tell you if the school has a higher or lower than national average number of pupils with special needs, look at the national average of children with special needs, then I dont think its statistically likely that all.17 boys on one class are all kids with AN.

When you groups of 5/6/7 kids in one class whi regularly fuck about either every single child with SN has been put in one class regardless of age/yr group. Or they are just naughty.

Ten years ago you would never of heard of a child throwing a chair in year two at a teacher or punching the teacher but my forth child has witnessed these behaviours

This happened when I was at school 30 + years ago, the difference then was that the child would have immediately been excluded/sent to a 'special school'.

Some kids have SEN and/or emotional and behavioural difficulties. Some of them might be disruptive.

Some kids are just lazy regardless of how bright they are and they'd rather do their own thing and then just do enough work to get away with it. Some of them might be disruptive.

Some kids are very spoilt and rude. They have no respect for their parents or teachers. They are always disruptive.

I think a lot of it is to do with demographics. I work in an inner London school which would be regarded as a poorer area, with about 80%+ on pupil premium.

I am currently the lead in an ‘isolation room,’ I hate that term as we do so much more. We have sensory areas and work stations where there is a table and dividers either side. We also do a lot of work relating to their mental health as well.

I’d estimate that we have at least 60-70% of a class exhibiting unwanted behaviours. At best they are not following instructions, and in the worst case scenarios I am being punched, spat at, hair pulled and head butted.

The behaviour does affect the education of others and a few weeks ago they made an agency teacher cry. Agency staff leave within a day and refuse to come back. It is physically impossible and mentally draining to manage a class of 30 when 20 of them are refusing to follow instructions. The teachers are tired of it.

BUT these children are suffering with their mental health. Usually the behaviour is an outcome of a particular event or an underlying issue. When this behaviour is triggered it is difficult to manage it.
These children need help but where is the funding to support these children?

Everyone is over stretched!

My son has ASD. He is quiet, passive and well behaved. Academically above average. High IQ.

He now attends a specialist school. I would point out ‘special school’ is a term due to them specialising in something, not a term for lumping all disruptive children together!

Prior to this he attended 3 mainstream schools, including independent. He was bullied severely by children without SEN. The independent school, with small class size, was by far the worst.

@BoneyBackJefferson oh it really isn’t a myth in my case. But as my ‘isolation room’ is def an area to support children dealing with their SEMH.

BUT there is ALWAYS a reason for disruptive behaviour.

And the examples I gave are the extremes. There are plenty of nice,polite ,well behaved children that still are disruptive at times.

I see nothing wrong with an isolation room, other than the name and what it is used for. Sounds like prison!

I’m sure some children with or without SEN could benefit from being taught in a quiet place. An ‘isolation’ room could be a positive, if not used as a punishment.

BUT these children are suffering with their mental health. Usually the behaviour is an outcome of a particular event or an underlying issue. When this behaviour is triggered it is difficult to manage it.
These children need help but where is the funding to support these children?

Why are school not applying for EHCP’s?

BUT there is ALWAYS a reason for disruptive behaviour.

Sometimes it’s a lack of an effective behaviour policy.

Many kids who given a chance to piss around would take it with both hands manage to modify their behaviour appropriately if they think it will end badly for them.

@Claw01 do you know how hard it is to get an ECHP? To get one for behaviour is even harder.

@noblegiraffe but if that child is aware of the consequences and would behave appropriately due to the consequences then there isn’t an issue with that child’s behaviour as they have the ability to self regulate.
The real issues are with the children who cannot self regulate therefore the consequences are meaningless as they are unable to link the consequence with their actions until much later.

witchtower yes my son has one, for exactly that difficult ie social, emotional. It is much harder for parents requesting. In my experience if school say they cannot meet needs, it’s much easier.

Also depending on where you live the schools will decide what they do with the funding. There are no requirements set out.
An ECHP does not automatically give you a right to a 1:1, a lot of the time it is used on resources.

Witchend you said there is always a reason for disruptive behaviour, implying SEN, emotional issues etc and funding needed to support said child.

Sometimes the reason is simply because the child gets away with it.

A lot of teachers in a lot of schools are struggling with behaviour because of the second reason. A lot.

@Witchtower
oh it really isn’t a myth in my case.

Yes there are cases where SEMH and lack of support is part of the problem, it isn't the only reason or more often the main reason.

BUT there is ALWAYS a reason for disruptive behaviour.

Yes but its not always SEMH, SEND etc. sometimes its because the child wants to misbehave.

Lets not pretend that every child in isolation has a SEMH/SEND.

I've done a lot of supply, obviously I see the worst of some schools.

A lot can be said for a clear and universally applied policy, but policies that you cannot abide by - that leads to disruption being got away with.

My favorite school discipline wise had 2 different detentions, one for work not completed which was done with the subject teacher at the subject teacher's convenience and a discipline one.

Each lesson a#was a clean slate, first misbehaviour the child's name went on the board, second the name was ticked, a third and the child went to detention that day for 45 mins of writing, copying out of a book ii good handwriting.

The detention was all in one room and staff were on a rota.

So if you had departmental meeting you could still give detention.

At another school detention has to be taken by the teacher issuing it, so if you have a meeting or anything else you cannot give a detention.

I have been known to spend a free period calling parents, not of the disruptive children but of the ones trying their best because I don't always get time in class to thank them.

I have been told not to thank children but I generally do at the end of the lesson. The majority are putting up with the disruption and they deserve thanks. Also if I'm on a daily supply I appologise for not getting their names right.

Another thing is back up, if a teacher issues a detention it should be a detention, not go whining to another teacher who cancels it.

Oh and being seen to be fair. At one school I was only at for a day I told the class to sit in their seating plan from their usual teacher, asked them to make sure they were and just before I took the register checked they were in the seating plan.

I know they are not, I'm supply, they don't know I have a copy of the seating plan, and I might not know everyone's name but I know that the first person on the register should be sitting at the back so when I called his name and he was sat right in front of me I could give him a detention and the rest of the class got 1 min to sit in 'their' seats.