To want to walk out of this school today

[Coronationstreet]

I'm only covering a couple of weeks' leave as a supply teacher so my last day is a week on Friday, but even that seems impossible.
The year 7 and 8 classes are good. Not perfect,but manageable.
9 are ok. Year 10, it depends.
Year 11 however are absolutely despicable.
It's a massive top set, 34 of them. Didn't even have enough desks yesterday

You have clearly never had 30 15/16 year old males bigger than you threatening you.

OP, go to SMT and ask them what THEY are going to do to sort the behaviour out in this class. It's their school and their job to fix it. If that means a member of SMT sitting in the lessons for the next 2 weeks while you teach so be it.

I love the Michaela method of teaching. It should be replicated in all UK schools. Not only do the students behave properly, they achieve fantastic academic results.

I am no longer a teacher but I think that the thing to do is tell SLT that you will not teach that class but happy to cover the others, up to them.
Why teachers a required to become Sylvester Stallone just to teach English is depressing.

I’m about to quit teaching altogether for similar reasons. It’s a shift and a half just to get through 15 minutes in some classes. I’m off today and just sitting at home thinking of my colleagues getting ready for the first bell to go etc feeling sooo grateful that I’m not in there today. Luckily my class are a bit younger than this but still a lot of boys and a lot of that ‘lads lads lads’ football mentality, cheering and chanting at random things 🤦🏼‍♀️ If it was one individual you can hammer down on them and get it stopped but when it’s multiple people from different sides of the room, it’s just not possible to keep playing whack a mole when it’s them all at the same time 😩

Thank you. I will just need to be firm and assertive and refuse that class. I think the LSAs are all based in core subjects as there are none in MFL, ever.
I will give them one last chance today, if no change then I will email slt.

If you’re not on exit the classroom and thrive Facebook group I would suggest joining and posting on there - such a supportive group

Go- I did not worth the hassle . Decent teacher who left and picked up supply. Kids had a string of supply as they were wild. They recruited on the golden group…. Poor lady has just got out. Do a good job… your supply , a bad… your supply and the pay is dreadful

You cannot teach kids who are just not interested
With regard to the size of classes that is exactly why ours in in private schol
8 kids in their class

I don't want to let the school down.

Not a teacher myself, but my dad is, and he did supply for a couple of years, and his experience was that senior management is the biggest factor influencing behaviour in a school. If senior management have got your back then a supply teacher can teach just as well as the best of the full-time teachers. But if they haven't then it's like the chimp enclosure at the zoo.

What this means is: it won't be you letting them down, they are already letting you down.

Well they do sound despicable. I mean i would have called them feral little shits. Threatening a woman with scissors? Is that not despicable behaviour then?

I hope you have taken the advice and left,stating your reasons to the head and the governors

Absolutely no way should you continue working in these appalling conditions. Your physical safety is at risk never mind your mental and emotional safety.

They sound like thugs of the future, how revolting.

I agree about the Micaela School. And not only are they well educated, they are happy! What an amazing school.

I had exactly this. Also MFL and expected to teach multiple languages, some of them related to languages I do speak and others not. I had particularly bad behaviour in two schools. One of them complained about my poor behaviour management to the agency and asked for me not to come back, I had to then have a reassessment with the agency about what I was going to change and whether they'd give me any more work (an empty threat, given how short they were of MFL specialists). I had been completely set up to fail, there were no support structures in place.

The other one was long term supply in a difficult school. The kids were really badly behaved but the department were lovely and very supoprtive and it made all the difference. I happily stayed, even though the kids were tough.

IMO, you need to get your complaint in to the agency already, regardless of whether you choose to stay or go. Make sure they know what you've had to put up with. Then make the decision on whether to go back or not, whatever is best for you. You won't be letting the kids down for such a short term cover, they'll find someone else to get through the next couple of weeks without massively impacting their progress.

It sounds absolutely grim.
The pupils sound absolutely feral.

This is probably why parents if they can afford it send kids to private schools, simply as no child can learn in that environment.

A relative taught in Vauxhall, London and found it extremely challenging.

She got a new job at a private school in Oxford, and loved it.
Her students there were actually amenable to learning , rather than being disruptive.

These badly behaved kids are probably well used to running rings around supply teachers.
Even their parents probably have trouble with them.

Where are the teachers who can maintain discipline in the face of such classrooms?

I feel for the quiet kids in these “Rumpus room classes.
They are missing out learning, but how can a new teacher bring them under control so they at least are quiet ?

Do the poorly behaved ones behave better for their usual teachers?

That's the beauty of supply. Just tell your agency

Don't blame yourself - have some self respect and refuse to be treated so badly by the students and the school - stand your ground - don't let anyone victim blame you - tell the school you have tried your best but you have been put in an impossible situation - supply teachers are not respected by many classes as they will disappear sooner or later unlike a full-time member of staff (who also tend to leave for exactly the same reasons) - the school will no doubt be well aware of the problems but has failed to take enough action to put in place a solution that works. I stuck it out for 10 weeks full-time at one school and they wanted to offer me a job at the end of it - I knew they had had a several supply teachers before me - the regular class teacher was off on long term sick - that wasn't explained to me - when I said I was leaving - because the work was so hard - I was then told how much better I had done that the previous 10 supply teachers and that even the deputy head had refused to take the class - that's how bad the problem was and they knew it - the deterioration in behaviour really was a consequence of not having a regular teacher. You are in this situation because of a failure to manage a problem class - don't let anyone turn this around on you (as they are apt to do IMHO) - why isn't the normal class teacher there? If they were aware it was a long term situation and have had a number of supply teachers who did not want to stay long - why haven't they acted to address the problem properly - it doesn't do the students any favours (or indeed the succession of supply teachers, the returning class teacher or a new appointment) - however difficult it might be for the school - it is their problem, their responsibility - this is what these effing useless mangers/leaders (usually with no real management/leadership experience) get paid for. Tell the school and your agency at the start of your day that if you do not have a workable arrangement in place the next day you will not be returning - you have the flexibility and option as a supply to do this - use it. As I say - have some self respect - act like a responsible adult and a professional - give them advance warning (I'm sure neither the school or the agency will be surprised by this) - the failure to properly manage a problem class is down to half assed management - it's not your problem.

I don’t understand this.

OP I really feel for you. I've always wondered how people can manage to do this job, especially supply. My child's school is the same, absolutely dispicable, no amount of complaining helps, some of the children are just vile and don't change, (she just wants to learn it finds it impossible).
I would, at your next opportunity, refuse to teach the Year 11s. Ring the boys parents who threatened you with the scissors. Must be so hard, but so important to stay calm in these situations.
Do they have a supervised isolation room to send to?

Call the parents of the good kids, say how mature they are and that you know it is difficult. It will make you feel better and the good kids will respect you more.

Think of the money, you are paid the same whether they learn or not.

I was once asked if I "took it up the bum" by a year 9 so you have my sympathies.

I had similar in a school (boys being aggressive etc) but when the deputy head came (I sent a good one to the school office) he spoke very rudely to me in front of the class and complained to the agency. It was mortifying and confirmed to me that a lot of schools and agencies don't care, they just want a body at the front of the classroom.

Urgh this is bringing back horrible memories.
Haven’t read all the replies but sounds like it needs two people in there, for everyone’s wellbeing - a TA? Get through it if you can. This is why I’m no longer a teacher.

I knew some people would come on here and bleat about private school. I'm alright Jack. Many people CAN'T AFFORD IT.

🙄🙄🙄

That sounds hideous. Awful experience.

I had something similar years ago when working in the often grim, unpleasant environment of the FE college. Things came to a head when a student pulled a knife on another student and I took out my 'phone and called security to come and escort the offender off the premises. The police were also called. There was, by that time, no other course of action to take. I'm also fairly sure questions were asked about my competence (I'm QTS with a PhD) for 'allowing' things to escalate to that level.

Thankfully, I was able to jump into a university lecturing post and left shortly after this incident, but as an introduction to teaching this was a real baptism of fire. The misery of those weeks in the college classroom was a feeling I've never forgotten.

As a supply, I think I'd firstly thrash it out with the school and if that was ineffective, cut my losses and get out. There IS no viable solution to such a predicament, except to remove yourself from it, yet that's by no means an easy decision as we're talking about someone's livelihood.

You have my utmost sympathy, OP.

That sounds very difficult, well done for emailing for support