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Original poster

how to be very strict

96 replies

hercules · 25/02/2005 19:16

I always considered myself to be a strict but fair teacher but I'm clearly not strict enough for the kids I'm now teaching. I've been struggling with a few kids in a class I teach and the lsa said I need to be more strict. I know she's right but not sure how to be more strict without being a bitch.
I do all the recommended stuff but it's not enough. What else can I do?

OP posts:
fisil · 25/02/2005 19:19

read Bill Rogers.

frogs · 25/02/2005 19:21

When dh started teaching and was given a tough Y9 group to be form tutor to, he was told, "Don't smile until Christmas".

Yorkiegirl · 25/02/2005 19:26

Message withdrawn

popsycal · 25/02/2005 19:30

Agree with what has been said.
What have you tried so far? I try not to shout but consider myself to be fair and firm. Think groung rules are very important - as are a regualr routine so the class know EXACTLY what is expected at any given moment. Ie - when my literacy set come into the classroom (we teach in sets) they know to get their book out and read silently until everyone arrives. They know if an activity is a quiet one or a group one from the outset. ROUTINES ROUTINES ROUTINES work for me.

What age do you teach hercules? And how long have you been teaching?

Tommy · 25/02/2005 19:31

I'd just be a bitch!
Agree with Yorkiegirl - set very clear boundaries and keep to them. In my last school, there was a "no earrings" rule. A girl I was teaching wanted to leave my class to go to her music lesson and I said she could - when she removed her earrings (didn't agree with the rule BTW but thought I'd better enforce it)She wouldn't take them out so she didn't go to her music class - harsh, but fair and after that they always knew where they stood with me - I think children need that

Yorkiegirl · 25/02/2005 19:32

Message withdrawn

popsycal · 25/02/2005 19:34

Give us some background as to:

  • what you have tried so far
  • what the kids do to be difficult
  • what proportion of the class do it
  • any particular triggers - eg subjects, specific parts of lessons, types of activities.......
fisil · 25/02/2005 19:36

Make sure there is always something for them to do, so that when you do have to address poor behaviour you are either reinforcing a routine (as others have suggested) or focussing on the work. If you just tell them off for their poor behaviour ... what next?

Original poster
hercules · 25/02/2005 19:47

God, done everything. It's only about 3 kids and I've dealt with two of these. The third does his level best to wind up others though and does get a good audience out of the class as a whole.

I do detentions, names and minutes on board, targets over a period of time with assessing these targets every lesson, letters home, phone calls home, spoken to their tutors, long and short chats with child on one to one basis, tried praise and zero tolerance. List goes on.

OP posts:
Original poster
hercules · 25/02/2005 19:48

Also tried range of activities eg copying, simple questions, drawings etc.

OP posts:
popsycal · 25/02/2005 19:50

What ages are they hercules? and what sort of school is it? what sort of catchment IYSWIM and what back up do you have from whole school routines etc

Original poster
hercules · 25/02/2005 19:55

Large secondary and these are year 8s. Management is supportive on a head of dept level but admits we can only do so much and everyone struggles. SMT is unseen.
I have followed all school procedures and then some.
I want to be more strict in my mannerisms and convey a stronger aura of strictnes. What I do is fine, it's how I do it.

OP posts:
popsycal · 25/02/2005 19:57

I teach year 6 but in a 9-13 school so do have contact with year 8s but dont teach them directly except for cover lessons.....so am probably not the most qualified to answer.

But will anyway

I think non-verbal signals are really useful as a starting point.

popsycal · 25/02/2005 19:58

Do they wait outside the classroom before you 'invite' them in?

happymerryberries · 25/02/2005 20:00

I had hell on earth with one class. This was not elped when the HOY asked for a child to be sent to her, child refused, HOY said, 'Oh just keep them then', totaly undermined what little authority I had with these kids.

I complained and the HOY explained that it was a misunderstanding and we then agreed the following plan. First misbehaviour, a warning, second a pink slip and a break time DT, Third a pink slip and a lunch time DT, fourth a pink slip and an after school. The rules were absolute, no wriggle room. Anyone who would not do as they were asked was removed after the second time of asking, and spent the rest of the lesson with the duty HOY. The latter had to happen once only. The girl was whisked away before she knew what was happening. The class were dumbstruck. A few weeks of this and they were back on target.

Now that they are behaving I am running a star chard, which they are loving. They are hurrying to finish work, and some of them are even revising for your biweekly 'quizes'. I had the best lesson of the week with them on Thursday, and that lesson used to be the lesson from hell.

Get the SMT on board, get some rules and stick to them come hell or high water.

Original poster
hercules · 25/02/2005 20:00

I do all that too. I rarely raise my voice, always try to use body language over talking, have a position in the room etc.

When i ask for help, I get told we all struggle and that's the way it is.

Am I trying to get perfection but then why would the LSA who sees others teach, say i need to be more strict?

Sadly, there is no opportunity for me to observe others.

OP posts:
Original poster
hercules · 25/02/2005 20:02

Okay, getting SMT on board isnt going to happen. It's also not possible to send kids out for longer than a few minutes.

I like the idea of a star chart, more details please.

But is that going against the strict idea?

OP posts:
popsycal · 25/02/2005 20:03

sad about no opportunity - i was going to suggest that you observe others.

would you be willing to give up a non-contact period (i am presuming you get them in secondary??)

Original poster
hercules · 25/02/2005 20:04

We do get non contact time and lots of teachers have asked to do a peer observation thing but it seems that SMT are against this.

OP posts:
popsycal · 25/02/2005 20:05

That is crazy!!! I honestly think you can learn a lot from other teachers. either good things to do or what NOT to do

happymerryberries · 25/02/2005 20:12

I don't think the star chat would have worked before they were in hand, as they would have raised merry hell if X got a star and they didn't IYSWIM.

Star chart has all their first names on it and is on the classroom wall. They can get a maximum of 4 stars per lesson, I have stars of different colours!

One is for finishing all the work set roughly correctly, prior to this work was constantly left unfinised, now they work like hell to finish it (honest! I would believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, and I am a real cynic).
One is for behaving properly for the whole lesson (so two boys lost this one for shoving each other and hitting out the first day).
one is for getting 7 out of 10 in the starter quiz.....this class has poor retention so I am trying to reinforce the lesson aims as often as possible, plus they are calm and complient for tests, unlike any other starter activity!
And the last is for being a real star. the last lesson went so well they all got this. Trick is to try to wangle it so that they all get at least one star per lesson, so they don't get demotivated and arse around to try to wreck the thing.

I have told them that each star gets them a single raffle ticket and at the end of 5 lessons we will have a prize draw. So the more stars you get the more chance you have of winning! Prizes are cheap pencil sets from Asda, pencil cases mini chocs, since none of them eer have equipment!

I have never seen such a turn around. I had two girls offer to read, one is barly literate and the other never does any work is school at all.

I have been Gobsmacked at the effect and will be interested to see if it lasts. The multiple chances of getting a star is, I think, key, so that they can all succeed.

popsycal · 25/02/2005 20:14

So you tried my raffle ticket idea then HMB ;)

Original poster
hercules · 25/02/2005 20:14

Yes, I think you are right about getting them in hand first. I am only talking about one or two really though. The rest get caught up with it but are fine otherwise. It's the case of if one child wasnt there, the class would be fine.

OP posts:
popsycal · 25/02/2005 20:16

It is so easy for one child to spoil it though isn't it

happymerryberries · 25/02/2005 20:18

Yep! Finest ideas for teaching always come from MN! {grin]
Hercules, if it is just one or two and SMT will not play, can you 'internaly' exclude them within the department? We will place disruptive kids in with Sixthform classes where they have to work alnone, in silence. Make it a swift exit for best effect. The kids hate it. If they know it will happen they will eventually cotton on. Set it up and agree it in advance to make it easy on yourself. I often find that just knowing the safety net is there is enough to give me confidence that I can cope on my own IYSWIM