Is it OK for a yr3 class to be told by the teacher that he will MAKE THEIR DAY MISERABLE if they don't behave???

[MrsFROSTgetful]

Teachers i know you are only human....but do you say things like this to the class???

Does it work?

Do the kids respect you for it?

No, not really! - if is was said in jest and with a good degree of understood humour, then maybe that is down to the relationship the teacher has with that class. But if said with all seriousness, then not really acceptable! However, it could have just ben a bad mood and I suppose ot depends if he really did do it and if the children even took it seriously.... even in a bad mood I might have picked something a bit more original than that.... So, no - wouldn't expect it to work and wouldn't expect to gain any respect from it - or even maintain the same level! But as I said, does depend on the kids and the teacher. I wonder, are they generally a nightmare class...?!

I have said it in jest to a whole class (in secondary), but only to classes where we alredy have a good relationship

I don't know if I can add anything really useful as I teach secondary. Yr3 is an age group which is generally regarded as a more pliable audience than say, yr 9 so if a teacher said that to Yr 3's I would be generally concerned about the teacher's behaviour management and relationship-building skills. If it was a bad day, it could only be a REALLY bad day, I should think, but still, it would raise my eyebrow. I have pulled individual children aside and warned him that if he wrecked my lesson, I will wreck his day, implying that he was looking at some severe discipline which I fully intend to follow through with. This warning generally cools down the little villian. I would never say this in jest as it will weaken its impact when I truely mean it.

Message withdrawn

Alux, I have also had 'a quiet word' to specific trouble makers. They know that I am not saying it in jest, and it is backed up with supporting words like 'detention' .

I do, however, tease generally good classes with grandiose threats, like, 'If you don't quieten down I will shoot one child as a warning to the others'. I do similar things regarding safelty intsructions, I give them the real stuff and then I say , 'and finaly, if you do X Mrs hmb will decend upon you like the wrath of god'. They say it with me nowerdays. All part of my classroom 'persona' IYSWIM

ISWYM HMB. I have just never used it in jest. It comes with building a good rapport with a group that makes it plausible to use something like that in jest. I cannot see this statement going down well with Y3 as the risk is too high that many if not most will not read underlying sarcasm. Heck, too many of my set 4 Yr 11 would get up in arms about it initially.

Agree with you 100%

I wouldn't have done this with my last years 11 set 5! I only use it with classes I am working well with. I also do things like use some of the 'lads' as examples in explanations, 'So what would happen if I threw X out of a spaceship air lock.....tempting though (big grin) ' But I always pick the classes and the kids with the greatest of care.

thanks for what u have said...basically i think age 8 is too young...and added to that my son has AS aspergers- and he takes things at face value....added to which he is the class policeman- so once this threat was made he was unable to tolerate anyone misbehaving!