Teachers - Are you deliberately more strict and scary at the start of the year so you have some slack you can cut later on?

[WhiteandGreen]

I am asking this as my DD in Y1 is talking a lot about her new teacher shouting and telling her off, for what seem to me to be relatively trivial things. She's normally a happy sunny child and I am concerned that she is now starting to dread going into school. Of course she has to do what the teacher says, but I'm imagining that maybe the teacher is going a bit overboard to get them in line and then will soften a bit?

I'll probably be told I was evil, but yes - I certainly found that as the year wore on I could pull back a bit and have a bit of fun with the class. They needed to know where the line was and what would happen if the line was crossed. But once they knew that, it was a lot easier and I rarely needed to have words.

Children generally enjoyed being in my class - and I still have parents telling me their child loved my class.

I found (as a child) that I liked teachers who did that. You knew from the outset where you were with them, and were unlikely to get into trouble if you did what they had initially said.
They also tended to be a lot more fun. I think it was because they knew they could let the class get fairly silly and excited, but with a few words pull us back into work and being sensible. The teachers who didn't have that control often wouldn't allow the class to get to that state because they might not get the class working again.

Bear in mind that, after 6 weeks off, lots of children forget even simple manners and the appropriate way to behave in a classroom.

I think teachers need to show the children that they aren't wishy washy in the first few weeks, but it's also about training them back to fitting in with the school.

Definitely not

"Don't smile until Christmas" is the advice for new teachers :-)

I'm a teacher and yes, lots of teachers I know start stricter to enforce class rules and then soften

Thank you for all your replies, just wanted to reassure myself

The advice I heard twenty odd years ago was similar - except it was don't smile till Easter :-)

I think I am similarly firm all year round. Probably.

I imagine teachers do - just like I'm very strict for the first week of the summer holidays at home. That way I get perfect behaviour for the rest of it! (kinda)

I think it's more that you've just said goodbye to a class that you've moulded and shaped. They respected you and were tuned into your voice etc.

And now you've got a new class, almost a whole year younger than the one you left behind. They haven't yet got used to you and often behave like they are at home in the holidays and still think they can talk to you like they do their mum.

So it takes a while to get them into school mode and able to listen to and follow instructions.

You have to start as you mean to go on as once expectations are clear, the class runs a lot more smoothly.

It's not being strict for the sake of it, more taking the lead so as to make it much easier for lots of learning to take place.

Year One teacher here ... It's a big leap from Reception !

I think it's more that you've just said goodbye to a class that you've moulded and shaped. They respected you and were tuned into your voice etc.

And now you've got a new class, almost a whole year younger than the one you left behind. They haven't yet got used to you and often behave like they are at home in the holidays and still think they can talk to you like they do their mum.

So it takes a while to get them into school mode and able to listen to and follow instructions.

You have to start as you mean to go on as once expectations are clear, the class runs a lot more smoothly.

It's not being strict for the sake of it, more taking the lead so as to make it much easier for lots of learning to take place.

Year One teacher here ... It's a big leap from Reception !

DD has the same situation now she's in yr 1, the class keep losing time off their breaks for talking. They have all lost their entire playtime once already. She really isn't liking school at the moment after previous loving it, it's a struggle to get her out of bed in the mornings. I hope it is just to get the class under control at the start of the year and not just because she has an NQT.

Thank you for all your lovely replies. Spoke to the teacher after school - positioned it along the lines of... "She seems to be getting told off a lot, is there anything I need to speak to her about/any concerns?" And teacher was lovely - seems it's a bit of chattyness and she's not reeeeely being told off.

I'm not extra strict at the start as they would all cry. ( I'm in reception if you hadn't guessed .

Glad to hear you've had a chat with the teacher and are happy with their explanation.

Such a relief - got myself a bit bothered about nothing!

dd's Y4 teacher was exactly like this - dd loathed her for the first few weeks, respected her for the next few, and absolutely adored her by Easter

Not exactly. But at the start of the year there is a lot for the children to think about- new routines, new ways of doing things, slightly altered expectations. Add to this that neither teacher nor children have been in school for 6 weeks, and it is only natural that rules and routines won't always go smoothly, and children will need plentyof reminders. Which comes across as being strict.

After a few weeks, the children know the way I work, so everything flows smoothly with only the occasional reminder. And yes, as you get to know each other and build a relationship, you can share more jokes etc.

But it's not a deliberate attempt to be extra strict.

I agree with someone further upthread- I tend to forget how young my new class are and expect them to have the emotional maturity of the class who have just left me.

Last year I inherited a class whose previous teacher did not have a volume control- everything she says is at a bellow (not necessarily shouting, just she's loud). I tried to use my 'loud indoor voice' to draw their attention at the beginning, and they completely ignored me! I was shocked and just stood there with my mouth gaping. I had to resort to all sorts of tapping, clapping, singing etc to get them trained.

picnicbasketcase - my dd is in year 1 with an nqt, according to dd 'she has not shouted, not even once'. When I met her I had a good feeling that she would be a natural (although I suspect the nqt might have been given a fairly 'nice' class without extremes of ability, if that happens).

I suppose as well that something might be 'trivial' if one child does it, but not if 30 do, so you can't run the risk of letting one get away with it.

Elibean That is exactly what I'm hoping for!

I normally hang round on Relationships and AIBU, so I have to say this thread is lovely to read. Every single person sounding thoughtful and nice channels lovely soothing music.