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Secondary education

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What does a bad pupil do during lessons ?

38 replies

XmasReindeer12345 · 23/12/2018 21:20

What activities and misdemeanours do ba dpupils participate in during lessons ? What makes a bad pupil?

OP posts:
ShesABelter · 23/12/2018 21:23

I'd say throw things around class. Constantly talk and laugh when the teacher is. Not do any work. Shout out. Swear. Some even just walked out class when I was at school. Cheeky to the teacher.

XmasReindeer12345 · 23/12/2018 21:25

What is your opinion on nice children who get the work done but constantly talk and sometimes shout out and are rather hyper ?

OP posts:
doodledott · 23/12/2018 21:27

I wouldn't use the word 'bad' to describe either my own students or any young person but I guess you're asking what disruptive behaviours could be engaged in within lessons?

Chatting when asked not to, shouting, getting up and walking around, damaging minor property like glue sticks or exercise books, damaging large properly like tables and chairs. Sticking chewing gum under the tables, being unkind to other students in the classroom, refusing to complete work, refusing to sit in the correct seat, being rude to the teacher.

There are literally hundreds but I suppose those are the ones that I deal with regularly in secondary school.

MsJaneAusten · 23/12/2018 21:27

What is your opinion on nice children who get the work done but constantly talk and sometimes shout out and are rather hyper?

Why?

twoheaped · 23/12/2018 21:28

Things I have heard from badly behaved children.
Telling the teacher she is a ginger cunt -14yr old.
Trying to climb out of one of the top windows - 12yr old.
Sitting outside after break refusing to come in, kicking out at any teacher who went near - 12yr old.

doodledott · 23/12/2018 21:29

@XmasReindeer12345 wouldn't bother me if a student was 'nice' or not nice: I'd still not want them shouting out or speaking when asked not to. Both types of student would be sanctioned in the same way for those behaviours in my classroom.

XmasReindeer12345 · 23/12/2018 21:31

Wondering if teachers have the same views as me on things .
For example as long as work is done I think there is no problem with talking

OP posts:
jmh740 · 23/12/2018 21:33

Children you talk shout out and are hyper are not seen as 'nice children'

clary · 23/12/2018 21:33

Some things I had to deal with as a teacher:

Talking over me
Talking during a test
Throwing things eg pens, paper aeroplanes
Not having pen or book
Swearing (at me sometimes)
Spitting (at me sometimes)
Eating
Going on phone
Refusing to work
Shouting out answers
Out of seat
Calling names/attacking another student (this one was very rare thankfully)
Late to lessons
Arguing with me
Not doing homework

doodledott · 23/12/2018 21:33

As a relatively competent adult with two degrees and a post grad qualification in teaching, I know that I can't write well and talk at the same time so I don't expect a 14 year old to be able to do it either. Therefore, no talking while working.

FelixTitling · 23/12/2018 21:34

But if others are trying to concentrate, then talking is distracting. I wouldn't say talking makes a child 'bad' though.

XmasReindeer12345 · 23/12/2018 21:34

That is a rather good view on things

OP posts:
voddiekeepsmesane · 23/12/2018 21:35

If all 30 children were talking I personally would think that not a lot of work would be done

clary · 23/12/2018 21:35

Sorry meant to add, I wouldn't personally call a student "bad". I would say their behaviour was bad.

Children who constantly talk are behaving in a disruptive way and if I were teaching them, I would need them to stop.

voddiekeepsmesane · 23/12/2018 21:37

I would not think a child that is talking as bad more inconsiderate

glamorousgrandmother · 23/12/2018 21:43

I would describe children as bad or nice. If they have done their work but are continually talking they are preventing others from working and need to be disciplined as per the school behaviour policy..

titchy · 23/12/2018 21:43

For example as long as work is done I think there is no problem with talking

How can the others be learning effectively when someone else is taking.

It's not minor. It's disruptive and rude and the sort of low level disruption that has teachers leaving in droves and otherwise 'nice' kids unable to achieve their full potential.

pfwow · 23/12/2018 21:44

Surely it depends on the class? In a language class, for example, there could be an oral based class where there is no scope whatsoever for "getting the work done" if you are constantly chatting. It just wouldn't be possible. So the child's behaviour would be rude, disruptive and they wouldn't get their work done. I think that actually, not knowing where this post comes from, but bad behaviour is about the impact on others around. I would be far, far more annoyed by behaviour that prevents others from learning rather than behaviour that stops the badly behaved child from learning. Also, I don't think that I would consider that a disruptive pupil who prevents learning and is rude is ever "nice" unless they have some form of SEN, there's no excuse.

pfwow · 23/12/2018 21:46

Bad behaviour is doing a handstand in class, it's throwing things out a window, but it is also, talking when it disturbs the lesson, at the same time as the teacher or as a pupil who is answering a question.

Moussemoose · 23/12/2018 21:50

Talking can be an integral part of the lesson.

If a student is acting in a way that is detrimental to the learning of others a teacher needs to be aware and take some form of action.

If the work is done may be brilliant for the child talking but what about his or her less able friend who is not learning because of the talking?

Classroom management is far more complex than good or bad, talking or not talking.

MaisyPops · 23/12/2018 21:52

I wouldn't describe any student as a "bad" student. What a horrible label.

Poor behaviour in lessons can take on a range of forms. Ignore the high level things and you get 'low level disruption' which is a stupid name as it's what teachers spend their time dealing with.

E.g.
Silent work has been set but some students think that means whisper and talk
Students gossiping instead of working
Silly behaviour to distract peers
The teacher having to wait before speaking as some students don't be quiet
Students talking over the teacher
Students talking over othet students who are giving answers
Students not following simple instructions first time
Staring into space and time wasting

Behaviour either contributes to learning or it detracts from learning. But making poor choices doesn't make a child 'bad'.

llangennith · 23/12/2018 22:07

Being a smart arse and disrupting lessons is one sign of a bad pupil.

C0untDucku1a · 23/12/2018 22:11

If they are shouting out, talking and hyper they are disruptive and not behaving well.

Id also assume that this is your child, and you think it is fine to misbehave as your child’s work hasnt been negatively impacted by your child’s behaviour and it doesnt bother you if other children’s has

wiltingflower · 23/12/2018 22:13

I'm going to focus on the 'nice' children (from your second post) who talk a lot, are hyper and shout out. These things are examples of low level disruption but it does make a noticeable difference and doesn't help create a good learning environment for all 30 (or more) pupils in your class. 'Nice' children may be polite and overall lovely but their behaviour can also be considered inconsiderate/rude if their behaviour impacts on the learning of the rest of the class, whether they intended to or not.

From my experience as a trainee science teacher so far, I wouldn't use the word 'bad' but 'disruptive' instead because children are children, not bad or good, they're still young and learning. It's all about poor pupil behaviour and definitely not the child being 'bad'.

Talking: it's important to consider whether this is (1) during instruction time when the whole class needs to pay attention, be quiet (don't talk) and listen to the teacher, or (2) during an activity which allows quiet chatter as long as work is completed or (3) during a silent task (where no one should be talking unless hands are up and they're discussing something with the teacher or TA).

Instruction time
I notice a domino effect in some classes during instruction time where a couple of pupils may be talking about the work but when they're not told to be quiet, this inspires irrelevant talking by another group of pupils who think it's ok to talk over the teacher/ don't realise the first couple of pupils were talking about relevant information and that's why the teacher didn't say anything initially. When the domino effect spreads to a good number of the class though, you can see clearly that pupils aren't paying attention where they should, they're missing key information and need refocusing.

Ultimately whether pupils are talking about the work or something irrelevant during instruction time, they need to be quiet and pay attention, then put their hand up to clarify things with the teacher as needed. I've learnt that when I teach, I need everyone focusing on what I'm saying during instruction time to give them the best learning experience. If you are interested op, you might want to look into the idea of germane, extraneous and instrinsic cognitive loads to work out why pupils talking when the teacher is, regardless of the pupil doing the work they should be doing, isn't great for their learning or another pupil next to them or nearby.

Talking during activities
No one should be talking during silent activities.
During non silent activities some pupils might talk a lot and do their work and that's good for them. There's a problem when they end up disrupting the learning of other pupils though. Some pupils really struggle concentrating with background noise. Some pupils want to do the work but struggle to get started and anyone talking nearby is the perfect opportunity for them to procrastinate.

Hyper and shouting out: Shouting out is not good. As a teacher you want the class to be calm and focused on learning and doing their best. When one person shouts out, you get a domino effect again where other people think it's ok to do that if the initial shouter isn't told not to. As for hyper, enthusiasm for learning is fantastic but not for the other 29 pupils if it ruins the atmospheric Feng Shui of the class/ doesn't create a positive, calm learning environment for all.

Looking back, I didn't mean to write so much Grin but I hope it helps to see things in another way.

Witchend · 23/12/2018 22:16

What is your opinion on nice children who get the work done but constantly talk and sometimes shout out and are rather hyper?

Not from a teacher's point of view, from my dd's points of view they're a pain because they disrupt the lessons actually more than seriously bad behaviour which is generally dealt with fairly strictly. Both of them have had friends for whom this sort of "low level" disruption, impacts on their learning because the teacher is dealing with them talking/shouting out/being silly rather than being able to teach and help those who are quietly struggling.

From speaking to teachers they're a pain because when they try and manage them, they often respond with (or get their parents to write in to the head of year indignantly) that they were "only talking", "can't help it/can't help being chatty" and "they're doing the work so why does it matter". It matters to the rest of the form.

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