Pregnant teacher struggling with Year 9 behaviour: how should I handle Monday?

[Heellllooo]

Hello, I’m 13 weeks pregnant and work
in very challenging secondary school in Northern England. I have a year 9 class that have been horrendous all year and I have reported something every single lesson, had conversations with head of year and removed several students. There is one particular student who consistently disrupts my lessons and is incredibly rude, across the school she often has her sanctions removed and has not been suspended for behaviour that other students have been e.g swearing and walking out of lesson. This week I was very tired, stressed from other things at home and obviously pregnant. That girl in particular was being her usual self. I was trying to remove her and she was refusing. I said “get out of room now”, turned away and I had started crying. Another student said “miss is crying.”
I walked out found the on call teacher and was sent home. I have asked for something to be arranged for that girl going forward and am due back in school Monday. Advice - do I acknowledge this with students? Do I tell them I’m pregnant? Do I get signed off for stress? Thank you for any advice.

How forthright is your union rep? They really should be putting in an official grievance on your case on the following points.

1. This child is causing issues across the school to different members of staff,so this is not an " emotional pregnancy response" and to suggest such is patronisingly sexist.
2. The school wide strategy of " on call " is not working whatever the documentation says. If possible give examples of times where this has happened. Ask to see the " on call timetable" and ask where the accountability is for the SLT member who did not turn up. It is not acceptable for SLT to schedule other tasks or meetings on their timetabled " on call slot". They should be held accountable for where they were when they should have been supporting you.
3. Ask to see the written documentation of why this child is being treated differently in terms of sanctions and home contact. Point out that your HOD is not contacting home as outlined in the plan and has taken no management responsibility for coming up with alternative provision or intervention with this child within your curriculum area. ( In my own dept as HOD I would have arranged for a pack of work and this child to be collected and put in the back of a 6 th form lesson for a couple of weeks to give the teacher and the rest of the class a respite. The rest of the dept staff, and other 6 th form staff would be up for sharing this rooming arrangement and frankly would be more supportive than you seem to imply of your colleagues)
4. Finally, summarise that the management have a duty of care towards you regardless of whether you are pregnant or not and that paperwork proporting to be a behaviour plan should be fit for purpose and actually work

However, the fact that you are pregnant does mean that they should be extra diligent towards your well being. I would point out that being signed off by a medical professional for stress in this situation is quite likely as it will affect your blood pressure, bringing with it the extra expense of the school having to fund supply for a time when you could be teaching. I hope you can get some closure on this. If you can't get more action from your management, I would get signed off. The welfare of the baby is the top priority

Fairly old person and ex teacher here. Genuinely wondering why behaviour is so awful now. It was deteriorating 10 years ago when I left; looking back at my own schooldays many years ago I don’t recall anything like this.No clearing classrooms because of chairs being thrown, no children biting and hitting staff. Yes, there were special schools for the very obviously special needs and what were called emotionally disturbed, but most children were in mainstream. And no, they weren’t caned. Most parents were slightly in awe of teachers and the head then though. I know diagnosis is more prevalent now, nut surely this should improve behavioural management provision? Doesn’t seem to be helping.

It's awful when one or several pupils deliberately disrupt, along when all the other lower level behaviours, so challenging. I think it's only fair they're told you're pregnant, it may or may not make a difference but usually does. A rub of your tum when dealing with the disgusting behaviour and any young person with a heart will immediately address the reaction, unless completely out of control with no morals.

Where has the support gone, looking out for each other etc.

I'm not a teacher but I have worked with young children.

If the other children are ok with you can you not get them on side to get her in line?

So if you ask her to leave and she won't tell the other children that everyone is just going to sit and not learn until she leaves as you won't have her disrupting everyone else's learning. Would the others not get her to leave to save having to sit and be bored? If they all believe she is going to cause them to fail their exams then they might care.

Just an idea, no idea what works with secondary school kids!

Have they carried out a risk assessment for you. Make sure there is one specific to you.

Been there , done that. Get signed off for stress. Don't go back until SLT have put measures in place to support you. Good luck.

Hi everyone, thank you for the tips.
just to let you all know, I have escalated this with SLT and the pupil will not be attending my lessons. She will be going into a HOD’s classroom. I highlighted all issues and the pupil also had an autism referral, with most other teachers saying she is a delight to teach (bar a few) so I think it is a subject thing. Behaviour goes downhill in subjects such as maths, computing and languages. Other students have been lovely and checked in on me and I have told some of the
that I was poorly, tired and pregnant so it can be fed back to those troublesome students. Other students in that class have been amazing as well.

You'd hope so but idk I had some crap behaviour from some students while pregnant and it was after I'd moved to a nicer school. Just horrible winding up, "why are you still here, go on maternity leave already". Absolutely in the minority as I've been lucky to teach so many brilliant, lovely kids but ooh it was extra annoying.

And just inconsiderate things like kids trying to push through a single doorway at the same time as me + massive bump, expecting me to move a table for them by myself while very heavily pregnant. That one outraged another student!

Really? That's awful. I found even the meanest boys changed their attitude a bit. However some are in their own.little worlds and what's important to them, nothing g else is registered.