Why are the other teachers miffed with Gareth Malone?

[TooPragmatic]

Extraordinary School for Boys. Anybody else watching this tonight? One of the teachers just told Gareth Malone that there have been 4 complaints from members of staff about the way he'd treated one of the boys. What's that all about?

The way he disrespected the boy called Callum, he should have stopped and listened to Callum's side of things (Callum was spot on when he accused GM of not listening).

I think it shows that GM is human, he admitted how stressed he was.

I am well chuffed that he achieved what he set out to do.

Thanks, ragged! I went off to answer the phone and when I went back to watching, I couldn't make out what had happened with GM and Callum.

I loved the programme.

Ah, right, middle of some activity Callum was thirsty and kept asking for water which GM kept telling him to wait a few minutes for, eventually Callum legged it early for the water; GM was angry because he thought Callum was just out to defy him. But Callum probably really was suffering and genuinely did think he was allowed to get a drink at that point. GM wouldn't let Callum tell his side at all.

I think the made friends in the end, though; did you see the bit where GM asked Callum "Do you have any idea what it's like teaching you?" -- that was so telling :).

It was great the way GM got thru to so many of the boys.

Did they mention at the end how Callum's test scores had changed? They gave a few examples but not sure Callum was one of them.

GM may not have been listening to Callum at that point but Callum was VERY rude. You don't stalk off when a teacher is talking to you, fgs. (At least, you shouldn't, I'm sure some people do but it is Not On.) If he tries that sort of attitude in his first job he'll be straight into the dole queue. I'm sure he's a nice lad and obviously we are only seeing slices of it not the whole picture but good grief, I find it extraordinary that staff complained GM was being too hard on him.

especially as Gareth had been giving up his lunchtimes to teach the boy some piano.

edam - I agree.

I think there is also bound to be some defensiveness on the part of the teachers. Regardless of the methods that he used, GM did something that they hadn't managed to which is bound to stick in the throat a little.

I hated this programme. I hated the fact that the girls weren't given chance to 'run around' and do 'fun things'. And I particularly hated it when Gareth said "I expect the girls are having a very tidy, neat rehearsal, and have written something terribly pink. But the boys are great, what they've done is so imaginative."

I actually cried at that statement. How to stereotype a generation of girls.

I couldn't believe that the other teachers expected GM to listen to Callum after he (C) had been so disrespectful. That moment summed up the school for me.

I think it is shocking that some of the pupils' reading had improved by up to 20 months. Maybe the teachers should spend a bit of time thinking about how badly they have failed their pupils.

He seems to be barging in and doing a "this is how they should be doing it" scenario for the cameras.

If I were a teacher at that school, I'd want to punch his smug face, because he's coming into school in an "easy" way making it look as if the teachers' approach is all wrong. As the narrator said, the teachers have to "deal with the fallout" of his approach. They have to teach these kids on a day-by-day basis and monitor their ongoing progress in every subject, making sure the paperwork is up-to-date so they don't get bollocked if Ofsted come in - they can't go prancing about in a field for an afternoon, much as they'd love to. I noticed the head's praise was very faint at the end...

Plus there was an awful lot of selective editing. "The eve of the play" indeed, when Callum had only just written his script. I bet weeks of intensive rehearsals ensued once they had got the scripts right.

I'm all for addressing the under-performance of boys and I enjoyed Malone's choir programmes a lot, but I found this programme annoying and mendacious.

Just to clarify my objections, he is making it look as if it is all somehow the teachers' "fault", whereas the "fault" lies in an education system which has been perpetuated by at least three (now) successive governments. One in which there is little room for creativity and results are everything.

Lily what he said about the boys seemed to me a statement seeking self-reassurance rather than a criticism of the girls. I interpreted it as a thought about how much easier it is to teach girls. I think, largely, that is true for English. At least it was when I was at school and seems to be true in my experience as a parent.

Uqd he had 8 weeks from start to finish for the whole project so I doubt he did have weeks for the play.

Ds's school did harvest festival this week. They've only been back at school 7 days and they managed to learn lines, new hymns, acting within that time (no weekends rehearsing) so it is possible to do that sort of performance in a short space of time.

Well, maybe weeks is an exaggeration, but there was definitely some condensing in the editing..

Mollie, I'm sure that was how he intended it. But throughout this programme it's been slightly sneery about the girls, and I felt so sorry for the girls in the play - not one of them was shown doing anything in it, at the end Gareth marched up to a group of boys and girls saying "Boys, that was FANTASTIC". It's all very well boosting boys' self-confidence, but not to the detriment of the girls

Furthermore, given that he had them for 3 days a week and ONLY HAD TO DO LITERACY, it would have been shocking if they HADN'T improved. And a change of regime like that will always bring improvements - it's whether they're sustainable that's the interesting thing.

I actually agree with his premise about running around, physical activity, cross-curricular stuff, but it should be offered to boys AND girls. My children's school do a lot of this, they have at least 1 afternoon a week with no lessons, doing forestry skills or something like that. But the girls are allowed to do it as well, and funnily enough, they benefit too!

Callum is on the borderline between becoming a rude, chippy yob and a sensitive, artistic, civilised young man. What he needs is clear, cogent direction. Told when he does somethig wrong - and punished sharply. As well as praised and rewarded when he does something right or good. What he does not need is dippy liberal teachers listening to his "point of view" when he is rude, surly and badly behaved. He needed a clip round the ear, but that would have brought the police to the school, not to say the various social services. What he got from Gareth was a clear and direct exclusion punishment. Those ridiculous teachers would soon lose control of Callum, adding him to the hordes of ill-disciplined, illiterate louts that our schools excel at producing. Gareth's 8 weeks with those lads will have done them more good than 8 years with teachers who think badly behaved boys have a right to a "point of view". They have no such thing!

Problem is, if you don't listen to 'their point of view', they feel aggrieved, and get more chippy.

What he should have done is to listen to what Callum had to say, in a very direct "You tell me your side of the story". Then say back to Callum "You felt angry because you wanted some water." (or whatever Callum had come up with). You therefore validate how Callum felt, and prove to him that he is listened to. You then say "It is not ok" (or whatever words you like to use) "to speak to a teacher in that way, it is not ok to walk off when a teacher is speaking to you, and it is not ok to be rude to anyone. Therefore you need to take some time out."

So the exclusion from the activity stands, but hopefully the boy realises that it is not because he "wasn't listened to" or because he's "being picked on", but as a direct consequence of his own actions. There's no point giving a 'short sharp' punishment if all the child feels is "that's so unfair".

Gareth is very experienced in teaching boys and I believe his main aim in this task was to encourage competitiveness which is affecting all children in schools across the country. For those who are criticising his seemingly constant criticism of the girls/ lack of praise for them etc. I would say don't forget that they had girls only time while he was teaching the boys thus had every opportunity to join the competitive spirit Gareth was trying to achieve.

It makes me incredibly sad and angry that the girls teacher & other teachers in the school could not or would not promote this competitive attitide. This proves to me how our children are lacking the encouragement they need to get on in life.

Gareth's arguement with Callum was a prime example. Whether he agreed or not, Callum should not have ignored the teacher and Gareth should have had the support of the school in dealing with this. OK many of us would consider drinking water to be a poor battle to pick, but ultimately this proves how teachers are expected to turn the other cheek instead of confronting a problem with a child.

What kind of example are we setting to our kids if this is the case?

Callum knew he had overstepped the line and did not need any form of appeasement in being listened to and "putting across his point of view". He needed short, sharp pulling up for apalling behaviour. Thise insipid other teachers were a disgrace to their profession and demonstrated with breathtaking weakness why children tyrannise teachers.

I agree, andreaaa.

From ragged's description of what happened, I don't see why GM should be expected to see Callum's point of view. A teacher told a pupil not to do something. It's the pupil's job to do as they are told. End of. The more I think about it, the more shocked I am that the other teachers thought this was in some way not an appropriate way to deal with a child in secondary school.

Couldn't agree more with Mollie0/andreaaa
Of course Gareth Malone succeeded - he challenged the orthodoxy and "dared" to succeed. He was also v hot on discipline which was spot on, and what most parents actually want.

I think GM has done a brilliant job. imho they (the other teachers and various critics) can't cope with the methods he's using. Which are confidence building and out of the classroom - surely good for any child. This is often frowned upon by the rigid system that the government inflicts upon educators. The current (and unrealistic) mindset in many schools, that there can't be such a thing as to "fail" or "lose" is not a true reflection of real life - isn't it Alice In Wonderland which quotes "all must win and all must have prizes"?
This is sadly a route that my children's school is heading down, and it doesn't actually teach them an awful lot, they would do much better to experience challenge and competition at a young age in a controlled manner and learn to be positive and all those things that GM's working on, as a result. This would far better equip them for real life.

Too right Miss Shrek. Did you see the episode with the sports day, where the insipid teachers had arranged prizes for all and non-competitive sports? Whatever thay are. Then Gareth organised a teachers' race, which he won. The boys all asked him - not if he had enjoyed taking part - but if he had won the race!!! Kids love to compete; they have to when they grow up. Their teachers who drive concepts of winning and losing out of their education are severely impairing their development.

re "all must win and all must have prizes" - yes it was the Dodo - says it all. My child comes back froms chool with numerous stars and points for sitting on the carpet, queuing up nicely. Since when were these so hard to accomplish?

thanks :) and yes I saw it. In some ways it takes the credit away from those who do succeed. There's nothing wrong with arranging things so that as many children as possible get to feel that buzz of success, with the use of teams and a whole range of activities, but if everyone wins then imho nobody does.

I expect that the teachers were miffed because they were stuck with the rigid system, the boys were having a great time, full of excitement but then they would come back to the normal teacher and it would be difficult for them to buckle down to 'normality' -they would still be on a high and the teacher would get the fall out. No one's fault-hopefully it will end up with the teachers having more freedom.
GM didn't handle Callum very well but that was inexperience. It is never wise to get into confrontation where neither side can back down easily-he was lucky that he could hand on the problem to a higher authority.
I only saw last night's episode but really enjoyed it. I don't think that the teacher phrased it very well, but we don't know how the production team edited it.