Educating Yorkshire C4 9pm

[DameEdnasBridesmaid]

Am looking forward to this, RL Waterloo Rd?

That head teacher has some serious ego issues. He's trying so hard to be matey and bit wanting to "fail" kids like Tom but he actually failing the other kids in the school - the ones who do behave properly and work within the rules. Tom is manipulative and I don't think he respects any of then, including the English teacher who believes she has some kind of special relationship with him.

Just reread the post. Sorry help yourself! Haven't had my bath yet so am still not relaxed! Thanks youarebeingadick!

That head is so rubbish.

banana questioning Tom was appalling, not your question!

x posts

teachers being like friends to the kids rather than teachers/authority figures

wasn't like that in my days ...arf

awwwww!!! "she just likes me. I don't know why" he is lovable tbh. annoying but lovable.

I look at Robbie-Joe and see a very immature young boy who has failed to make the big leap from junior to secondary school. He doesn't strike me as being fundamentally 'bad' or deliberately wilful - more confused and uncertain of how to behave.

Digestives - we're seeing a snapshot of the year. The 'good' kids obviously are pushed - their exam results have gone up. However good kids doing their work wouldn't make good telly.

That's how it appears to me Wet, he seems so young and confused by Secondary School.

It's interesting because they go to Secondary in Year 8 round here so I don't see the 11 year olds, and they seem young.

Fair point paperclips - it was just a snapshot focused mainly on one boy. I just found the heads softly-softly approach hard to tolerate. It seemed like Tom was the one in charge & I think that having a pupil like that in a classroom creates a slightly intimidating environment for the quieter, well-behaved children.

he definitely was intimidating in the corridor when he was asking that girl what she was looking at and if she knew his name.

I agree- Mr M is getting on my wick with the 'i'm your mate, i'll not send you home this time" translation "i'll give you chance after chance because I don't actually know how best to deal with you for your own good aswell as the school's own good."

But how should we deal with them You're?? It's simply impossible sometimes. There are no sanctions or punishments available. I've been told to fuck off twice so far this week. Once for reminding a student that he couldn't bring a can of energy drink into class and once for asking someone to go back out, knock and wait after she turned up 20 minutes late and just walked in. I'm considered to be one of the more 'in control' members of staff so I guess I'm lucky it was just twice...

For all of you who don't like 'matey' teachers:

I'm known as a strict teacher who has high expectations for her pupils, but I am also friendly, jokey and do my best to be fair. My pupils have target grades, and it's my responsibility to help them get those grades. If they don't, I have to provide evidence that I did everything possible - phone calls home, revision sessions, contact with their mentor, etc. - to help them. If a gentle, friendly approach means the situation doesn't escalate and they stay in the classroom and make some progress, then that's a small success vital to achieving a bigger one. My kids work hard for me. I know they do because they tell me so, and because I see their results.

Paperclips - can you refuse to teach a student who tells you fuck off?

I was considering a PGCE & am now having second thoughts...

Why they didn't call in a bereavement counsellor for Tom on Day 1 beats the hell out of me. They handled it so badly - the kid wanted space, and was being hounded with "Are you alright?". And then he reacted and they were out of their depth - they should have got people who wouldn't be out of their depth in from the start.

" once for asking someone to go back out, knock and wait after she turned up 20 minutes late and just walked in."

well that was asking for a rude response if you ask me! little power trip? not saying the pupil should have gotten away with the swearing but I can understand why they said it when told to do that! ridiculous. asking them to wait until you speak to them about lateness is fine. telling them to go back out and knock when they're already in the room? sure fire way to increase the resentment between you and a pupil.

Digestives, I've heard of people doing this, but I'm never quite sure how they think it will work out. Who would teach that pupil? They can't just be shuttled off to someone else. It also gives the impression that you have to get someone else to deal with the problem because you lack the strength and authority.

At my school, a pupil who swears at a member of staff would be excluded for a day. He or she would then come back to my lesson and we'd get on with things.

Not where i work Digestive. Out management team aren't supportive and it's all about retention and achievement. I'm sure not everywhere is as bad though.

Really You're? I have high standards and I'm desperately trying to cling onto them. If a student is late then they need to knock on my door and wait. Why should they be able to barge in, interrupt the lesson and not be challenged? They may have a personal reason for being late which they'd rather tell me quietly at the door than in front of the class.

yes they should knock before coming in and interrupting a class. but if they have already come in and you want to speak to them about being late then you ask them to wait either outside the door or at the door inside- it is inflaming a possibly confrontational situation by asking them to go back out and knock when it serves no purpose as the lesson has already been disrupted. it is a pointless order and only serves to antagonise because the pupil knows it is pointless. it's not like asking them to go back and shut a door they've left open IYSWIM. when you talk to them outside/at the door you tell them at that point that they must knock in future when they are late.

I see where you're coming from but if the rule is knock and wait then that's the rule. I work with young people and they need consistency. I have very few 'rules' but the few i have are for a reason. If they just walk in when I'm busy then they don't get added to the register... Which means they're not accounted for.
Again - that's a snippet. The student in question has been late several times, has been moved classes for bullying and has threatened to slash the tyres on aother member of staff's car. Telling her she needs to knock next time will have little impact unfortunately.

Totally agree paper clips. We have the same rule. If the kid is arrogant enough to think the rule doesn't apply to them then I don't see what harm a little hoop jumping would do.

Especially as it's highly likely to be someone who is frequently late and frequently disruptive.

It looks to me like there's a big gap in the professional care somewhere - the two boys this week clearly have additional needs (not that I'm diagnosing them, just that they are behaving in a way that is different to and more challenging than the other pupils).

It's not fair to them, the other pupils, and the teachers that so much resource is taken up with dealing with them, and that the care still appears to be inadequate.

Thanks Otillie - i was actually in the middle of dishing out some much needed public praise to one of the students who, after a ropey start, has really pulled his socks up. No way was i interrupting that!