Does it sound like I may not be cut out to be a teacher after all?

[SandyBeachandtheDeckchairs]

So just to recap at the end of my first full term of teaching my y3 class

1. Assessments show that my class have not made the progress that they should have
2. My behaviour is poor and I find myself shouting to be heard - children don't listen to me
3. My planning is improving a lot, but because of behaviour, never get half of the work on the plan actually done
4. Our singing of our class song in the Christmas show has been judged as 'requiring improvement'

Head is happy with my progress this term because I have improved, (imagine how shite I was to start with!) but I feel like I am doing really badly. I feel that if I had a TA or at least someone to be with me in class, I would have someone to check in with, but am on my own most of the time so feel like I am not really learning how to improve. Other NQT's in the school are from Schools Direct and trained in the school so at least they have observed the required standard of teaching. UGH!!! I sometime imagine how my mentor defends me to our head - I think the only thing I actually have going for me is that parents like me, and I get on well with everyone in the school. Does it sound like I should rethink this whole teaching idea?

You've had loads of good advice here OP so I'm just going to offer you sympathy / support.

I was a year 3 NQT eight years ago and to be honest, I was a bit crap. I was OK with behaviour but I had no idea with anything else really. Everyone is a bit rubbish when they start, there's so much to learn.

And you 100% will not have messed up their education. Year 3 data is so tough as the expectations really change and Year 2 are always under pressure to do well and thus get all the TAs / interventions etc when you tend to get nothing in Year 3. Yet they are expected to attain in excatly the same way.

I ended up getting the same class back when they were in Year 6. I was a lot better by then and thankfully had not ruined their education!

You will be fine OP. Be kind to yourself, you're at the end of a brutal term.

Thanks everyone! you've been really kind and generous with your time - I really appreciate it. Maltesers and stickers all round!

Don't just suddenly hit them with enforced sanctions, give them warning and explain what you're doing and why. 'While most of you are always very well behaved and listening carefully when we're on the carpet, some of you have been choosing to use it as a time for silliness. This is disappointing and wasting time that we could be spending getting on with the fun things I've got planned. From now on I will be using this signal for quiet. When you hear it, you need to sit up straight, face this way and fold your arms (or whatever) - let's give it a practice' (lots of praise - think you can do it even faster yadayada).
'If you choose to continue chatting/not face forward after the signal then ....'
They need to be trained! And they love it if there's a bit of competition to be the first/neatest/quietist.

Scrap starting lessons on the carpet. Hit them with something timed, at their tables, that they can do but which slightly stretches them so they don’t get bored before you’ve even started. Make a competition of it (doesn’t have to be the highest attained, can be the one who’s made the most progress so they all have a chance). I’ve taught year 3 a lot and they always make slow progress in the autumn term as they get stupid amounts of support in Y2 for decent SATs results. It’s very annoying.

Other things:
Don’t engage in any crap that diverts away from learning. Ignore anything that they’re doing for attention.

Hit them hard with rewards and sanctions. Follow through absolutely everything you say you’re going to do.

Have everything on tables ready for when they come in the room. To start the year I stick all their things in for them too to cut down on wasted time. I wean them off it eventually but it keeps them focused quickly.

Keep lessons very pacey as they’re still really young and get bored easily. Go outside! They’ll surprise you with how well they behave outside of the classroom. Any that ruin whatever fun thing you are doing are given a clipboard to do something else on for 5 mins until they’re ready to join back in again. Do short sharp things in the classroom to keep them keen and focused. A good one at the moment is for them to write something quick on a scrap piece of paper (which is already out on the tables), scrunch them up and throw snowballs. Pick up a few and share their answers. Could be ‘write 3 words that rhyme’ or whatever fits with what you’re doing.

Do not ever attempt to talk over them. Wait wait wait. I often write names on a post-it of ones I am waiting for and keep them at break so the others don’t get moaned at all the time.

When you do use the carpet, reward the ones who are ready with a chair to sit on. They all want to sit on a chair!

Give single instructions. It’s really dull and you have to work at it but it stops a lot of rubbish. E.g. ‘stand up’ and they just stand up, ‘tuck your chair in’ and then ‘turn to face the door,’ ‘walk to your place in the line. Any that ruin it lose a minute of their break (I pull them out very quickly so it doesn’t make a big deal of it so they don’t get the attention they’re after).

You can do this if you want to!!

Interesting thread, OP I'm sure it takes time. I work in HE and had similar issues early on in big lecture groups (I am totally in awe of school teachers, young adults are difficult enough at times) There is a big element of 'classroom presence' in any sort of teaching - it takes a few years to develop this but body language can be a big help to you as well as to the class- try some of the tips from this TED talk www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are/up-next
Good luck

What I have been doing is taking every complaint on board, trying to work out what their problem is and then solve it in order for them to be quiet.

This - tell them if there are issues you willl deal with them at break time - see me then!! Soon stops

Have a 10 point interruption chart

Move one space per interruption - you may get to 9 at the 1st try them 5 - don't question the annoyance - just move the button up!!!

Make them earn a marble in a jar - a full jar at the end of term = a movie afternoon - they get it anyway so why not earn it?

Use breaks to practice being silent - so you 10 point chart = moms lost at break time

Reward!!! Make it viable - so Sarah has a green card - clear - then you see any good child you've missed that day

Green card holders get 10 mins free time at the ending of the day - the others have to catch up on lesson time

A good one at the moment is for them to write something quick on a scrap piece of paper (which is already out on the tables), scrunch them up and throw snowballs

This is the most baffling piece of advice which seems to pass as behaviour management these days... OP's class could very well go berserk. That is not the activity to do unless you can calm every child back down immediately.

They need fast-paced lessons, but they don't need gimmicks.

And please no one suggest the dog food.

I think they need to be having fun and enjoying their learning and then will be easier to manage balfe. I’ve currently got a very challenging year 3 class and they love stuff like this. They also know that if they ruin it then they don’t join in next time. Doesn’t have to be the whole class, could just be done with a few of them who have behaved well. The others will soon want to be joining in too.

It does depend on the type of teacher you are though. For some it just wouldn’t work, and that’s ok. OP you’ll find your own style as you go along. It just takes a long time!

OP I have found what food suggested to be really useful for classes with low level disruption.

I teach in a school which has sets for maths and English, though they are a similar age to yours. My maths set is large and contains some tricky children who can be disruptive and hold things up.

I gave them all a specific place to sit in and they go straight there when they come into the classroom. I ALWAYS get them working straight away on a problem that's on the board - I just write a few bits on the board, it doesn't have to be anything fancy. Just 'think of five ways to make 50' for example. The table that settles first - not necessarily the table to get it all right or all done, but the table to settle first, gets a table point. Arrange the tables sensibly (don't be afraid to make changes) and peer pressure kicks in too. Year 3 will still be at the age where they don't want to let their group down. Most table points at the end of the week can win something, we do stickers but house points etc might work.

We sometimes THEN come to the carpet for teaching time. Anyone not behaving properly goes straight back to their table. Often though, after the initial activity I keep them at their desks. You can adapt depending on what you are teaching and how they are behaving. For maths I often find it easier to keep them at their tables, whiteboards etc out and ready to go.

I only started doing it this year and I've been teaching a while now. You will always be learning and working out new strategies to help particular cohorts etc. It's early days yet, be kind to yourself.

Oh yes, and to the bickering/telling tales etc i have a stock answer.

"Ok. You and Mary (whatever her name is) can stay behind at the end and we will sort it out then" PP is right, it soon stops and they start actually thinking before they come up to you with every single niggle and complaint. You will be astute enough to work out which issues actually need dealing with straight away. Fob the rest off but always follow up at the end to ensure.you aren't missing anything AND that they realise even complaining in the first place about something unnecessary will involve them loosing play/being late etc.

You’ve had some good advice here OP. Give it till Easter (I know it sounds like ages) it took me that long to sort out my first class. Second year, I’d pretty much got them by Christmas! And so on.. You can do it!

Honestly, Really was right about praise. You need to go completely overboard and FIND reasons to praise your ‘naughty’ ones. Are there one or two in this group that you feel you could ‘pick off’ from the pack? Can you win them round? From the very start of the day, if for example they come in sensibly in the first moment could you give them a job to help you with as a reward and make a big deal of it! “Wow, X, since you hung up your things so carefully perhaps you could go and collect the lunch register for me? Thank you!” It sounds fake (it is) but it works to start to turn things around.

Set a daily class behaviour challenge if you think it will help. Focussed and small. I’ve done things like moving from tables to carpet without talking. If they do it, marbles/toy animals/counters in a jar and LOTS of praise. When the jar is full (sometime in the afternoon when you need a break ) the reward is to go outside/play a game/have some free choice time.

Still deal with misdemeanours, firmly and consistently, but make your main aim to praise everything you see that you do like. What you pay attention to is what you get more of!

Whilst you sort the behaviour, not as much learning as you’d like will happen, but in the long run it will make a massive difference!

Good luck.

Balfe, I have a separate points system for good behaviour! Good point though, it's really important to catch kids being good. I wish I didn't have to use a negative system, but behaviour from a few was really disrupting the class.

This is the hardest bit and you've got to Christmas- well done. You are doing an amazing job. (Sorry if I seem patronising)

Behaviour is arguably the hardest thing about teaching and the type of behaviour and comebacks you have described are something I found so annoying!

Can you praise the ones doing well? I found if I only concentrated on the kids who were trying to get attention being clowns then I was starting to loose the ones who chose to behave in lessons. "Well done to those of you who came in quietly and did "X" like I asked. We're off to a good start!" Keep praising and if possible ignore silly behaviour. If someone burps then pause. Death stare in general area. Then continue. Don't let them get to you. When they see positive behaviour gets your attention it will have an affect. Peer pressure is everything. You are in control so control that peer pressure.

Could you also give the active restless ones a job? So when they come in they have a job like handing out pens or whatever while you settle the class?

With a tricky class like this before I have rearranged the furniture so it's like an old fashioned classroom - all in twos all desks facing the front.
Laminated name cards they sit where their name is no arguments
Didn't do any carpet time and I stood at the front and patrolled..
Didn't take long then start to re introduce carpet time and table groups
Also an idea dds y4 teacher has is 'secret student' - she chooses someone at the end of the day and they get a reward from the tin. You keep reminding them during the day that you are looking for good behaviour for secret student.
She also 'plants' some rubbish somewhere in the room and the person doing the best tidying will find it - incentive to tidy up the classroom.
Good luck op it's really hard - I had y1 in my nqt year after going there and accepting a y5 job! Didn't have a clue with y1!

My DSs school uses a couple of behaviour tactics.
One which seems really successful is an empty jar which when filled with pasta they get a class treat-usually this involves them going to school in pyjamas. I think some days they get up to three pieces. Peer pressure works well even with kids.

I'm not a teacher but I still think rewards work better than punishments!

Ooh and if anyone argues "well so-and-so was doing it too" very cool and calmy say "we are talking about your behaviour here." I found that helped to get the ball back in my court.
Also any "you don't like me" BS.. "of course I like you but it's the choices you make that I don't like." Or something more eloquent than that.

Our singing of our class song in the Christmas show has been judged as 'requiring improvement' God almighty, do they assess you when you fart? - it is madness. Singing a Christmas song is just meant to be fun.

Your problem (apart from this barmy assessment-laden system) is crowd control. I am not a trained teacher but used to do quite a bit of work in schools teaching singing. I always insisted that the class teacher was also in the room (and joined in!) as I freely confess that keeping a class focused and under control is not something for which I have the knack. Can your mentor concentrate on helping you develop those skills?

I am a governor at a school and go in and observe lessons - it is intriguing that some teachers just seem to command respect and attention (heaven knows how!) and others have to work hard at it.

I do hope very much that your mentor will be able to help you achieve your goals and that will grow to love your job. If you don't then there is no shame in throwing in the towel - life is just too short to struggle at work.

"some teachers just seem to command respect and attention (heaven knows how!) and others have to work hard at it."
This is what I'm trying to learn! It's really tough and the little darlings can smell fear!

Teachers who command respect and attention often find that when they move schools, they don't command respect and attention any more and have to work hard to establish themselves again.

NQTs are in the same boat but don't have the benefit of knowing that they've been able to do it once already. Second year is easier when the kids already know you.

Look you 'caught you being good' there's loads of printable certificates the kids can take home and impress the parents

Keeps them on side as well

Oh nobel that was a nice thing to read before I go to sleep! Thanks.

You have all given me so much hope - thanks again everyone

I agree that progress is really difficult in Year 3 because of the difference in expectation from year 2. In old money I always remember that a Year 2 2A was very different to a Year 3 2A! It was only when I moved out of year 3 that I actually saw this clearly.

You have been some good advice here. My top tips:
. Be prepared to wait for their attention. Do not start until you have it. It will feel like forever but eventually they get the idea.
. Get your own call for attention which is unique like the singing bowl, a bell, a special whistle etc
. Be consistent. Display your class rules and give the number of warnings required in your behaviour policy then always follow through with the consequence.
. Be prepared to speak to parents (follow your school policy). Seek their support for persistent offenders.
. Have positive rewards for good behaviour. Praise, stickers, special jobs. Really make it a positive atmosphere.
. Do not engage with the time wasters ( see me at break often means they forget)

Remember that the end of the Autumn term is one of the most exhausting. Recharge over Christmas. Plan some time to observe experienced teachers in January and use your mentor to support you. don't give up!

I have my pgce application open in front of me, shall I?? I am terrified after reading this.