Meet Chantelle......sigh

[Sureitwillbegrand]

Don't post very often but this arrived in my inbox today and just had to share. No tips about what to do when she tells you to F off. SLT reply would probably be - ah but did she swear AT you. 🙄😂

Chantelle throws the classroom door open at the end of break, dramatically collapses, head on her desk, coat on and hood over her head. Before you are tempted to open 'Pandora's box' it is worth reminding yourself that:
• The rules are a long way down on her list of priorities
• Chantelle is unlikely to be thinking rationally
• You are unlikely to be able to solve the situation in an instant
• A calm and caring enquiry. 'Are you ok?' is your best chance of opening a dialogue
• You may need to leave her and return periodically, breaking down your requests, providing clear choices and easing her into the lesson.
• The ability to control emotions is a skill that develops with age; teenagers' brains are not fully developed.
• Children's emotions are fragile. Problems can seem insurmountable, all consuming, life and death and switch in an instant - remember being a teenager?
• You are an adult helping a child to manage their own behaviour
• If Chantelle blows, what comes out is raw emotion, not necessarily directed at you even if you take most of the initial blast.

So how would you deal with Chantelle?

You forgot that you need to deal firmly and appropriately but not punitively with lateness, whilst also following the school policy and de-escalating any conflict.

I knew this was pivotal as soon as I read it! Our school's succumbed to the cult as well. I think there are some good things in there, but there's also a lot of destructive nonsense.

There's a 'pivotal school' in Birmingham where the teachers have gone on strike over behaviour.

And absolutely right. It infuriates me. I mean makes me apoplectic, to the point where I know I need not to be teaching right now, because I would be kicking off in a deeply unprofessional way.

Just for those that haven't been in this situation.

The response from management when you ask for help is

Wait for it

Drum roll

"its complicated"

But on the bright-side if the next lot of training is approved and comes through, teachers will be legally required to not only spot and support mental health issues but fully deal with them as well.

I think the first point to remind yourself should be: Chantelle is being a dick today.

If my school goes Pivotal - and I think it’s coming - I will be looking for a job elsewhere immediately.

CaptainBrickbeard

Take as many people with you as you can!

Yes, this smacks of Pivotal. Patronising bunch of fucks.

It would be a mass exodus, poirot - of experienced, expensive staff. Maybe that’s a selling point in some schools!

CaptainBrickbeard

On some level, though, these idiot Heads must believe that it’s going to work? The cash saving of all your decent teachers leaving aside, it’s bricks without straw, isn’t it? Bizarre way of thinking.

Tom Bennett wrote that behaviour review for the government which seemed sensible and is free. God knows why heads are shelling out for this shit. Are there schools where it works brilliantly or have Pivotal just not been found out yet? I think it has been really rapid.

Are there schools where it works brilliantly or have Pivotal just not been found out yet? I think it has been really rapid.

I’d love to visit one. I bet if I did, I would find the following things:

• a middle class demographic
• lower than average proportion of students with additional learning needs
• higher than average proportion of students from non-white British cultural backgrounds
• religious ethos

Because the only schools it’s going to work in, are those with fewer endemic behavioural problems.

It’s easier for SLT though, because it places the blame and responsibility firmly on the teachers. Tom Bennett style behaviour policies are hardly rocket science (with which he would agree!) but do require firm, unwavering support from senior staff. Which is work for them.

Ride it out...it will go Out of fashion soon as did brain gym, circle time, the plenary and all the other brilliant and expensive ideas school management buys (literally) into and inflicts upon frontline staff. They’ll all then reappear at vast expense and endless Training sessions in about five years. Cynical, me?

Which is work for them.

True. But if it doesn’t work they’re fucked, aren’t they? If behaviour goes downhill, Ofsted aren’t going to accept “It’s the teachers’ fault”. They’ll deliver a negative judgement on leadership.

I have no problem, of course, with assuming responsibility for pupil behaviour. I just expect the tools and autonomy to do the job.

I have a problem with assuming responsibility for pupil behaviour. The minute applying the behaviour policy correctly gives a teacher more work to do than entering something on SIMs is the minute the whole thing falls apart.

Teachers don’t have time to chase restorative conversations, non-attendees, endless contact with home. And so when applying the consequence means that, they hesitate to apply it. Doomed.

noblegiraffe

I’m not sure I agree. I think the reason the whole thing falls apart at the moment is the scale of the problem, so I concur with you that needs must as the devil drives: automated detentions, people with hours free on the timetable (SLT) following up. Not me as the teacher. I agree with you - I don’t have time.

But in a well run school, with a decent amount of PPA and a sensible marking policy, with SLT who will back you up at a sniff of “I’m not doing that detention”, and parents who - sorry to say it like this - have learnt from experience that the school calls the shots, I think I would have time. Restorative conversations have a place with some students. Sometimes there is a reasonable excuse for non-attendance.

I want to work somewhere where SLT support staff, not do the job for them, because that means no respect.

Just did a bit of digging. Pivotal's directors are all American and the parent company is Crisis Prevention Institute of Milwaukee.

Exactly what we need

TroubleWithNargles

Just had a look. My view is that there is nowt wrong with a good de-escalation strategy. Walk softly, carry a big stick and all that. A police officer can make excellent use of these strategies. But if they don’t work, he or she can arrest the person. Not going to work if he or she just has to watch the criminal carry on, is it?

I moved to a school at Easter and handed in my notice within 3 weeks. Management have swallowed the Pivotal cool-aid. There’s a mass exodus of staff ongoing.
I’ve heard through the grapevine other local schools are also going this way so I’ve decided to get out of teaching for good - or at least the next few years.

I moved to a school at Easter and handed in my notice within 3 weeks.

If and when I return to teaching, I am going to have to ask whether they use or have any plans to adopt Pivotal.

I've never heard of Pivotal but this all sounds quite frankly terrifying.

I do have experience of Sycol coming in and 'designing the psychology' of the school including scripts for us to use in all parental conversations. Left that school pretty sharpish.

I do have experience of Sycol coming in and 'designing the psychology' of the school including scripts for us to use in all parental conversations.

😂

I'd do the 5 min countdown to get yourself into gear, but I take a more no-nonsense stance to the Chantelles of the world.
-Chantelle, whatever happened last lesson wasn't because of Geography. You've got 5 mins to take off your coat, get out your book, and get down the date, title and objectives.
cue moaning, doing nothing, can't find book

• 3 minutes left Chantelle. If you don't have that date, title and objective down then you will be coming back at break to do it.

leave chantelle, go do your register, help others etc Then 1 of 2 things:

1. Well done Chantelle, Hannah, David, working so well. You've got 1 min left ( gets the praise but not singled out)
2. 1 min left, and I still want to see that work otherwise you are coming back at break.

If she had a meltdown, you take her outside of the class, reiterate it was not the fault of Geography and to avoid getting into more trouble needs to do the work, give her a few mins to calm down then let her come in when she is ready to work.