Film/ TV clip showing an out of control classroom

[happymonkey36]

Hi there,

I teach adult ESOL learners and will have a new group after Easter. In the first lesson we are going to discuss appropriate classroom behaviour and make class rules. I'd like to show them a video clip to start this off, showing a class where people are behaving badly, not listening, chewing gum, walking around etc when they should be listening, so that this leads to a discussion about a positive classroom atmosphere, acting respectfully and so on.

Does anyone have a suggestion of a suitable clip? I've found one on youtube from Kintergarden Cop, but it is of really young children, so it's not really ideal. Can anyone think of something better? Preferably with no swearing, kissing etc!

Thanks so much

Any TV show about schools.

I hope you are not showing that to teens or adults cos you'll get their backs up from the off. Treat them with respect and they will treat you and each other with respect. I taught EFL for over ten years and trained EFL teachers....

I think I would find this incredibly patronising. Just set some ground rules for your classroom and get on with the learning.

Role play can also work well and lead to discussion-in ESOL there is also the issue of learners 'zoning out'-not disruptive though usually needs to be managed

Why are you assuming they will behave badly?

I am not sure that it is a great idea, but if you’re determined then Teachers (channel 4) or Bad Education (BBC) both have chaotic classroom scenes.

@happymonkey36

Hi there,

I teach adult ESOL learners and will have a new group after Easter. In the first lesson we are going to discuss appropriate classroom behaviour and make class rules. I'd like to show them a video clip to start this off, showing a class where people are behaving badly, not listening, chewing gum, walking around etc when they should be listening, so that this leads to a discussion about a positive classroom atmosphere, acting respectfully and so on.

Does anyone have a suggestion of a suitable clip? I've found one on youtube from Kintergarden Cop, but it is of really young children, so it's not really ideal. Can anyone think of something better? Preferably with no swearing, kissing etc!

Thanks so much

They're adults! Really, don't do this.

There will be rules for your institution, and they should be your starting point.

Oh gosh this reminds me of a training session me and my ex colleagues had in the summer. For context I was working as a support worker in social care. The training sessions were about increasing standards and improving care (but it was a generic tick box session not because we were poor carers).

The trainer started off the session with some rules on how to behave. I mean wtf? We were a group of 8 adults committed to working with people with severe LD, had worked hard throughout the pandemic and here was this trainer in a suit telling us to behave.

Honestly it got my back up and you know what? I didn’t behave, and neither did my colleagues. In fact we giggled our way through the training session and at one point I had to excuse myself out of the room. I honestly felt like I was back in year 9 but can categorically say if she hadn’t have started with her “rules” we would all have been fine and behaved like adults (like the training sessions before).

Just don’t. For the love of god, they’re adults and they want to be there.

Please don't do this. Set out the expectations, presume that they will behave, and deal with any individuals not behaving in a appropriate manner.

Oh God. Please no.

I don’t bother with class rules for 7 year olds. They know perfectly well how to behave. Don’t patronise ADULTS like this.

One of the worst training days it was my misfortune to sit through had a task exactly like this. As I was at that point some 20 years into my teaching career I found it patronising and insulting.

In my experience most training sessions that involve the use of a video clip (especially the overuse of Ted Talks by SLT) is a sign that the person doing the 'training' has little idea of what they are dong and are looking for props to fill up some of the time.