Student teacher combative/not listening

[Confusedteacher123]

Hi all,
I wonder if anyone has any advice. I’m an experienced mentor but have never come across a student quite like the one I have this term. He is very academic and has some great qualities but his classroom management is pretty weak.

I gave him targets last week to work on his presence in the classroom and some tips to improve, starting with the lesson opening.
He’s improved slightly today but still doesn’t acknowledge students as they come into the class, reading over his notes and Prezi presentation instead of directing them to activities. When I brought this up today and reminded him that this is a target he should be working on(informally), he became very defensive, accusing me of picking on him for ‘unimportant’ issues as he doesn’t see that greeting students is at all important, he doesn’t want to wish them good morning, he just wants to get on with the learning. The problem is, a number of them were sitting there without their books in front of them 10 minutes into the lesson because he hadn’t looked at them to notice.

I tried to emphasise that it’s important for the teacher to be observant, judge the mood of the pupils coming in to combat any potential issues, safeguarding check, get them settled, etc. but he just kept saying that he doesn’t think this is important. I feel like I’m banging my head against a brick wall. How can anyone think classroom management doesn’t matter!? Any tips? I’m worried he’s going to really struggle in a more challenging school.

No, that would be a deal-breaker for me. The student is in the classroom to learn and to listen to feedback from experienced mentors which is aimed at improving their performance. Nor does the student get to decide what is and what is not important.

And while the university may be obliged to go to mediation to 'find a way forward', the school doesn't have to play those games if they don't want to@Confusedteacher123. You can just tell the university that he isn't welcome in your school any more and that his placement is now concluded.

@thing47 in my experience, unis do not take kindly to being told that. The last time I did it, I was told we'd signed a contract and I couldn't just ask the trainee to leave. I said I wasn't asking.

@UsingChangeofName Yep just ‘play the game’ to meet the standards and then you can do whatever the hell you like (as long as it’s not in my classroom). And yep, we won’t be recommending him- if he does make it to the stage where he gets interviews.

@PenOrPencil Yep he’s with us until February half term! Thanks- I’m past worrying about his progress and now view it as a developing soap opera. ‘What will happen today? ‘

@thing47 I don’t have much say in it, unfortunately. I really want to refuse to have him anywhere near me- but I know my school won’t support it and it’ll reflect badly on me if I just quit mentoring halfway through the placement. I have to persevere, keep ticking boxes and record/email track everything.

Good for you @MrsHamlet.

The dynamic is slightly different in my field but we have had places where we had student placements tell us that the contract is for them to have A student (or however many it is), but that they reserve the right to eject any particular student who they don't feel is 'the right fit'. Equally the university I work for has stopped using certain placement locations in the past as the feedback from students was very poor – it should be a two-way street.

That's a shame @Confusedteacher123, the school should be supporting its teachers over student placements. I'm of an age (and experience) now where I don't have to care something reflecting badly on me, but I do understand your concern.

I'll bend over backwards for a trainee who works with me, but mess my staff or students about and that's me done. It's a policy that's served me and my school well - we keep a surprising number of trainees as staff long term.

@MrsHamlet Sounds like a great, and fair, approach! Anyway, problem solved, he’s quit the course to go back into ‘industry’. He did have some potential but probably the right decision! At least I can now relax over Christmas and not have to worry about all the paperwork.

I'm not shocked to hear that change of heart.

I think that he has realized that teaching is not for him, and wants out. However, having paid the fees, he feels he was to complete the year.