You in the classroom
First thing’s first – be organised. The pupils will appreciate it if you are. Young people thrive on consistency and will respond well when they are clear about what is expected of them, what the boundaries are and what happens if they flout these boundaries. You need to be firm but fair. The best teachers are professional, controlled and rarely need to raise their voice. The pupils want to be taught by someone they trust, not by a ‘friend’ or someone who is over-critical or judgmental.
There are aspects of pupils’ pastoral care which may affect your wellbeing. No amount of theory or training can prepare you for the reality of dealing with the impact of a pupil’s bereavement or child abuse, or the day-to-day toll of keeping up with your pupils’ problems.
Pupils may, however, try to involve you in a personal situation. Respect and listen to what the pupil says (or writes) but make sure you refer the issue to the pupil’s tutor or other appropriate member of staff to protect yourself. Whenever you speak to the pupil, do it in the presence of others and preferably a colleague.
Remember to seek support from your mentor or other colleagues to help you deal with pupils’ difficult personal issues and refer the matter to other relevant people if things escalate. Problems could include:
- Health concerns, for example physical changes, embarrassing incidents, puberty, or eating disorders.
- Relationships with peers, for example bullying.
- Relationships with parents, for example being caught up in arguments.
- Bereavement.
- Physical abuse.
- Substance abuse.
Make sure you know which member of staff has responsibility for welfare concerns and be sure to speak to this person as soon as you suspect neglect or any form of abuse. Every school must have a designated member of staff responsible for child protection issues. Many of these issues are obviously extremely sensitive and not something to be dealt with by one individual. If you are in any doubt, contact your union.
For factsheets on some of the above issues you can visit our InfoCentre:
- Bullying.
- What is an eating disorder.
- Eating disorders association.
- Dealing with trauma: bereavement and children.
- Recognising signs of abuse.
- Enough abuse.
- Signs of drug and alcohol abuse.
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