Everyone says that your school days are the best of your life. Whether you agreed with this when you were sitting in the library revising for an exam on a Friday afternoon or running cross-country in a blizzard, you obviously liked the place because you’re going back!
You’re beginning an inspiring and rewarding career where no two days are the same – and these are probably some of the reasons you chose to teach in the first place.
As a new teacher, you will be faced with challenges unique to the environment you are working in, where there are social as well as professional dynamics to consider. Some of these challenges cannot always be predicted and so the experience of every trainee and NQT will be different.
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.
Managing behaviour
Managing student behaviour can be one of the most challenging aspects of the teacher’s role. The first thing to remember, however, is that most young people you meet want to learn and succeed at school. This is not to say you won’t encounter challenging students – even the most experienced teachers find particular pupils or classes more challenging than others – but your approach to behaviour management can have a big influence on how well you cope.
Tips for Positive Behaviour Management
- Try to be positive when you deal with pupils: offer praise and encouragement.
- Establish clearly the rights, rules and responsibilities within your classroom.
- Make students aware they have choices about behaviour and that there are consequences if they choose to misbehave.
- Greet students at the classroom door and issue a personal greeting where possible.
- Use a respectful tone of voice, speaking clearly and firmly.
- Avoid proximity - don’t get too close or be overbearing in your body language.
- Avoid unnecessary interruptions. If a student is late, acknowledge the lateness, direct him or sit down and follow up later.
- If a student is not co-operating, avoid arguing. Refer to the class rules, give the student a clear choice and follow up later.
- Always follow up and follow through punishments. Students respect clear boundaries.
- Make use of wider support structures, such as peers, senior management or the parents.
- Maintain a sense of humour.
- Don’t be afraid to call the parents of a student who is misbehaving, as long as this is in line with school procedures.
- Use the layout of your classroom to your advantage; sit the pupils where you want them to sit.
- Arrange the room so that you have eye contact with everyone
- Mix it up. Sometimes you might want to rearrange the classroom to reflect the differing teaching styles of each lesson, for example classes that are more interactive or make greater use of the whiteboard.
- Try to avoid losing your temper: it is much more likely to expose you, leave you more exasperated or unsettle the rest of the class than productively resolve the confrontation. It also ensures you expend your energy on the pupils concerned, to the detriment of the education of other pupils.
- Avoid being sarcastic. This could be misunderstood and therefore fail to achieve anything or provoke an angry retort.
- Don’t put pupils down. This makes it harder to re-establish positive relationships with pupils and undermines your sense of authority.
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Regardless of how positive you are, there will be times when students’ behaviour is unacceptable. You don’t have to suffer verbal or physical abuse from pupils; you have rights too. For more information on dealing with these situations, read our factsheet ‘Dealing with aggression‘.
You should also share your concerns with colleagues and managers. You will find, invariably, that others are experiencing the same problems, probably with the same pupils. If this happens, you will need to follow the school’s procedures for dealing with indiscipline. Your school mentor should also be able to offer support with behaviour management. Invite them to observe your lesson and they may be able to help you identify what isn’t working and suggest strategies you could use to improve the situation. Many teachers worry about admitting they are struggling, as they fear it will reflect badly on their ability to do the job.
Remember that inviting your colleagues into your classroom is also an opportunity to show them what you are doing well.
Mind your language
The language you use in the classroom can have a huge impact on behaviour management. When you’re feeling stressed, you may not even be aware that you are using negative language, which can demotivate students and actually discourage good behaviour.
Take the time to listen to the language you use in the classroom and think about the effect it might have on your students. Avoid negative language and try to be as positive as you can, even when students are being difficult. You’ll be amazed at the results!
Behind what you sayNegative: “Don’t sit there, Matthew.” Negative: “Why haven’t you finished the worksheet, Helen? Everyone else has finished.” Negative: “Where’s your book, Joe?” Negative: “Why can’t you just be quiet?” |
Meet the parents
Meeting parents can be a daunting experience – presenting another set of expectations and dynamics. However, it helps to remember that they actually don’t know if you have done this once or a hundred times! Some major worries for teachers at parents’ evenings are:
- Parents’ perceptions of them as professionals.
- How to discuss a pupil’s weaknesses without being disparaging.
- The fear of parent aggression.
Treat a meeting with a parent as you would any other meeting. Try and answer the following questions in advance of the meeting to make sure that you are fully prepared:
- What is the purpose of the meeting?
- What do you want to share with them?
- What are your concerns?
- What are theirs?
- What is the desired result of the meeting?
Try to be confident – you are the professional. You know their son or daughter as a class member and you have information to offer to them. Even if you are nervous, make sure you take charge by leading the discussion. Stand up to greet parents, maintain good eye contact, sit up straight and don’t fiddle – this may sound trivial, but confident body language can make a big impression and inspire confidence.
Make sure you have evidence of work to support your judgements. This makes the discussion less subjective. If there are areas for development, always sandwich this between positive aspects of the child’s work, this can soften the blow. It’s important not to get drawn into comparisons too and keep the conversation specific to the individual child.
Bear in mind that you can help parents and help yourself at the same time! Some parents may have had a negative experience of school; they may be defensive or anxious on school territory. If you are calm and resolute, they will have confidence in you.
Breaking the not-so-good news
Some parents may find it hard to accept that their child’s behaviour is anything other than perfect. As a result, there will be times when parents will support their child against the school – no matter what. They can find it difficult to understand that you have their child’s best interests at heart and can be hostile, defensive and confrontational. On rare occasions, these meetings may degenerate even further, with the parent becoming aggressive.
So what can you do to make sure things remain positive?
- Start with a positive comment about the student. This will lessen the blow of bad news and reassure parents that your attitude towards their child is not completely critical.
- Prepare what you want to say, in advance, and make notes if it helps. You’re less likely to get flustered if things get a bit sticky!
- Have another member of staff present if you think it will help. Think about your personal safety in case conflict develops. Use your common sense.
- Be approachable and understanding. Don’t make a barrier with your desk, which can be intimidating.
- Make a point of finding out about any family issues before they arrive, for example ill health, unemployment, addiction or cultural differences.
- Use an icebreaker. Ask how things are going, if they enjoyed their holiday or how their house move went.
- It is important not to dwell on the negative. Parents want to hear that you and the school are working positively to improve things – but that you need their support.
- Be absolutely clear about what they can do to help and what the school is suggesting as the way forward. Be careful not to leave room for any misunderstanding.
- Keep a record of what is discussed. A copy of this can be sent to the parents after the meeting.
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