As part of the plenary to my session, I highlighted to the class that their behaviour was much worse than the previous week and they had really shown themselves up, needing constant reminding from myself and Susie that they needed to keep the volume to a minimum. I continued by saying that fro their age range and ability, their behaviour in the session was inappropriate and disrespectful. My Mentor, ST, reiterated my message to them and I noticed a change in their attitude when they realised that it was a general thought, not just something coming from me. I thanked ST for her contribution after the session, and was pleased that she had repeated my message. She confirmed with me that all I said was said in the right tone and I used enough praise for previous sessions juxtaposed against disappointment from today. During my session, ST had come up with some strategies to try and promote a better working atmosphere for upcoming sessions.
From next week, I will reinstate a seating plan. When I prepared and used one, much thought went into the placement of those who worked had next to those who got distracted easily. Those who were close friends who talked too much, were separated and anyone who might need assistance were on the edges of rows, where I or ST could help out without being conspicuous, thus causing the student excess embarrassment. I had spent much time with the class and knew reasonably well who could be sat together. Since allowing the students to choose their own seats (last three sessions) there has been a significant lapse in suitable behaviour that complies with the ground rules.
I think it important for me to continue setting up the seats myself prior to the session, as today students were more than reluctant to put the seats into rows. I have found that in previous sessions where I have organised the chairs so there are fewer students in the back row and more in the front, closer to the whiteboard, then students are less likely to be disruptive, thinking they are far away from the teacher. Obviously, this is made easier in that teaching room, as the chairs are lecture hall style and can be moved about easily. This might be more difficult in a more formal teaching room. However, in that case, a seating plan would still work.
For my next session, I need to clearly define the ground rules e.g. raising hands to speak and listening to other students' points of view. I will follow this by stating that all my classes will have a new 'better working' (better title to follow!) system. It will include the following steps for dealing with excessive talking or poor behaviour:
- Should I need to say someone's name once because they are talking excessively, that name will go onto the whiteboard.
- If I need to tell them again, I will put a mark next to their name e.g. a line, cross, circle, something that they can see clearly.
- At the third time of speaking to them, I will ask them to leave the room, and wait for me outside to come and speak to them.
I will find an appropriate time during the session to speak to them, as it is important that students who are always working hard and quietly are not robbed of their session because of someone else. When speaking to the student, I will ask them why they kept talking when explicitly instructed not to (I always put reminders of no talking, phones away etc on the board.) and whether they think that their behaviour is appropriate for the session.
I will allow them back into the session provided that they monitor their behaviour. They will be informed that if it does not change, they will be asked to leave and come back to me at the end of the session to apologise. This leaves no room for students to think that disruption of the class with noise levels, calling out, or holding private conversations etc. will be tolerated in the class. I am hopeful that should I be forced to move to stage 3 of the new 'better working' (no new title yet!) system with one student, that the class will learn quickly and adapt their behaviour.
During every class the ground rules have been recapped and enforced. The department shares a strong ethos on maintaining rules and respect as a two-way approach in conjunction with the 'Every Child Matters' and the safeguarding of their students.
As always, this is just one day and the relationship that I am developing with the students on an individual basis and (mostly) on the whole, is improving each week. The teaching side is going well and I am really being supported well on all sides. All I hope that is by next week they will have recaptured some of last week's brilliant behaviour!
