Behaviour in our Schools.....How much does it concern you?

I happened to be looking on the Guardian Website (nothing political/election based I can assure you) and I came across a section titled Classroom Violence, yes there is a designated section on the website of one of our national newspapers titled Classroom Violence. Are things really that bad that this area of education has its own section containing 283 related articles detailing stories about violence in our schools. This also comes at a time when Ed Balls reaffirms his message that teachers should be allowed to use reasonable force to restrain students. The question I ask to all prospective/current trainee teachers is how much do these media stories increase the concern you have regarding behaviour management ahead of any teaching practice you undertake? Does it begin to become more of a concern then actually delivering good content to your students?

Outdoor Education - Its Role in Behaviour Management

From the very start of my teaching career I made the decision to get involved in activities outside of the classroom. I was lucky that my first Educational Visit came early on, in fact is was at the end of my teacher training year when I got invited to go on the Watersports Visit to the South of France. I also volunteered to take charge of the Year 7 Football team from the September of my NQT Year (this was purely because I love Football). At the time, I was totally unaware of how powerful these activities were going to be with regards to the Behaviour Management in my classroom. Since that first trip to France, I have participated in and lead many other Educational Visits, because of the way that it inspires, motivates and challenges the young people. The Hub provided by Include Solutions has a designated area which will look at how you can use your experiences outside of the classroom to build relationships with your students and in turn improve the behaviour management within your classroom. You will be provided with practical advice and strategies to assist you on your journey so that you get the most out of your role as a Teacher. BR

Not Smiling Until Christmas Part II......

To continue on from the last thread posted by Include Solutions, we thought we would look at the university advice of not smiling until Christmas a bit more....


It is very important to have a learning environment which is well disciplined, after all this will aid the learning process. So what is well disciplined? Some would argue that it is an environment where by the students do as they say, they talk when you want them to talk, they work when you want them to work and they smile/laugh when you give them permission to do so and if and when they fail to follow any of the 'rules' they are given, they receive a sanction. That way you have total control and your students will then learn everything you want them to learn....won't they?  


What then is another argument for a well disciplined classroom......


Well others would argue (and at Include Solutions we would fully support this argument) that a well disciplined classroom is one in which the 'Routines for Learning' form the basis for behaviour, capped off by your obvious enthusiasm and high expectations for what your students can and will achieve. Here are two simple classroom management suggestions to get you thinking and working towards a more holistic approach....think about how it maintains your standards at a high level whilst at the same time it demonstrates to your students that you care.....

• Insist your class is lined up in silence before entering the classroom, pull them up on it if they are too noisy, but then greet them with a personal good morning or good afternoon as they walk through your door, ask them how they are doing, whether they had a good weekend and whether their football team won etc.
• Use a starter/bell work to set the tone for the learning environment, again you can pull up any students who are not working, and you must do this, but more importantly you must go around and speak to every student in your classroom and find something to praise them for. 

The question that we ask you to reflect on is where does the approach of not smiling until Christmas fall??