Introducing… Behaviour and You

Photo by Mona Khaleghi on Unsplash

It has come to my attention that there are many approaches to behaviour that are taught as if they are off-the-shelf and will work for everyone – that is not the case.

Behaviour strategies need to work for you first in order to work in the classroom.

This is an invitation.

‘Behaviour’ is not the issue of one member of staff – if you’ve tried that approach you will know that the results are short lived:

“If you continue doing that I will send you to Mister Gopaul”

The kid continues.

They go to Mister Gopaul.

They are ‘told off.’ 

Mister Gopaul is scary, this has an effect on the pupil.

They return to you, they mumble an apology, if you’re lucky they’re compliant for the remainder of the lesson.

And next lesson it starts again… so you attempt to ‘be more like’ Mister Gopaul. You are strict, you shout – the child laughs at you. They get sent to Mister Gopaul – again.

Whilst I advocate for team support and passing on to colleagues in certain moments of extreme (or unsafe) behaviour it is important – and empowering! To feel that we can deal with most of the daily behavioural issues ourselves.

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And yet behaviour is often cited as one of the primary reasons that people leave our profession*.

So surely we all need support with it? Something is not right.

Over the past couple of years it has come to my attention that there are many approaches to behaviour that are taught as if they are off-the-shelf and will work for everyone – that is not the case.

Behaviour strategies need to work for you first in order to work in the classroom.

What works for me as a confident, 35year old, white wanna-be-Mary-Poppins thespian, will not work for my quiet, consistent 50years + colleague Janet, or my black colleague in his late 60s teaching in a predominantly white community, or my colleague in her mid-twenties who is Muslim, hijab wearing always laughing and who gets away with fist pumps and ‘what’s aaahhhhp?!’ as a morning greeting in her classroom.

The key to behaviour strategies is making them work for you in your situation.

And so I would like to introduce you to a new series: Behaviour and You.

This is an invitation for you to share and contribute…

Over the coming months I would like to share what ‘behaviour’ is like for you.

What are the challenges that you feel you face that other colleagues don’t?

What strategies work for you wonderfully and yet no one else seems to be able to Master?

I am inviting you to get in touch.

I am proposing that each blog of this series is a short interview, question and answer style. As a contributor you will be sent a few questions – answer some of them, all of them and add your own two pennies’ worth!

There will be other people who identify with you who need ideas (and confidence!) on how they might be become more confident with behaviour in the classroom – let’s open this conversation.

SO.

Is it  –

Behaviour and Menopause?

Behaviour and young teachers?

Behaviour and mature teachers?

Behaviour and disabled teachers?

Behaviour and trans teachers?

Behaviour and teachers with Mental Health struggles?

Behaviour and teachers who are going through a divorce?

Behaviour and teachers with children with their own behavioural challenges?……….

* Reference – https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/bad-behaviour-classroom-teachers-quit-children-s-education-disruption-a8685851.html

Engage with challenging behaviour in your school and support staff effectively;

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