Behaviour Of The Pupils In The Class example essay topic

A reflective report on the management of pupil behaviour In this report I intend to focus on the different strategies of quieting down and calming the class. Managing the behaviour of the classroom has always been a problem for the class teacher. When given the responsibility of 30 children, all individual, all different, it is a hard task to try and also keep your class peaceful and co-operative. The Elton report stated that 'Primary schools had to deal with many incidents of minor disruptive behaviour e.g. shouting out, pushing, running in school, name calling, defiance. ' (Elton Report 1989) Because of these incidents of disruptive behaviour it is important that teachers have in place their own methods of calming the class, or in some cases of rep remanding them. The different methods of c laming or rep remanding the class are often debated amongst theorists.

Johnstone, M is of the opinion 'A lost temper is often needed in order for the pupils to realise the consequence of their actions' (Johnstone 1992) Johnstone believes that a teacher needs from time to time to loose his / her temper in order for the class to notice that when they are disruptive the teacher gets angry and unpleasant. Wilson and Cowell do not agree with this belief. 'It is essential for teachers to remain in control of themselves at all times, so that they may be a source of security for the pupils. They can be excited or enthusiastic or funny, or all sorts of things, but they must feel secure.

' (Wilson & Cowell 1990) As we can see from this quote shouting is not the only method of discipline advised. Whilst punishment and calming strategies are very often needed, and all so often a day to day in the primary classroom, over use of these strategies would be and in some schools have proved to be a problem. When children are constantly shouted at or told to be quiet, in many cases, they loose rep sect for the authority figure. 'Whilst children will accept that punishment is occasionally needed to secure order, once it becomes over used it becomes self defeating, in that pupils loose respect for the school, its values and the enjoyment of learning. ' (Jennings 1979) When in school, be it on teaching practise or as a chid myself, I witnessed many different forms and strategies of pupil behaviour management. Jennings states 'As in any other institution good discipline is an essential to success.

However if one considers the various functions of the school, it is clear that the forms of control which teachers use, have a qualitative effect upon the results achieved. ' (Jennings 1979) In the schools that I am in now, when the teacher wants the class to quieten down she will stand quietly with her arms in the air, wiggling her fingers. When each pupil notices this they put their hands in the air and do the same. The teacher has found this to be very effective when gaining the children's attention and it shows that, unlike Johnstone theory, you do not have to shout in order to catch the children's attention. A friend of mine commented to me on a strategy of showing the children that the teacher was unhappy that proved to be very effective. Whenever the teacher was unhappy with the children's behaviour she stood under her 'storm cloud', she had made a picture of a storm cloud with the children and put it up in the corner.

In all the schools I have I only saw one case of personalizing the reprimand e.g. using the words 'David you are a very naughty boy' and 'David you always disappoint me' We are always taught in university an it has come up a lot in the books I have read that this is not an effective strategy at all. 'It is essential that impersonality of punishment must be communicated to the pupils. ' (Watkins & Wagner 1987) From the research I have done and the classrooms I have observed it has become apparent to me that teachers find a huge variety of methods for managing the behaviour of the pupils in the class. I cannot say that I have found the one true most effective method, but I have certainly come across many good ideas that I will certainly use when teaching in the future. ' Our youth now loves luxury. They have bad manners and contempt for authority.

They show disrespect for their elders and love idle chatter instead of exercise' (Socrates: 470-399 BC) Let's hope we as teachers have helped to move things on since Socrates wrote this!