‘Disruptive behaviour in classrooms…..’

....is on the rise

according to an article on the BBC online today. I read this with curiosity. It is terrible that teachers are having to deal with things being thrown at them and cyberbullying. I imagine that classrooms should be a clear and ready space for the learning that will happen on both sides of the desk. I feel for the teachers who have studied hard to qualify and find themselves reaching for skills that they didn’t think they would need or don’t have.

Frustration and unhappiness

The line that stood out most was ‘ [teachers] are frequently on the receiving end of children's frustration and unhappiness,’. My heart sinks at this. How can children learn when they have these feelings? It is incredibly difficult to concentrate on anything with frustration bubbling or sadness taking hold. I wonder too how it affects the teachers and staff when they can see these feelings in a student and yet don’t have the time or space to discover more about it.

Teachers and learners talking

I was recently shown a film clip from a school where students and teachers are working together to have conversations that empower the students to say what they want to say and the results are amazing. The ripples have reached out into the pupils homes and the teachers are doing what they want to do – provoke learning. The article mentions that some measures have been put in place to work on the behaviour of the pupils and the skills of the teachers. My hope is that there is another massive piece to this which looks at the bit leading up to the behaviour and how the relationship between the teachers and learners can be given more energy.

By Tasha George