CLASSROOM ADVICE
New class etiquette
As term begins,
Carrie Dunn
offers some words
of advice when
tackling that new class
epteMBer CAn be a daunting time,
S
even for experienced teachers. Going
into a classroom for the first time and
having a swathe of strange young faces
staring back at you can be unnerving no
matter how many years you have spent
in teaching.
You may have made all sorts of new term resolutions
to cope better with the stress of September and to get
you through the year more successfully.
“I always started September with the idea that it
was going to be better this year,” said ex-teacher phil
thane. “this time I would be more organised, a better
disciplinarian, up-to-date with the latest bureaucratic
imperatives. I never was.”
the most obvious problem facing teachers is
learning everyone’s names quickly, and then breaking
the ice between brand-new classmates. “I’ve always
been poor at learning names,” Mr thane continued.
“If you’re not careful, what tends to happen is you learn
the names of the troublemakers, the chatty, the cheeky
and those with distinguishing physical characteristics,
and you fail to notice the ‘average’ kids.”
Sing Up, the project to encourage singing in schools, cuckoo. that person stands up and waves. If you prefer else, saying their name as you throw. they must then If six is the first card drawn, then pair six must answer,
recommends the use of chanting or music as a memory to chant the name that’s fine. Go around the class until throw it on to another person, saying their name, and so and so on through the pack. throw it open to the rest
tool, particularly for those new to secondary school. everyone has had a turn.” on until everyone has had a go. of the class if any pair gets it wrong. All will get a
Area leader Kathleen Still explained: “Sing a name other games also work well. Stand in a circle and Seating arrangements can also pose a problem. question. It’s better than relying upon hands-up when
and get everyone to repeat it, just two notes, like hold a small beanbag or a ball. throw it to someone even sticking unyieldingly to alphabetical order might the same five hands keep appearing!”
not work if best friends or a couple of chatterboxes Mr powell continued: “My motto is start as you
Union address: NAHT
end up together. “talk to the teacher who had them mean to go on. establish the ground rules, and set out
the year before if possible,” advised teacher Caroline what’s expected and what’s not. If you and the class
roberts, “or to a head of year who knows them. Ask start with the wrong approach, it’s very hard to regroup
Keep it in perspective
who shouldn’t sit together, and for good combinations once you get into bad habits.”
too. then make a seating plan and stick to it rigidly until patrick nash, chief executive of the teacher Support
you get to know them.” network, concurs: “Be organised,” he advised. “the
robert powell is a former headteacher who now pupils will appreciate it if you are. Young people
Mick Brookes
forward and we are strengthened by the support of runs training sessions for teachers, and he says that the thrive on consistency and will respond well when they
parents, governors and the independent sector. first week of term is key. with decades of experience in are clear about what is expected of them, what the
discusses the
It is time the profession stood up to oppose this teaching, one might expect that his first day at work had boundaries are, and what happens if they flout these
nonsense and reclaim the agenda, our professional faded from his memory, but that’s not the case. boundaries. You need to be firm but fair.”
pride, and a better guarantee that children will “I was told by an old hand on my first day, ‘don’t routines are necessary for the first few weeks, adds
new challenges
transfer from key stage to key stage with a lust smile until Christmas’,” he recalls. “even though times Mr powell: “If there is something you want them to
for learning. If we fail at this, and students are not have changed since teachers felt the need to put the fear do, then insist upon it. It will happen naturally after a
teachers have been set this
engaged by the Diploma agenda, we will have a real of God into new classes, there is some sound thinking few lessons.
problem in 2011 when the current year 7 cohort is behind it. “Strong and confident teachers will take a break
academic year
expected to keep learning. “Don’t try to be their friends by being over familiar from routines – but that will happen only after they
the duty to co-operate is an interesting concept, – young people are quite sophisticated and will see have been established. It is much harder to impose
the fact that it has to be regulated I find somewhat what you are trying to do and interpret it as weakness. routines on a class that is not used to them,” he added.
Another new academic year and another set of depressing. Certainly one of the great failings of even highly motivated and clever children can cause he also suggests that teachers set ground rules for
challenges from a government determined to forge on the past decade is that the reform of the old local problems for teachers if they feel they can get away question-and-answer sessions and make those clear
with “transforming” the system while perpetuating education authority has not resulted in that close with it. that doesn’t mean you don’t smile or share immediately.
some of the relics of the past. we return to: co-operation between services that was part of the a spontaneously funny moment – young people like “Do not allow simple shouting out,” he said.
• A duty to co-operate. design. how many of you have tried desperately to teachers with a sense of humour.” “Develop the principle that whoever is speaking,
• the first wave of Diplomas. involve social services in the lives of at risk children In the first weeks of school, he sees two main whether it is the teacher or one of the students, should
• Current year 7s staying in education or training only to find that no help is available? problems arising, and agrees with Mr thane and Ms not be interrupted. emphasise the fact that this is about
until they are 17-years-old. the computer programme for nutritional value of roberts in their analysis of what might prove difficult. simple courtesy. Similarly, never allow anyone to put
• Computer-based school meal nutritional school meals is an interesting use of technology, but “First, you don’t know their names or much about down or ridicule another contribution.
standards. unless the fayre provided at lunchtime is attractive, their characters, confidence, skill levels or behaviour “If you allow ridicule you will soon have very
• And of course – the students! we will see a further proliferation of lunch-box patterns,” he explained. “You will only find out about few students participating. Value all students and their
we share, across key stages, the backwash of the toxic additives and pork pies smuggled through the them as they participate, and this is problem two: in contributions, even if the response is inaccurate –
assessment debacle that has thankfully resulted in school fence. many classes, particularly after the age of 11, only a develop a classroom free of fear or anxiety.” SecEd
the departure of etS and an interesting void where the first five Diplomas are up and running. we small number willingly participate in oral work. Many
none of the current providers seem keen to step up to wish them well and must ensure that the logistical will remain silent and a mystery to you.” • Carrie Dunn is a freelance writer and tutor, and
the etS plate – and the clock is ticking. challenges between now and 2011 are met, resourced he suggests getting them to make name-plates lectures at various London universities.
I believe that there is no chance of getting a robust and embedded – 51 new courses alongside the for their tables, and then using their names whenever
system in place to maintain the current bureaucratic current GCSe and A level programmes of study is possible. he also recommends getting them to stick
Further information
monolith; something has to give. a very big ask, the danger of it “all going horribly to that seating plan for the first few lessons, and robert powell’s book, Personalised Learning
At the nAht, we have provided a solution for wrong” (Alan Johnson, 2007) is an ever present making sure you note down their places while they’re in the Classroom, is available from www.
the government that involves sending the tests (key reality. the role of the employer in this is crucial, working. robertpowellpublications.com
stage 2 and 3) to schools in May; allowing schools meaningful work experiences are key. the Institute But he warns that this system is not fool-proof: “In teacher Support network: www.teachersupport.info
themselves to decide when to administrate (surely of Directors and the Confederation of British Industry one of my first teaching posts, I had a pair of identical
not in early May!), and have them locally marked so have consistently carped about the quality of school twins in my year 7 class. each day, I worked out quickly
that they can inform teacher assessment. leavers entering the world of work. It is time for which was which by the colours of their clothing. the
The two biggest challenges for teachers
we have a professional workforce of more than them to stop moaning and start collaborating. only problem, which the class thought was hilarious,
in the first week of school are learning
400,000 teachers and as many classroom assistants the sense of perspective for me was always in was that they would regularly change clothes at break names and developing a workable seating
who are experts in assessing pupil progress. You the interaction with the children/young people. You time. the class knew but I never spotted it!”
arrangement.
should be trusted to undertake the task of assessment will all remember the teachers that filled you with to encourage participation, he suggests planning
in order to effect a smooth transfer between key hope and filled you with despair, no matter what some group brainstorming activities, with each
stages so that the skills children bring with them externally imposed burdens there are, the reason for contribution attributed to the person who thought of it,
Some classes may require icebreaker
to year 7 and year 10 can be properly taken into being is all around you. You are the constant in their which will help you with names as well.
activities if the students do not already
account. how much better to have, for instance, lives, not politicians, school improvement officials “You can also try pass the question,” he said. “Use know each other.
close collaboration between year 6 and 7 staff in or any of the army of “accountants” that individually the first half of the lesson to introduce a new set of
July, with a transfer project so that receiving teachers add to the bureaucracy of control. Sometimes you technical terms or key words that are important to the
Icebreaker activities can be as simple as
have actual examples of work, rather than a set of are the only constant in their lives. that is a startling chosen topic. Display the words on posters around the
numbers that are to some extent arbitrary and lead to responsibility but is also our raison d’etre. room before the lesson begins.
throwing a ball around a circle while each
year 7 teachers feeling that they have to re-test their “Ask students to work in pairs and allocate each pair
person calls out their name, or something
new cohort. • Mick Brookes is general secretary of the National a number, so one to 15 in a class of 30 students. Using more complicated, such as using music or
we have been in the forefront of taking this issue Association of Head Teachers. Visit: www.naht.org.uk a pack of cards or sheets of paper numbered one to 15,
chanting as a memory-aid tool.
shuffle them and then turn over the cards one by one.
12 SecEd • September 11 2008
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