The Solution to the Disruptive Student Has Arrived: Body Language Classes

If we trained doctors nearly as badly as we trained teachers we would all refuse to get a check-up.

The latest experiment is to get trainee teachers to undertake body language classes in order to deal with disruptive students:

Trainee teachers are to be coached to use their voices and body language to control disruptive pupils.

The Government’s school behaviour tsar is concerned that troublemakers scent weakness and start playing up when teachers lack an authoritative presence in the classroom.

Charlie Taylor, who advises ministers on tackling indiscipline, says that teachers’ voices often become high-pitched when they are tense and agitated, giving away their nerves.

Many also underestimate the importance of body language and posture and instead hunch their shoulders or fidget.

I can just hear them boast now:

“If it wasn’t for my improved posture I wouldn’t have been able to handle children who throw objects and make threats. Thank you so much for the body language lessons!”

Then again, even if the skill isn’t useful in the classroom, they may improve your poker game.

Tags: Charlie Taylor, Classroom Management, Disruptive Students, Education, Government’s school behaviour tsar, lack an authoritative presence in the classroom, Teacher Training, teachers’ voices often become high-pitched when they are tense, Trainee teachers, Trainee teachers are to be coached to use their voices and body language

This entry was posted on July 2, 2012 at 3:58 pm and is filed under Classroom Management, Teacher Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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