It is apparent that teachers are struggling to cope with classroom misbehaviour more now than in any other time. This often brings panic influenced, knee-jerk reactions to help pull students in to line.
The award for the wildest and most needlessly over the top reaction to student misbehaviour goes to this headmistress:
In a bizarre case, a strict headmistress of a UK primary school allegedly called police to thwart a students’ plan to not smile and spoil a school photograph.
Ann Hughes, the headmistress of a school in Anglesey, North Wales, found out some children were planning to “spoil” the picture and telephoned police, a professional conduct hearing was told.
It is alleged that an officer was invited into the village primary school to reprimand the pupils unwilling to pose correctly, The Mirror reported.
Hughes faces a catalogue of complaints including repeatedly calling one student “stupid” and favouring children whose first language was Welsh.
The committee of the General Teaching Council for Wales heard yesterday that she failed to investigate the bullying of two pupils, shouted excessively in the classroom and unnecessarily criticised children’s mistakes.
One pupil watched as Hughes tore his examination paper in front of him when he had spelt his middle name wrong, the hearing was told.
The school was engulfed in crisis in May 2011 when five of the six teachers simultaneously called in sick after earlier threatening industrial action following a vote of no confidence in Hughes.
Staff claimed there was a climate of “fear” at the school before the headmistress was suspended in July 2011 and later dismissed. The case is still continuing.
Click on the link to read Teachers are Better with a Sense of Humour (Photo)
Click on the link to read Would You Want Your Teacher Chair Replaced by a Yoga Ball?
Click on the link to read Worst Examples of Teacher Discipline
Click on the link to read Why Students Misbehave
Click on the link to read Being a Teacher Makes Me Regret the Way I Treated My Teachers
Tags: Anglesey, Ann Hughes, Ann Hughes police, called police to make students smile for photo, called police to thwart a students' plan to not smile and spoil a school photograph, class photo, class photo police, Education, General Teaching Council for Wales, headmistress calls police, News, North Wales
Topical Teaching 
March 6, 2014 at 3:43 am |
Reblogged this on Adventures in Education and commented:
I know that teachers are reporting difficulty with classroom management now more than ever, even experienced teachers often report having more difficulty today than in decades previous. Fortunately, I have not heard of anything quite this bad here…yet…
March 6, 2014 at 7:16 am |
How many of us have worked in schools where the best days have been those on which the principal is absent. Suddenly the place brightens up and everyone is relieved to breathe fresh air.
My question is twofold. How do such people ever get to be principals and why do the authorities back such people so strongly against the longsuffering staff?
Where management is toxic and bullying, principals who display those characteristics are highly valued over and against principals who give real and meaningful support to their staff.
Where teachers experience more difficulties with classroom management the chances are that the principal is more likely to be of the first kind than the second.