One of the most important qualities of a good teacher is patience. Teachers, no matter how experienced or adept they may be, struggle at times with behaviour management issues in the classroom. The loss of control at the hands of cheeky and disobedient students happens to the best of us. It’s just a matter of how well we deal with it.
The trick is to keep your emotions settled, think calmly and find an appropriate way to address the issue as well as administer a consequence that fits the infringement. Unfortunately, for some, all clarity and common sense goes out the window when faced with classroom management stresses. Take this unfortunate case for example:
A TEACHER at a primary school was sacked after ordering pupils to wear a picture of a child with a noose around its neck as a punishment.
Ama Bankah, 31, had been working as a supply teacher in class of children – many with special educational needs – at Shaw Primary School, South Ockendon, Essex, England, when the practice came to light.
The General Teaching Council‘s professional conduct committee heard Ms Bankah claimed the placard was used as a “behaviour management technique”.
Every time she rang a bell, all the children had to sit quietly and those who didn’t would be “caught” by the “hangman” which was the name of the picture on the placard.
The GTC heard the image on the placard was of a child dressed in the colours of the school uniform. When Ms Bankah did this to one of the boys on February 1, 2008 he burst into tears and the matter was brought to the attention of the headteacher Linzi Roberts-Egan.
“Ms Bankah’s behaviour on 21 February 2008 was demeaning to the pupil concerned, caused him some harm, and had the potential to harm other pupils,” GTC committee chair Sashi Sivaloganathan said.
The committee also heard that some parents were so concerned about what had happened that they considered taking their children out of the school.
Whilst a story like this illustrates a teacher using terribly bad judgement, I can’t help but consider the difficulties she must have been facing to come up with such a desperate and inappropriate response. Teaching is a difficult profession, and no formal training prepares you for unruly and disrespectful students.
Structures need to be put in place to support the teacher well and truly before they lose their mind and make terrible judgement calls like this one.
Topical Teaching 