Standing children in the corner in class for minor issues?

lynzpower

I used to work in social services in Inner London so I really can see both sides of this. Most of the children on my caseload had difficult home lives, couldnt understand how to share, care, be emotional to each other and the violence they acted out was totally uncceptable, and even quite shocking to me ( 11 years old breaking each others noses, childlren openly carying knives/ other weapons, dealing drugs in the school gates, weird Hoodie grown men hanging out waiting for girls in BMWs police officers on site, as well as uniformed security guards).

I believe that the system in theory means well, but it simply cant be right that some kids ( the "worst" ones) dont get the same discipline as a essentially a kid from a essentially positive background whos just having a naughty day. I believe there is a vital lifeskill to be learned, and I have seen teenagers that havnet been displined properly really fail in thier school careers- and thats NOt right.

I was once in the reception in lunch hour and a full on fight broke out between 6 14 (ish) YOs and it was scary. The staff just standing around shrugging going "yeah its Jake again, Jake can you just stop this please". Resigned to this constant onslaught of no authority.

The most deprived children are denied fair treatment at home, and usually IMV have very poor levels of adequate discipline. This is where the schools have to come in.

You only have to look at the educational attainment of care leavers ( arguably the "worst behaved" children in education, to see thow poorly they attain.

Maybe if there were more discipline, ( and of course, much smaller class sizes) this might not happen.

I blame the government, that have invested in ponzi schemes with private contractors wasting educational money that should have been spent on much smaller class sizes.

The crowd control approach I have seen so many london teachers take, is a real shame for ALL children. Those from a neglectful homelife need more close attention, and not less.

BeenieCat

My son's school, or at least class teacher seem to make them miss a playtime if they've ignored instructions to behave, it seems to work well

ellies_angel

Go to the toilet - lunchtime perhaps like people who do jobs where they don't get a morning/afternoon break have to? Or leave the class with the teaching assistant for 2 minutes? some of us don't have teaching assistants!

Call parents - lunchtime or after school? lunchtime, are we not entitled to a lunch break,

Prepare resources - After school perhaps? You could stay at work until 5pm like lots of other professions require their employees to do. yeah but how many other employees are at work at 7.30 am and then spend much of the evening, marking, doing lesson plans etc after all we wouldn't have time in our lunch breaks or morning breaks because you would have us doing lots of other things

Deal with administration - Same as prepare resources. after school, we don't have homes to go to, families to feed etc

Plan trips - as above mmmm how long is lunch 1 hour, morning break 15 minutes. My god we are good to do all the things you want us to do

Generally relax - maybe in the evenings in your own time, like people in other professions have to? Or in your lunch hour? lunch hour, I thought you had us doing plenty other things.

I work with students aged 13 - 16 years. Students who prefer to text, do their makeup, each others hair etc rather than work. You set detentions, they don't turn up so SMT set detentions, they don't turn up. You contact parrents. They don't show up, Ultimately they are exlcuded for a couple of days. Progress I don't think so.
We want our students to grow up to be confident responsible individuals. Lessons are planned not only to teach them what they need to learn but to meet individual learning styles. Identifying what works for a student and adapting the lesson in order they get the best and positive learning experience from it. Gone are the days when you made up a lesson plan for the term and went with it. Every day for each class I have to evaluate it, adapt it and change it.
Students have rights, and they know them, this is important, but along with rights they have responsibilites, something they are not so keen to know about.
I am forever told "get out my face", "here we go again", "not interested", "don't want to do it", and "no I'm not moving". I have had bottles of coke, rubbers and other impliments thrown at me. I have been shouted at and sworn at.
What can I do, report them to SMT and they get excluded. What benefit is that, they are missing out on their education. By the same token you could say what about the students who are being disturbed are they not entitled to a good, positive learning experience.

Do I think it is wrong to stand a child in the corner for misbehaving. No, not if they have been warned of the consequences of their actions, and only if it is consistant. Maybe it would make it much easier when the children come into secondary school!

Parents have high expectations of teachers, quite rightly so. While in school your child should be safe and have a positive learning expereince which will allow them to reach their full potential and prepare them for life in the big wide world, but equally parents have reponsibilites and ideally they should be working with the teachers.

KellyWelly

Flashdaisy wrote: »

Go to the toilet - lunchtime perhaps like people who do jobs where they don't get a morning/afternoon break have to? Or leave the class with the teaching assistant for 2 minutes?

Call parents - lunchtime or after school?

Prepare resources - After school perhaps? You could stay at work until 5pm like lots of other professions require their employees to do.

Deal with administration - Same as prepare resources.

Plan trips - as above

Generally relax - maybe in the evenings in your own time, like people in other professions have to? Or in your lunch hour?

Have a drink - I seem to remember most teachers when I was at school drinking during lessons. Children drink in lessons from water bottles, can teachers not do the same?

lol. Before school, teachers will be meeting with parents, getting ready for the morning lessons, meeting with colleagues, doing playground duty, running clubs. During the 15 minute break in the morning they will be clearing up from the morning session, preparing or getting out resources for the next session, taking messages and calling back parents or colleagues, patrolling the school to make sure pupils are safe and behaving, doing First Aid duty, doing play ground duty, using the toilet and then going out into the playground to bring the class back in. During the 1 hour lunch they will be again clearing away and preparing for the next lesson, using the loo, returning phone calls, organising trips/visits/resource borrowing/library van/letters, maybe having 10 mins to sit and eat. After school there will be clearing away, meeting parents, twighlight training sessions, staff meetings, LEA meetings, meetings with social workers or other professionals involved with pupils, running all the clubs and extra curricular activities, answering messages and emails, paperwork, marking, planning...

I've personally sat in the staff room twice this week, once for 10 minutes to eat my lunch and the other time to organise a load of paperwork in peace and quiet.

What is it lately with all the Bash-A-Teacher threads on here? How do parents expect their kids to have a positive and fruitful education when they themselves are constantly on about how crappy/lazy/rubbish/useless/thick/overpaid their teachers are? I'll let you in on a little secret - the children who work the hardest and succeed the most are the ones who come from supportive and positive families.

poet123

Flashdaisy wrote: »

Raging bull? Shouting and bawling? How rude of you to insinuate that I did any of those. Clearly by your posts you are a teacher too and I am damn glad you do not teach any of my children as you seem very judgemental!

I am sorry if you did not go into school with that attitude, but that is certainly how it comes across in your posts, so maybe you should look to how you phrase things rather than imply I am not correctly interpreting your actions?

No, you are mistaken, I am not a schoolteacher.

welshgirl78

My goodness FlashDaisy, please spend a month teaching and then re-assess!

I arrive at 8am - teach til 10.55am, break for 10 mins where I am allowed to go to the loo (tell me many other jobs where you are Not allowed to go to the loo for 3 hours?), I don't have an endless supply of TA's and even if I did they certainly would not be happy if I wandered out of the lesson and left them to discipline 30 16 year olds.

Oh yes then 40 mins lunch, the first 10 mins is usually spent sorting out the previous class (then queuing at the canteen for approx 10 mins of this- I know I could bring sandwiches but I don't want to) and yes we then finish Teaching at 3pm. Which is great and I can act like a normal person and have a cup of tea whilst I plan my lessons til at least 5pm (and make those infamous phone calls).

In the evening I sometimes do just relax but often plan 6th form work which takes some concentrating - I have been working til 10.30 tonight so I don't have to worry on Sunday... and then pop on here to read this!

I choose to be a teacher and I love it. I am not saying I work harder than others, the job is dreadful etc etc but I really really do not understand how you can sit in judgement on a profession that you do not seem to know anything real about - I wouldn't dream of telling anybody else how to do their job and what their hours and priorities are.

Sorry for being so off topic, I try not to get sucked into these threads but feel strongly about these comments and I know it was not OP's point (FYI I think standing in the corner is fine on occasion and after warning, although it may not have been given directly before, kids generally know the classroom ethos, particularly at this stage of the year). And good luck to the lovely hard working teachers who are doing their very best, in often difficult circumstances, for other peoples children.

andyrules

Flashdaisy wrote: »

Have a drink - I seem to remember most teachers when I was at school drinking during lessons. Children drink in lessons from water bottles, can teachers not do the same?

That one made me laugh - teachers barely draw breath during class let alone drink! That does help with cutting down on toilet visits though;)


To the op - young children who are swearing and hitting generally will have some serious issue and will probably not respond the same way as a child who understands boundaries.

andyrules

lynzpower wrote: »

I blame the government, that have invested in ponzi schemes with private contractors wasting educational money that should have been spent on much smaller class sizes.

The crowd control approach I have seen so many london teachers take, is a real shame for ALL children. Those from a neglectful homelife need more close attention, and not less.

Sadly, how true:rolleyes:

Ems!

andyrules wrote: »

That one made me laugh - teachers barely draw breath during class let alone drink! That does help with cutting down on toilet visits though;)

Ah - that makes sense !! I a m not a teacher (work in an office) and no way could I go for 1 1/2 hours without using the loo, never mind all afternoon! Kudos to the teachers for the bladder control if nothing else! lol.

JOANNESAPHINE

Just want to say that as a TA at a primary school we don't use standing in the corner in my class as a punishment, but in my daughter's school I know it is or certainly was used. We do time in at playtime and we also have behaviour mentors. Agree with the comment about some of the more challenging children do need a different punishment. I also want to say you teachers are brilliant and I could not do your job. The long days and then going home to do marking, lesson planning, staying at school for meetings and training sessions. Not getting a break or when you do someone interrupts it needing you for something or other. The staff room at our school seldom contains teachers having a well earned break but more passing through to take a coffee away with them while they work in their lunch. You do a FAB job.