A view from the classroom

Civitas, 8 June 2007

On Wednesday the Daily Mail ran a piece quoting Civitas, about the shortage of science and maths teacher which is leading to more mixed-ability classes in comprehensive schools. The concern is that this is not only diluting learning, but exacerbating poor pupil behaviour.
A secondary science teacher from Brighton who read and agreed with the article wrote in to us about her own experiences in the classroom. Here, in diary form, is what she considers to be the underlying reasons for disruptive pupils – as well as her solutions.
‘Today I have again been up against the coalface so to speak. With an insight, perhaps we may not entirely blame pupils for poor behaviour in schools. Let me explain

Today I have again been up against the coalface so to speak. With an insight, perhaps we may not entirely blame pupils for poor behaviour in schools. Let me explain. The school I am currently teaching at has in the past been placed by Ofsted in special measures. The main reason being Year 9 behaviour, and stated as such in the school’s Ofsted Report. Today, the pupils of a Year 10 group tell me “you are the best science teacher we have had”. Nice stuff, however, what has happened is that these dear souls have had a series of supply teachers, apparently because no teacher lasted more than two days. So I find that in trying to deliver, a Year. 10 revision class, for exams in two weeks, that one group has no inkling whatsoever of oil chemistry! And another group, who I set an exam question on Doppler Red Shift (physics) cannot answer it – despite telling me that they have apparently studied it. So, I set up a revision exercise on the board, to cover Doppler Red Shift. Amazingly the students tell me that the way I explained it, they understand immediately. Again nice stuff, since I feel they are in with a chance. So on to another group who tell me to please go over energy in physics. God I think, I have been told to do chemistry with them – but how can one ignore such pleas at such a late stage? So with no revision programme in place for Year 10 on energy, I spend my well-deserved rest of half term, compiling an energy revision programme for them.
So I think, here I am, only currently on supply as a science teacher, having to put in place a programme that I should be able to lift of the shelf. The students are depending on me however – so one does it.
And how about that Year 8 group that apparently is the “group from hell”. Other teachers apparently need three adults in the class to teach them. I do it on my own. How? I praise them up to hilt, give them SEN (special educational needs) type material and give them lots of ‘doing’ work (science practicals). That’s quite a number of practicals since one never knows whether one will survive it; but practicals are the essence of science. The pupils tell me on feedback that they learn better with the practicals in science – so why not listen to them? Learning from doing, is probably a better way of teaching science.
Lots more on this I could say, but the point of the message is this. Yes behaviour in the classroom is atrocious and getting worse, but it needn’t be. Today in a really bad lesson with Year 9’s I managed to get four troublesome girls to stay behind on their own initiative, to apologise, and at least one told me she wanted to become a teacher. Why do they connect with me? Because I am not governed by the political correct views of the teaching profession – I generally give it to them straight. Today I called a student a “pratt” – oops! It slipped out. The rest of class said “Ooh Miss!” and burst out laughing. The thing is, one has to break down the attention seeking of the troublemakers – the ‘pratt’ in this case – before they destroy the education of others in the class. What I got, was a great set of graphs and some promises to ‘aim higher’, once the spell of the dominating “pratt” diminished.
Today I rescued a gifted and talented boy. He had been wrongly assigned to a class with mixed ability. I noted his behaviour was deteriorating, despite the fact that he could answer virtually all questions. I measured him against the gifted and talented criteria. He definitely showed all the signs. So today when he started to play up, I casually stated that he was a very intelligent boy and that I would need to check his placement. His behaviour changed almost immediately.
Yes, mixed ability classes are a key cause in low standards. However I would say, that lower ability students, could be given more of a fighting chance if the lessons were planned and organised to allow for this. I think that in that class, I can probably get a good many through Foundation Level of their Year 11 exams. Personally I have never thought that giving children some ‘poor you’ attitude, is worth anything in the real world. I came from poverty and fought it up on my own merit. I don’t see why these children cannot be taught to do the same. After all in the real world, they are in competition with those from Grammar schools, private schools. I give pupils the truth: if you persist in poor behaviour you will end up on the minimum wage and living an impoverished life. ‘So aim higher.”
Author: Brighton secondary school teacher