The shocking truth of how to manage the difficult class

I have encountered lots of tips and ideas on how to manage difficult classes; however, it's sometimes difficult to organise what will work and what will not; well, here are some ideas to get you thinking. 

Keep it brief and to the point

The worst thing you could do is get into an argument. Majority of the time the teenager will win; it’s in their nature to argue. You are the professional here; you state what they are doing wrong and then tell them what they should be doing.

For example:

‘Jack you are talking when I am talking’

‘You need to be listening’  

Ignore ‘secondary’ behaviour

Following on from our discussion with jack; he will now start to huff and puff trying to make a big thing about it. This is where you ignore all the comments they are making (Obviously don’t ignore any remarks which could be offensive or out of order, follow your school policy) they will stop in a few seconds; you just carry on with what you’re trained to do.

Point to note here: remain calm and it will calm the pupil down also. 

Routines

Good routines could go hand in hand with your choice of words. If a pupil does something wrong always make sure you’re challenge their behaviour otherwise your boundaries will be pushed.

When you have a class enter insist on their being quite before saying good morning or good afternoon; you don’t want to be shouting over them.

Insist on using a pencil for drawings and a blue/black pen for writing. It may seem as though it does not matter but the moment you have not challenged them on this they know they have got away with it and who knows what further boundaries will be push. 

Be assertive

Try not to ask the pupils too many ‘why’ questions; It will be a good idea to avoid them at all cost. Instead focus on assertive instructions.

To avoid:

Why are you talking? (It’s a question which leads you open to secondary behaviour)

What you should say:

You are talking; you need to be looking this way; Thanks.

This part is crucial they may do it first time if they do ignore all secondary behaviour. If they decide to carry on speaking repeat your instruction. 

Present yourself in a calm manner

One of the most important things you can do as a teacher is too staying cool. Don’t try to be sarcastic or looking annoyed as this only makes things harder in future lessons. When you stay calm you are showing your class the level that is expected of them.

To conclude

Being a teacher is not easy and there are days when you feel like walking out of the classroom; however, you have a duty and a responsibility and not everyone can do your job.

Remember: 

• Keep your instructions brief and to the point at hand; don’t get into an argument.   
• Ignore the secondary behaviour as this will eventually subside if you show it does not bother you
• It’s so important to establish routines, the pupils know what to expect and it will help with behaviour.
• Be assertive; this can be presented by the way you address a question.
• Most importantly stay calm and act in a professional manner; this becomes easier over time.

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That one thing you need to know

Work - life balance 

 

The 4 hour work week; the reality is not everyone is craving for this kind of week.

We are not craving the idea of doing nothing, we are craving the idea of being happy and free, enjoying life with our family, friends and doing the things we enjoy. We have two options to make this a reality; we could dream about what we want and dream what could be; or we could go and pursue our dreams.
 
 
The reality is a true dream never comes to us head on it creeps and it whispers, we have to really think about what dream we are pursuing because the reality is not many of us can describe what we really want, for it’s harder than you think.

However, you could start with this truth: a life should be focused around what makes us happy, what makes us smile and love to the end of our time. The reality is we must focus on the little things to achieve success, to achieve the happiness we crave. This cannot be put any better than by David L. Weatherford in his poem Slow Dance.

What we all need to read

Slow Dance, by David L. Weatherford

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,

or listened to rain slapping the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight,

or gazed at the sun fading into the night?

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,

time is short, the music won’t last.

Do you run through each day on the fly,

when you ask “How are you?”, do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,

with the next hundred chores running through your head?

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,

time is short, the music won’t last.

Ever told your child, we’ll do it tomorrow,

and in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, let a friendship die,

’cause you never had time to call and say hi?

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,

time is short, the music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere,

you miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,

it’s like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life isn’t a race, so take it slower,

hear the music before your song is over.

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Tutoring chemistry in essex and career progression

Tutoring is a useful tool in making the most of your time time while studying. Tutoring should be seen as an investment into your future, your career and your love for the subject you're studying. However, it cannot only provide a fantastic impact on general knowledge in a particular subject (e.g Chemistry) but helping you to improve your confidence and attain a positive attitude towards learning. Don't be afraid to invest in your own future for you only get one shot at your education, so make sure it's the best effort you can give.

I hope to cover briefly, a few things that have been on my mind: firstly- statistics (boring statistics I know) however the information I found is fascinating. Secondly, what careers do pupils who take on science tutoring (specifically chemistry) decide to embark on.

On with the statistics:

An interesting statistic provided by essex.gov.uk stated:

 'Since the national roll out in 2009, over 45,000 tuition places have been taken up by pupils in Essex schools.'

In 2009 there were 89,253 pupils in secondary schools with in Essex, from this number 45,000 pupils took up tuition; this is over 50% of the pupils (This information was taken from School-Places-in-Essex ). Interestingly this is only the tuition that the schools know about, there may be many more pupils who decided to take on private tuition.

The idea is that tutoring can have a positive impact on your future; pupils have stated that they feel their lives are significantly improved because of the new-found confidence their tuition experience has given them (essex.gov.uk)

Tutoring chemistry for the future:

As a science tutor (with a passion for chemistry) I have been amazed by the different careers pupils with a love for science have taken. Lets take into account A-level chemistry, a good grade achieved in A-level chemistry can open careers in medicine, healthcare and pharmacy; as well as careers in law as many pupils have mentioned that taking chemistry helps to cope with difficult concepts, which they may experience in law.

Forensic science is very popular at the initial stages and many pupils desire to be working to help fight crime using blood analysis and fingerprints; however, in reality the expectation is not always the same as what you would see on shows such as CSI and NCIS.

Of course there is also a career in teaching which is very popular with science graduates as their is always a need for teachers. As well as this, nursing is a popular field which can offer work stability, good rates of pay and a career that is never boring.

progress your career, check these out.

The list is endless..........


A strong science based background can offer key skills to develop in most careers. So it is vital that effort is put in at the beginning to help strengthen your educational development.

Tutoring can hold the key; giving you a good foundation to help you prepare for the areas within science (biology, chemistry or physics) that you are still unsure on. Invest now to give yourself the best possible start to your future.

The truth

Of course having a career based around science is where my profession started from, so I am coming from a biased standing point due to my passion for science; however, it is important to stress here that all subjects should be treated with the same time and effort into achieving what you are capable of; however, one truth is more roundly accepted and that is this:

Education is the key to a civilised society and of course a better world.

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Educating Walthamstow

Starting in Essex, then to Yorkshire and back down to Walthamstow (East London). East London is the original  home of the Kray twins and cockney Rhyming slang and is different to the central London atmosphere that we think of when thinking of London. Within the East of London there are hundreds of Primary and Secondary schools; the borough of Waltham Forest the home of Walthamstow has around 16 secondary schools and even more primary schools. The series educating Walthamstow will continue its series in Frederick Bremer School 

East London is a very diverse ethnic area, with children from all all different cultures and religions; it would be interesting to see how lesson are prepared and taught to accommodate such a large range of abilities and languages. Frederick Bremer school was graded as being a 'requires improvement' school in its last Ofsted inspection; however, head teacher (Jenny Smith)is determined to get the school graded as being 'good' within the next two years.

J. Smith had mentioned that she is incredibly proud to be the head of a school which is so successful in supporting and nurturing every pupil to become successful and responsible citizens, she added: "Most of all, I'm looking forward to the series celebrating how talented our young people are."

Executive producer at Twofour, the production company commissioned by channel 4, David Clews stated: "We're so excited to be working with Jenny Smith and her team at Frederick Bremer school."

D. Clews then went on to say: "As soon as you walk into the school you feel this inspiring atmosphere, it's a place full of warmth, energy and compassion, sharing the stories of some of the students will be such a privilege." 

It was this series (Educating Yorkshire) that introduced the nation to Musfaraf, a kind but shy student with an acute stutter, trying to get a C in English. With the help of his teachers, he is eventually able to over come it in time for an English speaking exam.

It would be great to see what the series would have in store for the nation, as to what life is like in a school with such ambition and drive for all of its pupils.

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How to improve in school

Every parent wants their child to improve within school. They want their child to be able to meet their current targets and also know how to move forward to improve and go beyond their current target level. The question is what steps can be put in place to try and improve and then therefore move forward?

 

 

Targets

The first idea is to set targets; these can be establish by talking with their current teacher or to set your own personal targets that you feel your son/daughter needs to improve upon. Take note of progress reports from the school, what subjects are causes for concern and which subjects potential hold the strengths for higher grades to be achieved. The idea now is to try and replicate these strengths across all subjects to help to maintain progress.

Participation in learning

Just as targets are important to see where your son/daughter is in their current academic portfolio for a particular subject. It is important to realise how well they are participating in learning. This would mean:

•  Are the pupils behaving appropriately?

•  Do they create a positive ethos and encourage their friends to continue with their work?

•  Are they fantastic with group work and helpful when others are in need?

• Another important factor is the attendance; a pupil cannot have a good participation in learning if they are not in school for their lessons.

When we have established that participation in learning is currently or improved to good or outstanding then will see an improvement in their current target grades.

After school clubs

When it comes to the time in your sons/daughters life to apply for university, have you ever wondered what would make them stand out from the crowd apart from their grades? The reality is there are so many people trying to go to university that applications are increasing and you have to have a great application and not just fantastic grades (however these are the main priority). Joining after school clubs tends to be of great benefit to the pupil. If you get in the routine early making sure your child is joining after school clubs it will help in their future options as they will be likelier to join clubs later on which will help with confidence and social skills.

Have a read of this fantastic description of what an ideal grad student would be:

The Ideal Grad Student

The ideal graduate student is gifted, eager to learn, and highly motivated. He or she can work independently and take direction, supervision, and constructive criticism without becoming upset or overly sensitive. Faculty look for students who are hard workers, want to work closely with faculty, are responsible and easy to work with, and who are a good fit to the program. The best graduate students complete the program on time, with distinction - and excel in the professional world to make graduate faculty proud. Of course, these are ideals. Most graduate students have some of these characteristics, but nearly no one will have all, so don't fear. 

(Tara Kuther, Ph.D. About.comGraduate School)

Balance of rest and work

It is so important to find a balance between work and rest; you have to know how to prioritise as there are certain times in the week which will be better suited to either resting or working. Too much rest will tend to have a negative response where you would develop no motivation and will look upon any task as being too much. On the other hand too much work and you would not be doing yourself any favours (both health wise and having destroying family time) this applies to anyone of course, both parents and children. In order for us to be able to be the best that we can be we must have a balanced life of work and rest.

Tutoring

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” – Nelson Mandela

Education is the key and as Nelson Mandela stated it can be used to change the world for a greater good. Tutoring should be looked upon as an investment; something which you should feel is worth the risk as it provides an opportunity for your son/daughter to be taught about a subject which does not involve some of the distractions that school could potentially bring. There is no harm in trying something new out; to see if it would be of any benefit and in the case of tutoring it normally tends to be positive.

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Educating Colchester with science

The school with the best performance in A-levels and other academic qualifications was Colchester Royal Grammar School (this was a statistic taken from an article produced within the Telegraph). This is a fantastic piece of data for Britain’s oldest recorded town.

Is our education system preparing our pupils?

Education needs to always be improved; it is a valuable asset to have and future generations need to be able to learn from older generations so that mistakes can be prevented from happening again, this is the learning process. However there is a sense of questioning involved when thinking about what our pupils are being taught in schools; are academic subjects important? Should more focus be emphasised on maintaining organisation and communication? These are certainly questions worth thinking about.

Science and thinking

At this current day and age we are still learning and will always be learning. We need to learn about the world, how things work and what we can do to improve our own existence, this is where science comes in; the question: ‘Why do we need science?’

Science is defined as:

‘The intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment’.

Now that is a mouthful and quite boring; it is not a true reflection on how science should be taught.

All pupils require a sense of awe and engagement for them to be able to learn, recall and never forget. If there is a subject that allows this, it would be science. The possibilities are endless and there is a sense of holding back within the education system at the moment. It is always great to hear about improving schools; however, more can be done.

It is true that we are improving as a community and a country, but if anyone is teaching or being taught using the simple phrase ‘Anyone, Anyone’,   then well it’s easy to see why some pupils hate classes:

What we should be aiming at is taking an understanding from this teachers philosophy as a science teacher but as well as a man who loves teaching, loves his son and loves life, when he has got other reasons to go in the opposite direction.

If one had to summarise what science and education is and why it is important (this applies for all academic subjects) then Mr Wright is a true inspiration.

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Passing that exam - hint number 1

Whether you are facing your school exams; taking a driving test or even preparing for an entrance exam for that new job you want. The reality is we have all been there and we have all looked for the correct ways to prepare our mind and body for the dreaded moment that is ahead.

So taking into account the experience of the numerous numbers of exams I have taken I will be going through one preparation tip at a time.

Organise:

First off what you need to do is just drop everything you’re doing and organise. Leave that revision book for a moment, put away your notes just take a deep breath and look at your place of study. From now on that place is your base (you’re not going to spend as much time as you think there, you will see what I mean if you continue reading). So have a piece of paper and pen to hand and you are to organise a few columns: what you are ok with, what you need help on and finally the area where you place everything where you don’t even know what that word means or you think I don’t even remember learning that; don’t panic as this is what we plan to organise.

So, three columns:

• What you are ok with


• What you need more help on


• Do not even remember learning

Now just move away from your workstation, do what you want to do now and take a moment away from it all.

When you are back at your workstation what you would do is look at the areas in which you don’t remember learning.

So for example, you have a biology exam and you don’t know what photosynthesis is. You can start with a simple spider diagram to help organise the topic.

Three things you should ask yourself when preparing.

What is it?

What do they want me to know?

Do I know it?

In this case we will continue using photosynthesis as an example:

• What is photosynthesis? (this is for your own knowledge and understanding)


• What do you need to know about it? (An exam will be looking for certain areas, look at your syllabus)


• Questions to test yourself (We would not know how much we have learnt about a subject without the appropriate form of assessment, give yourself some exam questions to practice)

Now you can repeat this process for the others areas you are unsure of.

Remember this technique can be used in any type of exam.

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Teachers are human too.

For some reason teachers seem to be looked upon by pupils as machines; who live in our own classrooms and have no life. Even though the reality is we probably feel as though we have no life sometimes; but we still must laugh and enjoy our work.

Teaching is a profession which is best described as a daily roller-coaster and no matter how good you are at the job you will always have areas in which could do with improvement; this should be the same for all professions. As I am constantly trying to enhance my own teaching techniques I came across an easy solution that could settle many problems teachers may have in their classrooms; which could be based around the simple human process of laughter.

As I was undergoing one of my own demonstrations with my year 9 classes, 'the squeaky pop test', done from reacting a dilute acid with a metal. I had simply asked ‘does anyone know what gas is being produced?’ However there was a slip in my voice and it came out high pitch and lacked any bass (which normally is the other way round). One of my pupils had decided to say the correct answer (hydrogen), however mimicking my lost voice hoping that the rest of the class would laugh in which he succeeded in doing so. I know he was a character and will try everything to be the centre of attention. Next he (and the rest of the class) seemed surprised as it made me laugh too, in which the class retaliated with more laughter. This moment was where my pupils had developed to conclusions: one, I can have days where I am not always going to sound my best and two most importantly, teachers have a moment that shows we can laugh, enjoy our own teaching and the pupils funny remarks.

The lesson to be learnt here is don’t try to fight these moments as being embarrassment or bad behaviour but embrace them and build that relationship. For it is moments like these (as little as they are) that will probably stick with us for a long time, helping with the learning process for both pupils and teachers.

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Do not be like a moth; stay clear of the attractive light

It is important not to get distracted from the path that we are on, no matter how attractive the distraction may be; just keep focused on that final outcome.

When on your chosen path keep yourself geared to be fully respectful to everyone around you but still maintain focus on your ultimate goal. To live with your goals and focus is to live a life that has potential, it is a life worth lived. This is the life which we should all strive for.

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