Teaching with Cowley: Starting Over

Subtitles

Associated Teachers TV programme Teaching With Cowley: Starting Over

0001 10:00:13:00 10:00:15:02

(narrator) Sue Cowley, a former teacher

0002 10:00:15:02 10:00:17:17 and author of "Getting the Buggers to Behave",

0003 10:00:17:17 10:00:20:01 is here to offer some no-nonsense advice

0004 10:00:20:01 10:00:24:16 on how to handle those difficult days in the classroom.

0005 10:00:24:16 10:00:29:05

She'll be troubleshooting with the help of heads, pupils and staff,

0006 10:00:29:05 10:00:32:11 who've all agreed to take part by role-playing situations

0007 10:00:32:11 10:00:35:19 that highlight some of the key issues.

0008 10:00:35:19 10:00:40:00

The school's happily staged these scenes, and in our mock makeover 0009 10:00:40:00 10:00:43:00

Sue demystifies behaviour management theory

0010 10:00:43:00 10:00:46:05 to reveal common-sense tips and tricks

0011 10:00:46:05 10:00:50:00 based on her own experience in the classroom.

0012 10:00:56:09 10:00:59:03

School can sometimes feel a bit like a war zone

0013 10:00:59:03 10:01:01:22 when it comes to dealing with challenging behaviour.

0014 10:01:01:22 10:01:03:22

But it's not the kids who are the enemy.

0015 10:01:03:22 10:01:08:10

The enemy is anything that gets in between them and their learning.

0016 10:01:08:10 10:01:10:17

Today we're going to don our flak jackets

0017 10:01:10:17 10:01:12:22 to deal with those upsetting skirmishes

0018 10:01:12:22 10:01:16:00 that can break out at the start of the school day.

0019 10:01:16:00 10:01:19:22

We're at Summerfield Primary School in Winson Green, Birmingham.

0020 10:01:19:22 10:01:22:06

On the whole, behaviour here is very good.

0021 10:01:22:06 10:01:25:17

But, like anyone else, they can have their bad days.

0022 10:01:29:03 10:01:31:08

Stop, stop.

0023 10:01:31:08 10:01:33:03

Boys, stop.

0024 10:01:34:05 10:01:36:18

Stop. Give up.

0025 10:01:37:19 10:01:40:10

Can we line up quietly, please?

0026 10:01:40:10 10:01:44:02

(Sue) 41-year-old Mark Heritage returned to teaching five years ago

0027 10:01:44:02 10:01:46:00 after a spell in industry.

0028 10:01:46:00 10:01:48:06 He's the art coordinator at Summerfield,

0029 10:01:48:06 10:01:50:14 but today he's having a little difficulty

0030 10:01:50:14 10:01:52:20 with an impromptu football match.

0031 10:01:52:20 10:01:54:23

Right, girls, line up.

0032 10:01:54:23 10:01:57:09

You're fighting with the boys to get lined up.

0033 10:01:57:09 10:02:01:08

While you're getting those to line up, the girls don't want to line up.

0034 10:02:01:08 10:02:04:05

By the time I get them all lined up ready to go in,

0035 10:02:04:05 10:02:06:04 it seems half the day's gone already.

0036 10:02:06:04 10:02:09:12

It's taken us ages, far too long, to line up.

0037 10:02:09:12 10:02:11:24

Can you quietly go in, please?

0038 10:02:14:12 10:02:17:04 Stop! Stop!

0039 10:02:18:10 10:02:20:23

Hang your coats up where they should be.

0040 10:02:20:23 10:02:22:15

Quietly!

0041 10:02:22:15 10:02:25:04

You're treading on those coats.

0042 10:02:26:03 10:02:28:08

Jody, sit down.

0043 10:02:28:08 10:02:31:13

Claire, Sharon, chair, please.

0044 10:02:31:13 10:02:33:18

We can't do the register with you talking.

0045 10:02:33:18 10:02:39:02

Getting them all sat down and quiet, they just don't want to listen.

0046 10:02:39:02 10:02:40:20

Raman? Raman!

0047 10:02:41:20 10:02:43:15

Raman, are you here, or not?

0048 10:02:43:15 10:02:45:15

You need to be listening. 0049 10:02:45:15 10:02:50:01

I just feel so wound up and so tired at this present moment,

0050 10:02:50:01 10:02:52:02 and the day has only just begun.

0051 10:02:52:02 10:02:54:23

I feel like I've been teaching a whole week.

0052 10:02:54:23 10:02:57:16

Stop squeaking those chairs, please.

0053 10:02:57:16 10:03:00:06

I can hardly hear myself speak.

0054 10:03:00:06 10:03:02:13

James.

0055 10:03:02:13 10:03:04:11

0056 10:03:04:23 10:03:06:17

Blair, stop.

0057 10:03:06:17 10:03:08:07

0058 10:03:08:22 10:03:09:22

Joey...

0059 10:03:10:23 10:03:13:14

We've all had days that have started like that. 0060 10:03:13:14 10:03:17:23

I've been watching Mark trying to deal with some common flashpoints.

0061 10:03:17:23 10:03:20:12

I think it's time to give him a hand.

0062 10:03:21:15 10:03:25:06

Let's not forget, Mark staged his inept start to the day.

0063 10:03:25:06 10:03:29:07

He's now gamely agreed to have it pulled apart by me.

0064 10:03:29:07 10:03:31:09

So, first of all, the bell goes,

0065 10:03:31:09 10:03:33:12 and what's going on here, then?

0066 10:03:33:12 10:03:37:01

(Mark) Well, the boys are playing football over the back.

0067 10:03:37:01 10:03:38:11

They won't stop.

0068 10:03:38:11 10:03:40:01

Boys, stop!

0069 10:03:40:01 10:03:42:12

- (Sue) So you decided to go over? - Yeah. 0070 10:03:42:12 10:03:44:21

(Sue) What happens to the rest of the class?

0071 10:03:44:21 10:03:46:07

(Mark) The rest of the line,

0072 10:03:46:07 10:03:49:13 the ones that did stop and line up when I asked,

0073 10:03:49:13 10:03:51:20 they sort of then start breaking up.

0074 10:03:51:20 10:03:55:21

So it's like I'm trying to fight one and then losing the other one.

0075 10:03:55:21 10:03:58:15

(Sue) I'd recommend that you stay with your line

0076 10:03:58:15 10:04:02:16 and that you stand there and give it full-on nonverbal communication.

0077 10:04:02:16 10:04:04:21

You stand there, they know the bell's gone,

0078 10:04:04:21 10:04:08:19 they might be playing, but they're aware that the bell's gone.

0079 10:04:08:19 10:04:10:17 Stand there looking really mean,

0080 10:04:10:17 10:04:13:18 give it some of the looking at your watch, yeah?

0081 10:04:13:18 10:04:15:17

I'd leave it for roughly two minutes

0082 10:04:15:17 10:04:19:02 before you actually feel the need to go and intervene.

0083 10:04:19:02 10:04:22:12

And most children, by the time two minutes is up,

0084 10:04:22:12 10:04:24:20 will have realised something's going on.

0085 10:04:24:20 10:04:28:01

So let's have a look at the line. What's the line like?

0086 10:04:28:01 10:04:30:07

(Mark) Where I was positioned, it was OK,

0087 10:04:30:07 10:04:33:01 but then it was going out at the back.

0088 10:04:33:01 10:04:38:00

As I tried to get that part back in, this part was coming out. 0089 10:04:38:00 10:04:41:19

So I was fighting one side and then losing the other.

0090 10:04:41:19 10:04:44:02

It was just a battle up and down.

0091 10:04:44:02 10:04:45:14

Line up.

0092 10:04:45:14 10:04:49:04

I'll often either position myself towards the back of a line,

0093 10:04:49:04 10:04:51:23 because it's always the rebels who are at the back,

0094 10:04:51:23 10:04:55:21 or I'll pace up and down the line and perhaps stop beside any children

0095 10:04:55:21 10:04:58:17 who appear not to be lining up correctly.

0096 10:04:58:17 10:05:03:01

I'm a real stickler for a good straight line, eyes front,

0097 10:05:03:01 10:05:05:07 because it just says to the children:

0098 10:05:05:07 10:05:08:08 "You're not coming in my school, let alone in my classroom,

0099 10:05:08:08 10:05:09:23 until you are sorted."

0100 10:05:09:23 10:05:13:02

Now we're going to go in nice and quietly,

0101 10:05:13:02 10:05:14:21 in a line, to the classroom.

0102 10:05:14:21 10:05:17:24

Nice and quietly. Right, lead on.

0103 10:05:17:24 10:05:20:18

(Sue) So we let the line inside. What happens next?

0104 10:05:20:18 10:05:23:17

(Mark) Well, that's it, they didn't go in in a nice line.

0105 10:05:23:17 10:05:26:00

They came in with the football mentality.

0106 10:05:26:00 10:05:28:01

They were still...

0107 10:05:28:01 10:05:30:04

As if they were charging the pitch,

0108 10:05:30:04 10:05:33:02 they came straight into the corridor.

0109 10:05:33:02 10:05:34:17

(Sue) What's with the coats?

0110 10:05:34:17 10:05:38:10

(Mark) The boys didn't hang their coats up, they just threw them

0111 10:05:38:10 10:05:40:07 and went into the classroom.

0112 10:05:40:07 10:05:45:14

The girls - I was distracted by the girls chatting about pencil cases.

0113 10:05:45:14 10:05:47:10

They weren't taking their coats off.

0114 10:05:47:10 10:05:51:13

While I was persuading those to put down the pencil case and come in,

0115 10:05:51:13 10:05:55:07 the boys were charging in so I was losing those as well.

0116 10:05:55:07 10:05:58:22

(Sue) Yeah. The problem with this, where you've got a split focus

0117 10:05:58:22 10:06:02:22 and you've got more than one group misbehaving,

0118 10:06:02:22 10:06:06:14 is that once you try and deal with that kind of attention seeking,

0119 10:06:06:14 10:06:09:10 then something else kicks off behind you.

0120 10:06:09:10 10:06:11:24

I often find it's best to position yourself

0121 10:06:11:24 10:06:15:14 in front of your classroom door. "This is my territory", yeah?

0122 10:06:15:14 10:06:18:09

"Nobody's coming in until we've got this sorted out."

0123 10:06:18:09 10:06:22:18

And try not to get distracted into dealing with those minor incidents

0124 10:06:22:18 10:06:24:17 that can be deferred to later on.

0125 10:06:24:17 10:06:27:24

So you might say to the boys, "I've noticed what you're doing."

0126 10:06:27:24 10:06:30:07

"I'm going to deal with it in a moment."

0127 10:06:30:07 10:06:33:19

To the girls, you might say, "We have a clear desk policy."

0128 10:06:33:19 10:06:36:12

"We don't get anything out until sir says so."

0129 10:06:36:12 10:06:38:24

So until you've got them in their seats

0130 10:06:38:24 10:06:42:06 you need to defer any of this low-level misbehaviour

0131 10:06:42:06 10:06:45:03 which is getting in the way of you getting on, isn't it?

0132 10:06:45:03 10:06:46:07

Yeah, it is.

0133 10:06:46:07 10:06:49:05

So you let them into the classroom.

0134 10:06:49:05 10:06:51:01

And what happens next?

0135 10:06:51:01 10:06:53:01

(Mark) They came in rowdy,

0136 10:06:53:01 10:06:55:24 and it just took so long to settle them down.

0137 10:06:55:24 10:06:58:22

I was asking them to stop and stop and stop...

0138 10:06:58:22 10:07:00:24

(Sue) And you were starting to shout.

0139 10:07:00:24 10:07:03:15

(Mark) They were engrossed in what they were doing.

0140 10:07:03:15 10:07:06:11

Stop. Stop.

0141 10:07:06:11 10:07:08:14

Some teachers will make the mistake

0142 10:07:08:14 10:07:12:06 of trying to use their voice to control the level of noise.

0143 10:07:12:06 10:07:15:07

Once the noise gets to a certain level in the classroom,

0144 10:07:15:07 10:07:19:02 no matter how loud you shout, and it is doing your voice damage,

0145 10:07:19:02 10:07:22:05 no matter how loud you shout they aren't going to hear you.

0146 10:07:22:05 10:07:26:14

In this sort of situation, I'd say try some sort of nonverbal signal.

0147 10:07:26:14 10:07:30:13 So you might simply stand with your arms folded, looking at your watch,

0148 10:07:30:13 10:07:32:10 the expression on your face saying:

0149 10:07:32:10 10:07:35:12

"What do you think you're doing? You're wasting time."

0150 10:07:35:12 10:07:40:10

You might try something else. You might write a little message saying:

0151 10:07:40:10 10:07:43:04

"If you won't be quiet within the next three minutes

0152 10:07:43:04 10:07:46:09 then you are going to force me to give you some sanction."

0153 10:07:46:09 10:07:50:14

By the time you're halfway through that, they'll all be looking at you.

0154 10:07:50:14 10:07:53:15

You've got some issues with the furniture here as well.

0155 10:07:53:15 10:07:56:04

(Mark) Because the tables are close together,

0156 10:07:56:04 10:07:59:00 they're leaning across each other and chatting,

0157 10:07:59:00 10:08:02:02 so the talking's not just confined to their table.

0158 10:08:02:02 10:08:06:02

It's going across the tables because they're quite close together.

0159 10:08:06:02 10:08:08:10

(Sue) It's starting to spread, isn't it?

0160 10:08:08:10 10:08:12:21

Now, this is going to be constrained by the space in your classroom,

0161 10:08:12:21 10:08:15:07 but it's often worth thinking,

0162 10:08:15:07 10:08:17:20

"Is there any other way I can arrange the desks

0163 10:08:17:20 10:08:21:01 so that there's more room between the tables?"

0164 10:08:21:01 10:08:24:20

Because they're children, and it's natural that if they're close

0165 10:08:24:20 10:08:28:15 they're having a quick chat, probably about that football game 0166 10:08:28:15 10:08:31:04 that was going on after the bell.

0167 10:08:31:04 10:08:34:18

OK. Can we stop for the register, please?

0168 10:08:34:18 10:08:37:03

OK? Stop for the register?

0169 10:08:38:03 10:08:41:08

Er, shh! Quiet, please.

0170 10:08:41:08 10:08:45:11

You're trying to take the register. How are you feeling at this stage?

0171 10:08:45:11 10:08:49:23

Well, I'm feeling really tired. My voice is really sore.

0172 10:08:49:23 10:08:51:12

And quite frustrated.

0173 10:08:51:12 10:08:53:04

0174 10:08:53:04 10:08:54:22

That table, can we just stop?

0175 10:08:54:22 10:08:57:11

This side I didn't want to be thinking about,

0176 10:08:57:11 10:08:59:07 I wanted to think about the lesson.

0177 10:08:59:07 10:09:03:08

Yeah, it's so frustrating when you can't get the lesson under way.

0178 10:09:03:08 10:09:05:24

Now, as you're trying to take the register,

0179 10:09:05:24 10:09:09:20 and if the children are talking when you're waiting to start,

0180 10:09:09:20 10:09:14:03 and I always say that the pause is a very, very powerful technique.

0181 10:09:14:03 10:09:17:12

So before you start you wait for silence.

0182 10:09:17:12 10:09:19:21

As you're taking the register, you say a name

0183 10:09:19:21 10:09:24:18 and somebody's talking over it, that's not acceptable.

0184 10:09:24:18 10:09:29:03

So you just pause. Instead of jumping out with your voice,

0185 10:09:29:03 10:09:32:19 you instead take a step back and you show that's not acceptable 0186 10:09:32:19 10:09:34:12 just by stopping for a moment.

0187 10:09:34:12 10:09:37:10

- (Mark) Are you here or not? - Yeah.

0188 10:09:37:10 10:09:39:03

And then you can combine that

0189 10:09:39:03 10:09:43:00 by actually getting down on the level with the children.

0190 10:09:43:20 10:09:47:00

In some situations, I'd be tempted to start from the beginning

0191 10:09:47:00 10:09:49:17 every time a child talks over me.

0192 10:09:49:17 10:09:51:17

"We'll start the register again."

0193 10:09:51:17 10:09:54:18

When you do that, it can feel like you're wasting time,

0194 10:09:54:18 10:09:56:12 but what you're saying is:

0195 10:09:56:12 10:10:01:19

"My expectation is total silence when I'm taking the register." 0196 10:10:01:19 10:10:03:12

(Mark) Rosie. Rosie...

0197 10:10:03:12 10:10:07:01

- Sir, they don't listen... - No, you need to listen. OK?

0198 10:10:07:01 10:10:08:22

(girl) It's not funny.

0199 10:10:08:22 10:10:13:05

(narrator) Mark's a great teacher, but too static in the classroom.

0200 10:10:13:05 10:10:17:09

He's got to learn to use every corner of that space.

0201 10:10:17:09 10:10:20:03

Sometimes when the class are being hyperactive,

0202 10:10:20:03 10:10:23:07 it pays to start patrolling your territory.

0203 10:10:23:07 10:10:28:00

So if you imagine you're like a cat and the classroom is your territory.

0204 10:10:28:00 10:10:31:12

And you're going to mark your territory just by moving around it.

0205 10:10:31:12 10:10:35:10

The children never know when you might come up behind and catch them.

0206 10:10:36:15 10:10:40:14

A few days later we caught Mark back on the playground front line.

0207 10:10:40:14 10:10:45:05

Time to try some positive role-play, armed with my tips and tricks.

0208 10:10:45:05 10:10:48:19

So, Mark, this time around things are obviously going a lot better.

0209 10:10:48:19 10:10:50:09

(Mark) Yes, a lot better.

0210 10:10:50:09 10:10:54:00

- Are you feeling a bit better? - Yeah, a lot better than before.

0211 10:10:54:00 10:10:56:05

I'm not having to use my voice so much,

0212 10:10:56:05 10:10:59:20 and it feels calm, it feels nice.

0213 10:10:59:20 10:11:05:09

Yeah, you look really calm. Your face looks a lot happier.

0214 10:11:05:09 10:11:07:14

This is lovely here.

0215 10:11:07:14 10:11:08:16 Morning, Alima.

0216 10:11:08:16 10:11:12:16

When they smile back at you, you can see that they appreciate that.

0217 10:11:12:16 10:11:15:20

You're focusing on the children who are doing what you want

0218 10:11:15:20 10:11:18:11 as opposed to... They're all doing what you want,

0219 10:11:18:11 10:11:21:07 because they see that's the way to get your attention.

0220 10:11:21:07 10:11:24:17

Right, would you like to lead in, please?

0221 10:11:32:20 10:11:35:14

(Sue) Look at the difference in the way that...

0222 10:11:35:14 10:11:38:17

They've left their playground selves behind.

0223 10:11:38:17 10:11:43:01

And they've come in and they're putting their coats up nicely.

0224 10:11:43:01 10:11:46:09

OK, one nice straight line, please. 0225 10:11:46:09 10:11:48:17

(Sue) And look where you're positioned.

0226 10:11:48:17 10:11:50:09

(Mark) Yeah, right at the front.

0227 10:11:50:09 10:11:52:23

(Sue) You're saying, "This is my classroom."

0228 10:11:52:23 10:11:56:03

You've said "Good morning", they're welcome to come in,

0229 10:11:56:03 10:11:58:18 but they're coming in under your rules,

0230 10:11:58:18 10:12:02:07 and not in the way that they might want to come in.

0231 10:12:02:07 10:12:03:22

So you get them inside,

0232 10:12:03:22 10:12:08:07 and look at the difference in the way they actually go to their seats.

0233 10:12:12:16 10:12:16:18

(Mark) I think the spacing between the tables has helped lots as well.

0234 10:12:16:18 10:12:21:06

(Sue) So there's not all that physical banging against each other,

0235 10:12:21:06 10:12:24:14 somebody just behind their shoulder they might chat to.

0236 10:12:24:14 10:12:26:04

(Mark) Well done, this table.

0237 10:12:26:04 10:12:30:00

(Sue) Now you're waiting to take the register. What are you waiting for?

0238 10:12:30:00 10:12:32:05

(Mark) I'm waiting for those children to be

0239 10:12:32:05 10:12:35:19

- just the way they should be. - (Sue) Completely silent.

0240 10:12:35:19 10:12:38:22

Thank you. OK. Well done.

0241 10:12:38:22 10:12:41:04

(Sue) And the thing is, every time you do that

0242 10:12:41:04 10:12:45:00 you make it that much easier for yourself the next time, don't you?

0243 10:12:45:00 10:12:51:00

Because those children know that this is exactly what I expect.

0244 10:12:53:12 10:12:57:24 And you must have felt like, "Now I can get on with teaching my lesson."

0245 10:12:57:24 10:12:59:05

That's how it should be,

0246 10:12:59:05 10:13:02:05 where I don't need to be thinking about the coming in,

0247 10:13:02:05 10:13:04:08 the lining up, the register.

0248 10:13:04:08 10:13:06:14

It's the teaching that we're here for.

0249 10:13:06:14 10:13:09:00

I don't want to have to think so much about this.

0250 10:13:09:00 10:13:12:10

Absolutely. And in terms of the time wasted,

0251 10:13:12:10 10:13:14:09 the difference is amazing, isn't it?

0252 10:13:14:09 10:13:17:10

It takes half, a quarter of the amount of time,

0253 10:13:17:10 10:13:21:19 and you can spend that time on much more positive things. 0254 10:13:21:19 10:13:22:24

Excellent. Well done.

0255 10:13:29:04 10:13:30:12

- Alima? - Here.

0256 10:13:30:12 10:13:31:22

- Ahmed? - Here.

0257 10:13:31:22 10:13:33:08

- Kalim? - Here.

0258 10:13:33:08 10:13:34:13

- Jordan? - Here.

0259 10:13:34:13 10:13:36:04

- Safina? - Here, sir.

0260 10:13:36:04 10:13:39:03

Those are a few ideas to help the start of your school day

0261 10:13:39:03 10:13:41:23 run a bit more smoothly. Remember, they're not rules.

0262 10:13:41:23 10:13:45:00

They're just common-sense strategies that worked for me.

0263 10:13:45:00 10:13:47:19 - Cowley? - Yes, sir?

0264 10:13:47:19 10:13:51:03

Join me next time for some more useful tips.

0265 10:13:56:11 10:13:59:11

Visiontext subtitles by Paul Burns

0266 10:13:59:11 10:14:01:11 www.visiontext.co.uk