During one of our Everything ECT webinars on classroom and behaviour management we talked about the soft skills of relating that we all need to hone when we are in charge of a class. Telling children about the rules that must be followed when in our classrooms, and devising rules that as a group we want to see being followed in the room, are great places to start.
However, there are often still questions about behaviour and classroom atmosphere as classes start to settle in, and that is completely normal! No one can prepare for every eventuality, especially when you are working with children and colleagues you have only just met. If you still have questions about how to go about getting off to the best start in your first term as a teacher, these questions and answers may help:
What’s the best time to go over classroom rules and routines?
As soon as you meet a new class and as often as you need to thereafter! This doesn’t need to suck up all your teaching time, but it is well worth spending some time on it the first time you meet and then go over reminders every time you feel the class would benefit. The aim is for life in your classroom to run so smoothly that all the rules and routines are completely embedded.
What if I can’t get my class to behave the way I want them to?
This is a common concern and that is perfectly normal and natural. But it is worth remembering that it is very rare to have a class that doesn’t ever respond in the way you need them to. Be firm about the classroom rules you expect them to abide by and reiterate them as frequently as you need to. Also, make sure that you stick closely to the behaviour management policies in your school. Your mentor can help you with this if needed. It is also worth talking to the school’s SENDCO about any children who are struggling to concentrate in class. They will have strategies that you can try, which may specifically support the children in question. Finally, it can be worth having an open and honest conversation with a class about the behaviour you need and what has to happen in order to achieve that. This can help to build cohesion in the class and develop a team spirit. You really are in this together.
We are a few weeks into term and I don’t feel like we are gelling as a class. What can I do?
Don’t worry! It can take time. You can build on cohesion through the language you use with the class, giving children the opportunity to get to know each other more, perhaps through discussions or circle time, and through activities and experiences that involve the whole class, such as giving them all a daily or weekly challenge, a fun quiz, or using small snippets of time to read them a story that they can all simply enjoy.
My class is great at sitting in silence when I talk to them, but they don’t take part in lessons very easily. They are very compliant, but not confident. What can I do?
It’s great that you have a class that can abide by your expectations for a calm classroom. You can encourage them to take part in lessons more by reiterating that there are no silly answers and that you would rather they tried to contribute than kept quiet. Many teachers prefer not to put children on the spot but you might explore ways of bringing children into the conversation by calling on three or four names and asking them to help you out, and moving around the class in that way. Keep on expecting that they will be an active part of the class and they will gradually build their confidence.
We are not far into the term and I am exhausted. Please tell me it gets better!
It absolutely does. But it is important to get some extra support in place now because exhaustion rarely gets better without making some changes to the way you work. Sometimes these changes need not be significant but they need to free up some time for you to replenish your energy stores. First of all, aim to determine exactly what is making you feel exhausted. Is it planning? Is it working at home on evenings and weekends? Is it marking? Is it something in your home life? Aim to be very specific about the cause of your exhaustion then you can seek more targeted support. It is important to ease your workload, whether that is school work or tasks you do at home. If your pressures are coming from home, batch cook a week of meals so you don’t have to cook after school, ringfence some serious relaxation time at the weekend so that you can rest, ask your nearest and dearest to help you out with specific chores; what do you need them to do? Ask them. If your pressures are from school, speak to your mentor as soon as possible about streamlining an element of your work. This isn’t necessarily about doing less, but it is about doing what you do more efficiently if at all possible. It is also about developing a mindset that is happy to preserve down time.
If you’re in your first few months as an Early Career Teacher, very best of luck!
About the author
Elizabeth Holmes
After graduating with a degree in Politics and International Relations from the University of Reading, Elizabeth Holmes completed her PGCE at the Institute of Education, University of London. She then taught humanities and social sciences in schools in London, Oxfordshire and West Sussex, where she ran the history department in a challenging comprehensive. Elizabeth specialises in education but also writes on many other issues and themes. As well as her regular blogs for Eteach and FEjobs, her books have been published by a variety of publishers and translated around the world. Elizabeth has also taught on education courses in HE and presented at national and international conferences.
