challenging year 5/6 class

Nic · #1 (**permalink**) 25-10-2008, 10:22 AM

Hi, im new to this site so hello.

I'm an NQT and been doing supply since sept. im really enjoying it and recently ive got regular supply in a local school. Its a year 5/6 class and i was warned they were quite challenging, they also dont really gel as a class and bicker alot. so i was strict and didn't give them any chance to mis behave and the first day was fine, now ive been asked to do one day a week. The trouble is about 5 children in the class know me from an open access playscheme i used to do in the summer holidays, there they treated me with no respect and were quite challenging. Now in class i'm finding it hard to get them to listen, i have used the schools system of yellow cards but a
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just answer back every time i ask them to do something, they have been the head and apologised but carry on. Wondering if anyone knew any ways to deal with this? I want to make a good impression as i was recommended by anohter school to work in this class. Thanks

Footiegirl · #2 (**permalink**) 25-10-2008, 10:25 AM

Hi, posted this in the reception desk, but
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ied it here as well!!

Hello and welcome.

Sounds like you are doing all the right things. Keep perserving, using the schools system and getting the support of the head teacher - does she know that the children know you from the play scheme?

Only other thing I would suggest is speaking to the children, explaining that school is different from the play scheme and that you expect them to follow the rules, respect you etc. Could you do some reward chart with them - everytime they sit nicely they get a point/sticker and once they get x amount they get a reward?

Dunno, the others may have better suggestions! Im getting a bit rusty on behaviour management now! Good luck x

NuttySupplier · #3 (**permalink**) 25-10-2008, 10:26 AM

Hello! Welcome to the site...

Does the Head know about the play scheme work? I wonder if HT doesn't know, it's def. worth letting him/her know, and ask if you both can talk to the 5 children about this together? Show that you really are in partnership with the head and let the kids know that clearly? The HT would have to let you do half the tal
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though. Classes that don't gel are a real challenge, I think they're the worst, so good on you for getting through so far!!

You probably need to go all Supernanny on these kids... if they answer back everytime you ask them to do something, throw them to the head everytime / into another class / when they get to five cards are the parents informed? Anything like that? Find what they'd like to be doing (football @ break?) and tell them that goes next... you'd have a tough week, like Supernanny says, it'll get worse before it gets better as they realise you mean it and revolt, but worth it if you can get through it. Kids sometimes play up because they know you're not there the next day so can't follow through on detention threats etc., so make sure that their other teacher works with you on this too, and they may be
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to find themselves in detention the day after you've been...

NuttySupplier · #4 (**permalink**) 25-10-2008, 10:28 AM

Deleted the other one for you Nic... Footie, you're a
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, if you're rusty on behaviour management, what chance do the rest of us have?!
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Footiegirl · #5 (**permalink**) 25-10-2008, 10:29 AM

Just tried to reply to you on the other one Nutty!

I have a few more powers when it comes to behaviour management, if they still dont behave I can just say those magic words... "You're nicked!" Works a treat!!!

Nic · #6 (**permalink**) 25-10-2008, 10:30 AM

Hi, thanks for the quick reply

Yea the head knows that i have already worked with them before. I have sat them down and spoke about me being their teacher now and they seem to listen but then back in class its all the same, I asked the teacher about keeping in at break and stuff and she doesnt want that. i will try a reward system, im just not sure what type of reward to give them, there the sort of children who wouldnt care about choc sweets or stationary

Footiegirl · #7 (**permalink**) 25-10-2008, 10:33 AM

Same the class teacher wont support that - will the head allow you to keep them in on days you are there?

As for rewards... do they get golden time at the school? If so could that be added to (or taken away if they are that bad?) If not could you work it into your day there that they have 30mins at the end of the day where the whole class has it? Would they respond to being given a job? If they get x amount of stars they can collect register/be front of line/give out/collect books?

NuttySupplier · #8 (**permalink**) 25-10-2008, 10:36 AM

You need to kick that other teacher into touch! If they're p*ssing you around, there should be consequences that matter to them!

Rewards are hard with upper KS2 at the best of times... maybe you could introduce a payback system instead if she won't do detentions... lose the football for the whole of break the first time they answer back (they need a bloody good slap if you ask me!) and earn it back in 5 minute chunks if they've not been offensive for 30 minutes? Something along those lines?

Ask the Head what the school policy is on detentions, and if they don't do them, then what consequences the children face for irresponsible etc. behaviour... that other teacher needs to be on your side, not pussyfooting around the kids...

NQT_Sam · #9 (**permalink**) 25-10-2008, 03:24 PM

Hi Nic
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Im an NQT on supply too. I saw something the other day on another forum which I thought seemed pretty good as a reward system... You get a book of raffle tickets, n everytime they're good (and for some that might be literally a minute of sitting still!) you give them a raffle ticket, and they write their name on it and it goes into a box- So the more they get the more chance they've got of winning a prize at the end of the day when you pick a
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of 'names out of the hat'. Its good cos its cheap, and the raffle ticket is sort of like a reward in its self, as the more they get the more chance they've got of winning something. As for rewards, hmm... Some of them will probably like the sweets/stationary
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, but for others you could get some packs of those football stickers/cards that they all collect and swap and stuff at the min and one of those could be your reward. I think for reward systems to work you have to offer something really relevant to them and that they'll wanna try n get- ask them what they'd like as a reward, suggest those little football cards etc and see what they say...
I read a book about behaviour management the other day, and it said stuff about in classes I imagine yours to be like, sometimes being told off is like a good thing, they want to be told off cos it makes them look hard, so try and take them to one side, ask them to stay behind for a min at playtime, and when everyone else has gone then talk to them about what you expect, otherwise you'll just make them look '
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'.

That book said the golden rule is never, ever, ever, try and talk to them if some of them are still talking- wait for absolute silence, and don't accept anything less, you want every single kid to be quiet and looking at you... it might take forever, but they'll do it eventually...

It also said (sorry im just literally telling you everything in the book here aren't I haha) to suprise them- as a supply they know you're not their real teacher ,and play up to it, show them that youre incharge by taking them out of their usual comfort zone where they know more about what's going to happen than you do. Mix the lessons around if you can, change the desks, have them sit on the carpet if they never do, change stuff so they know they're in your lesson and not that you're in their lesson.

Ohhh, and never, ever go back on your word, if you say you'll miss 5 minutes, they miss the 5 minutes, end of. The book says that you should keep punishments and rewards as two very seperate things, so even if they go all sweet and do everything you say, if earlier on you said they'll lose 5 mins, they still lose them. otherwise they'll realise the game and be bad to start with and then change as they know they'll get away with it.

Its weird that they dont stay in at break as punishment... defo find out off the head what the system is.

What a long post, I hope at least a little bit of it is useful haha

Sam xx

NuttySupplier · #10 (**permalink**) 25-10-2008, 05:08 PM

On the 'telling off is a good thing'
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length... I've a reception girl, who gets to go on the time out chair if she's naughty, if it happens again, into Y1 time out chair, onto Y3, then as she was walking to the Y3 classroom with a TA, asked last week 'do I get to go to [the headteacher's] office next?!' In reception!!

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