We find ourselves at the beginning of a new school year, feeling fresh and inspired to tackle it all. So, after a small hiatus filled with exams, AQA marking, summer holidays and results day excitement (or panic) - I’m back with a short story to keep myself humble.
The What
Modelling is such an important part of what we do, especially when reading more complicated extracts or texts. I had previously taught a George Orwell extract I planned to use again, and instead of reading it before the lesson to prepare, I simply didn’t. It’s George Orwell writing about sport, what could possibly go wrong?
Confidently, and with great clarity in my voice, I began to read.
… ‘fiercer passions are aroused’ – first round of giggles, always best not to draw attention to it.
… ‘rousing savage passions’ – more sniggering, just continue to ignore it.
At this stage I should also point out that not only did each student have a copy of said extract, but I was highlighting and annotating on the visualiser, my pen hovering along the words as I read.
… ‘something something foreplay’ – they erupted in laughter. Look, they’re a group of 16-year-old boys, I get it. But really? Couldn’t they just be mature for once?
And then I noticed my mistake.
George Orwell hadn’t written about foreplay; he had written about fair-play.
I was now beetroot red and weighing up my options. Do I address it or ignore it.
The How
In true British fashion – I rolled my eyes at them for their immaturity, kept calm and carried on reading.
In this instance, it was the best decision. I could have stopped and apologised, or I could have lectured them for their immaturity, but it wasn’t the right moment. Had one of them made an inappropriate comment, or taken it further in some way, I would probably altered my approach.
I had made a silly mistake which they had obviously found funny, they’re not robots.
Before reacting to tricky situations, always take a breath and think:
1. How severe is this, actually?
2. What will cause the least distraction to the lesson and the learning?
3. Has a specific student showed repeated concerning behaviour or reactions?
The Why
Our reaction to our students makes all the difference. They will often mirror us - if you escalate something, they will also. If you raise your voice, they might too.
There is a time and a place to deal with silly, or sometimes serious, reactions from students. Our role is to model positive responses, no matter how embarrassed we might feel ourselves.