Brief:
Part 1: Discuss department behaviour policies and procedures with your Subject Mentor and get a copy of these for your teaching file.
Part 2: Keep a log of notable disruptive incidents observed in the classroom as an aid to reflection on effective behaviour for learning strategies.
Rationale: Observing the different ways that disruptive and challenging behaviour is handled in the classroom over time helps in understanding that effective behaviour management is not simply an ‘in the moment’ thing but the result of consistent and shared expectations.
Format: Over the course of your SE1 placement you might log 5-8 disruptive incidents. The extent of the disruption is up to you. What is important is that what happened and how it was handled is noteworthy for you. For each incident you record answer the following:
• What triggered the disruptive incident?
• What happened?
• How was it dealt with?
• How did the teacher react?
• How did other pupils react?
• How was it resolved?
• Was the department / school’s behaviour policy / procedure used. If so, how. If not, why not? • Consider how you might deal with this type of incident - the appropriate reaction/response and how you might prevent it from happening.
[Bring a copy of your school’s behaviour policy and your critical incident behaviour log to the session on Monday 5th February.]
Incident One
Don't hold your breath (7 - CATu3)
• What triggered the disruptive incident?
A child was encouraged by peers to hold their breath, resulting in a medical injury that required ambulance services
• What happened?
During a year seven lesson on poly-prints I was team teaching with another member of staff.
Students were asked by the lead teacher to come to me to collect their prints, however they were not told to form a queue and so they waited in a crowd. I asked students to come to me one at a time to collect their prints as they were located as the lead teacher explained the lesson to students that were excluded from the demonstration because of their dis-regulated behaviour.
I noticed that the room had gotten quieter, and the conversation sounded like it became encouraging, so I continued to help students one at a time.
I then heard a 'thud' from the front of the class, accompanied by the clattering of scraping tables.
One child, was on the floor with a bloodied wound on their face, surrounded by laughing children.
Another teacher who was walking past the classroom was there as soon as he fell. I felt a lot of shame that a child had been injured in a class I was helping to teach and I was worried that the child had been attacked by another student.
We managed to quiet the conversations of students, remove the injured child from the class and refocus the students, which is when we found out what happened.
The injured child was holding their breath, focussing the blood in their head to make their face turn red.Other children were laughing about how their face turned from red to purple to blue before they passed out, hitting their head and heye on the corner of the table.
• How was it dealt with?
Dirsuptive children who could not stop laughing at the fact they had encouraged a student to hurt themselves, requiring ambulance services, were removed from the classroom. Continuing their work under the supervision of another member of staff.
• How did the teacher react?
The teacher that first noticed the student fall, responded quickly and professionally. Alerting medical team and removing the child from the class.
• How did other pupils react?
The students who had caused the injury were ecstatic. Showing no remorse, onky gleeful joy and continued to laugh ruthlessly. They began to spread rumours throughout the class, telling everyone how proud they were that they encouraged it.
Students that were not involved, were shocked and slightly disturbed/worried. I did my best to distract the class and inform them that the student who had collapsed was receiving the help they needed.
• How was it resolved?
The students that encouraged it faced no reccomence, but the child who fainted was quickly rushed to a hospital, returning to school two weeks later.
• Was the department / school’s behaviour policy / procedure used. If so, how. If not, why not?
This was dealth with as a medical concern, seemingly without consideration for the students that encouraged it.
• Consider how you might deal with this type of incident - the appropriate reaction/response and how you might prevent it from happening.
I believe it would be appropriate to address the class on what had happened, so as to be transparent and inform them of the risks, and the seriousness of encouraging children into harmful activities.
I would also email the parents of the children who encouraged this behaviour, asking them to discuss encouraging dangerous behaviour among peers.
In future, I would also not have children all stand up and wait for materials to be handed to them. Especialluy not in this class.
Keeping children seated and handing out materials to them as they wait would be a lot safer and students would not be given that opportunity to mix with each other.
I would also make sure that I can see every child at all times. managing the loudness of the classroom so that i can clearly hear when someone is speaking.
Incident Two
Trouble outside of the classroom. (7 - DUTh4)
• What triggered the disruptive incident?
A student's frustration build up over the lesson, they were upset at something that occured before the lesson began, but because they had to focus and sit quietly in the lesson, they didn't have a way to vent their anger and it became explosive.
• What happened?
A student was visibly upset, and was constantly getting up to 'play with' the sink.
I have made it clear inmy classrooms that they may not get up and walk about as they will and so I repeatedly asked this student to sit down and concentrate.
I noticed that the student was visibly upset and so the next time they got up to play with the sink, I told them they would be getting a 15 minute, and should talk to me at the end of the lesson. My intention was to discuss with them why they were upset and look for a resolution, while the 15 minutes was a necessary response to their continued disruption.
The student screamed loudly in frustration and threw a pot at the sink.
I remained calm, as I understood that the frustration was not directed at me, even if my sanctioning him pushed him past his breaking point.
• How was it dealt with?
The student was removed from the lesson, the teacher that was observing me took them outside and discussed with them about why they were upset and what we can do to make them more comfortable.
The student said that they were upset as they feel that all the teachers at the school are mean to him. When my SM asked if 'Mr Kandiah' is mean to him, he replied that 'No,Mr Kandiah is nice to me, i'm just really upset today.'
• How did the teacher react?
As the teacher, I was calm and fair, giving several warnings explaining clearly the consequences if the child continues to be disruptive and following through when it continues.
• How did other pupils react?
Other students realised that I would not tolerate disruptive behaviour in my class and were well behaved for the rest of the class.
• How was it resolved?
The child was moved to a separately supervised area to continue their work. Although the student loudly declared that they would not be returning to the class again, they did return the following week. In this lesson, I was able to encourage them to stand up as long as they were engaging as I was able to reorganise the seating plan in the lesson due to several absences of other disruptive students.
I have read the student's EHCP plan in full, I know that they are encouraged to take breaks to stand up, but I am resolute that I made the right decision in the lesson as demanding to walk around the lesson without engaging for the whole lesson is blatantly defiant to the lesson. I am glad to see that the student was able to engage and produce effective work following the EHCP plan more closely. I will consider this success when discussing with that class' teacher about rearranging the seating plan to accomodate these needs.
• Was the department / school’s behaviour policy / procedure used. If so, how. If not, why not?
On Patrol was notified and the child was collected and separated to a different area to continue study.
Incident Three
Disruptive TA. (7 - DUTh4)
• What triggered the disruptive incident?
A small verbal exchange between a two students with EHCP plans and SEN.
• What happened?
The TA engaged in a loud and public shouting match with the student, that disregulated the whole class for the rest of the lesson. I had assumed that the TA was a fully qualified teacher and did not feel I could take control of the situation without undermining another staff member.
Before the lesson had begun, I allowed students that were waiting outside the classroom to come in and find their seats. I had just had a Professional Development session on Trauma-informed practice, which recommended taking time to acknowledge students who are often nervous in classes, by greeting them into the lesson so that they feel seen and safe. I saw some students waiting outside the classroom that usually display such uneasiness and decided I would use this time before the lesson is scheduled to talk with them and make the classroom a safe environment.
Usually for this lesson, my Subject Mentor is in, however she could not be there for this lesson. Instead, a cover teacher was set to accompany me.
These students generally take a bit more time to adjust to the classroom environment (taking bags off, coats off and standing behind their own seat ready to start the lesson. This is the Maiden Erlegh way and I will wait until the whole class is ready to begin before I start teaching.
On this lesson they took about five minutes, after which the cover teacher and the TA arrived. It was not the usual TA and it was not a teacher that I recognised, so when they arrived at the same time I did not know which was which. Usually I will talk to the TA before the lesson begins to discuss with them how I can help them support the students they are there to assist, but as I had just asked the class to sit down, I was pulling up the powerpoint with the do now task on, to retain student attention and behaviour while I complete the register.
Before I could begin the register, there seemed to be a small verbal exchange between two challenging students in the class. One of the staff members (Who I later learned was the TA), was upset at what that child said and shouted at them loudly in front of the class. This is a student that does not respond well to being told off publicly and responded in an oppositional and defiant manner. This resulted in an explosive argument between the TA and the student.
As the other staff member was standing to the side with their arms folded and not helping, I had assumed that the one that whom was shouting was the qualified teacher. It is for this reason that I did not feel it was my place to take control of the situation.
Instead, my attention was on the rest of the class, trying to ask them to focus on the task on the board while I took the register.
• How was it dealt with?
The School's SENCO arranged a meeting with the TA in question and they no longer engaged with that lesson moving forwards.
• How did the teacher react?
As I wasn't the only teacher in the room, I felt that I had less control over the situation. But I eventually had to assert this control by shouting even louder. The TA (who I had assumed was another teacher, realised only then that It was affecting the class as a whole negatively and allowed me to make the decisions needed to bring the class' focus back. although this disturbance did disregulate the class for the whole lesson.)
• How did other pupils react?
Other students were more affected by those involved. This class has a lot of students who are insecure and unsure about how to feel comfortable in the classroom. This demands a lot more patience, and a teaching style that is much stricter at the same time.
• How was it resolved?
By asserting myself confidently, demanding that the whole class needs to focus to listen to what was going to happen next, I was able to regain control without undermining the other staff member. This projected instruction to listen gave students time to refocus, and also time for the teacher to close their 'conversation' with the child.
I then contacted the SENCo about this situation additionally, describing my account of the events so that they are aware of this unprofessional behaviour of the staff member, to at least ask them to deal with disagreements with students in a more private manner.
In future lessons I checked in consistently with the student to make sure that they feel safe and are able to focus, giving them opportunity to move to facilitate focussed learning. They knew that I was the teacher in control of the lesson and that they felt supported by me.
• Was the department / school’s behaviour policy / procedure used. If so, how. If not, why not?
The behavioural policy was not used as it was towards another member of staff. They were punishing a student unfairly and disproportionately and so they did not utilise the behavioural policy either.
Incident Four
Fight. (7 - DUTh4)
• What triggered the disruptive incident?
A new student to the class, who has been moved due to dysregulation is accepted and accommodated within a supportive environment. However, in receiving supportive encouragement from other students, the student feels too exposed and lashes out violently to any support offered.
• What happened?
The new student did not want to engage in teamwork and would not participate in the lesson. As such an extension task was set for the student to complete independently.A student told the new student that his work looked great and that they are doing very well.
The new student reacted adversely and started punching the student that had complimented his work.
• How did the teacher react?
As the teacher I was discussing briefly with my Subject Mentor and the TA about the task and how to explain the success criteria to the SEND students that were engaging with the primary activity.
I immediately noticed when there was a rise in the volume of the classroom, raised my voice and told them to stop.
• How did other pupils react?
The class was working well and was focussing on the primary task so students only noticed when I had raised my voice.
Students continued working as the student was removed and they were encouraged to continue working well.
• How was it resolved?
Statements were recorded and the incident was passed onto 'On Patrol' Staff who escorted the student to 'Inclusion'.
That student did not attend lessons in person following this incident. Instead, they collected extension activities and took it back to inclusion each lesson. It was clear that the structure of
• Was the department / school’s behaviour policy / procedure used. If so, how. If not, why not?
Yes, the appropriate authorities in the school were informed and reports were filed through the correct avenues.
Incident Five
Fatigue. (8 - FDFr5)
• What triggered the disruptive incident?
The student reported to be commonly tired during period five. They also said that they have been examined by healthcare professionals
• What happened?
A student was falling asleep in lessons, and was completely unresponsive to any means of waking the student.
• How did the teacher react?
Student has several EHC plans in place and was given space to sleep, until wakes naturally.
Concern for Chronic Fatigue passed onto appropriate teachers
• How did other pupils react?
When student awakes from sleep, they have been salivating profusely, and is covered in a thick yellow substance. Assisted him in cleaning it up, but caused other students in the class to have ‘involuntary physical responses.’ His mother contacted the school to complain that he had been bullied in the class.
• How was it resolved?
Explained to parent that the class is actually very supportive environment, although students cant control involuntary bodily responses, they are happy to have them in the class with them.
• Was the department / school’s behaviour policy / procedure used. If so, how. If not, why not?
School did not have a plan in place, further than
The school did not have a plan or policy in place further than allowing them to sleep in the lesson. It was only disruptive when the student awoke, covered in phlegm. Perhaps the school could have made arrangements for the student to take a nap in 'Inclusion', as the student could have avoided embarrassment and could have. been escorted to the lesson after ten minutes, however it seems that there were not arrangements in place for this.
I passed on the concern for the Chronic Fatigue.
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