It's a hard job sometimes

Fantastic advice, and I would emphasise - every lesson - go in as if it's your first time with this class. Children seem to have an elastic memory, they will NOT behave if the last lesson you had was a 'victory' for them unless you let them see that. Be cheerful, present an expectation that TODAY will be better, even if you are dreading it. Some pupils will respect your effort to teach them, and may chose history at GCSE because you have. I know I have pupils in my GCSE class now who were in my most awful Year 8 group two years ago - a real heart sinker. And they are lovely, keen to give me good work, and I KNOW some of that stemmed from their own doggedness in ignoring their companions in the class and attempting to do the work I had planned.

And even my current horrible horrible Year 9 boy likes drawing sketch maps. It took me a year to find it, but now its there I know I can engage him with something.