[MrJohnDClare]

Today, we received this post (I have changed the details to preserve anonymity):

Quote

I had a really good time in history last year, I had a great teacher and he really changed my view of the subject . But then he left and now, my teacher cant controll our class. I feel that I haven't learnt anything in the past 5 months. What do i do ???? plz plz plz plz plz help,.

Now - whereas we can't possibly comment on an individual case, I suspect this is a problem that many pupils face in many subjects.
What DO you do when the rest of the class won't behave, and the teacher can't stop them, but you want to learn?

Are there any pupils out there with good ideas?

REMEMBER, Forum members, be careful not to name/slander any specific teachers, because you must realise that we can't allow that on the forum.
But if you have any general advice...

[alissejay321]

We have a good teacher, but our class can get unruly. We are doing Fast Track, so will be taking our GCSE at the end of Yr 10, and many of us really want to learn. Our teacher can control us, but the second he calms everybody down, everybody gets too rowdy again. Fortunately, for some reason, I am still able to work, but in another of my classes, it is chaos. The teacher often doesn't even attempt to do anything to calm people down because he knows he can't. What I do is go up to the teacher personally, and ask him what we are supposed to be doing, so I can get on with it, while he deals with everybody else.
Another idea is, if you have had a particularly bad lesson, go up and ask if you can do any personal research, if you are so willing to learn. I'm sure the teacher would be happy to help you, as I know from personal experience, teachers are really happy about seeing an enthusiastic student.

[MrJohnDClare]

Two bits of really good advice!
Does anybody else have any other strategies?

[A Finemess]

Yes, some good advice here.

As a teacher myself, I know how difficult it can be for a new teacher to take over a class. Sometimes the pupils act up deliberately. They are often quite upset to lose a person they got on well with and learned well with also. They take it out on the new teacher. They shouldn't but they do. Even adults can behave badly when they are upset.

New teachers can sometimes need a bit of help to get over this. If one of my children was in this situation, I'd probably suggest that they ask the Head of Department for a bit of study support after school. I might even write to the Head Teacher of the school asking for this. I'd probably ask for the new teacher to be given a bit of help too. Everybody needs help at different times in their lives

[alissejay321]

Like I said before, I get really frustrated with people if they aren't allowing me to concentrate. I want to learn, but when classmates aren't allwoing me to do so i get really wound up. I pointed this out to some teachers who I will have next year (for GCSE) and they said that if anything happened that could distract me, they would give me some work and send me to somewhere quieter.

[Smile]

My (new) teacher can't control us so we end up with VERY boring lessons which are generally writing essays or making notes from the books. It's repetitive, dull and I fell that its annoying that she doen't even attempt to teach up, she just seems to give up! It sucks but you just have to do what you can...

[MrJohnDClare]

Smile, on Mar 12 2007, 08:26 PM, said:

It sucks but you just have to do what you can...

So, Smile - what can you do?
What DO you do?

I genuinely sympathise, and I know how VERY idfficult it is for an indidual pupil to do anything to change it, but I still want to keep this thread positive - not letting it just fall into a 'isn't it awful' mode.
OK - so it sucks - but how do YOU try to ovrcome the problem?

[Tsukasa.SIGN]

We have had this in our school. Me and my group of friends just sat and together and once the teacher had spoken to the class, she would come and do extra stuff with us. Soon everyone else wanted to get involved aswell, and she won over the whole class. Though we only have 19 people in our class so...

[Save-the-pineapples]

I have an RE teacher who can't control our class, and so we hardly learn anything. Because of this most of our class now dislike the subject and think it worthless. It depends on how extreme the situation is, but if you feel that your whole class would benefit from a more competent teacher, try requesting an appointment with your head-of-department. Then, if you are very careful to be polite, you should be able to explain the situation without sounding rude. I'm sure your head-of-department will want to aid your class, and should talk to the teacher and maybe offer him/her help. It worked for me anyway.

[x-danielle-x]

elo i have the same problem too....my teacher is trying his best but where in the middle of doing coursework and i think its out of order for other people to disrupt other people's learning !!!

What your teacher could do is get a deputy head to come in a have a look at what your class is being like or you and some of your other class members could go to the head of the subject and complain about your class i done that in maths and its actually working so give it ago.

Good Luck !

danielle xxxxx

[Harry Potter Fan Girl]

My class last year was realy co-operative but this year they are living hell. Their noisy a little violent and very rude. Our class got atleast four detentions because of like four or five boys. For exsample yestereday our HEAD OF YEAR came and told us ALL of for being loud in the school library when some of us did nothing. While some lessons its way out of controll there are other lessons when we are all quiet and calm so i think as much as having a good kind teacher is important ,having a teacher with a strong grip and deiseplin is handy. So it depends on the class too. Anyone can offer help on my issue?

[neesh]

why don't you a word with the teacher and see if you can move classes or even tell the teacher to tell the head about the naughty pupils, mayb she'll put them in a different class, thats what i did because our science teacher could not control our class, and she told the head and the head kept the naughty children in her office and they stayed they're for a month, now they are bck in our class, n they are much more settled!

[Thích Quảng Đức]

It's almost always a good idea to speak with a senior member of staff, or a head of year. Especially if it's just a few individuals who ruin it for everyone else, the school won't accept the disruption of other peoples' learning. Perhaps tell the teacher that the individuals should be sent outside if they misbehave and the class would only be left with the diligent pupils.

[Smile]

Quote

So, Smile - what can you do?
What DO you do?

I genuinely sympathise, and I know how VERY idfficult it is for an indidual pupil to do anything to change it, but I still want to keep this thread positive - not letting it just fall into a 'isn't it awful' mode.
OK - so it sucks - but how do YOU try to ovrcome the problem?

Sorry I havent replied, i've been away on holiday.

I just get on with it. Nothing i can do. I havent got a bad situation really, i mean we still do history, and lots of work (sarcastic yay). I dont mind the work, its just the fact that its all text book work, text book questions ets. I still enjoy history and get ok marks, it just puts you (and others off). My therory is that it'l be better for A level... and it doesnt stop me from appriciating history outside of history classes.