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Best behaviour

Too many new teachers enter the classroom ill-prepared to deal with challenging behaviour. Janey Hulme reports on an NUT CPD course to help them.

Behaviour management guidance in initial teacher training (ITT) is variable. As a result, many young teachers struggle with issues relating to behaviour in the classroom.

To support them the NUT runs helpful residential CPD courses on ‘getting behaviour right’. Each course covers: 

• effective communication with pupils and colleagues

• promoting positive behaviour in the classroom

• behaviour management strategies

• relationships with colleagues and pupils.

Tutor Pete Hrekow explains that the course is designed to deepen understanding of behaviour, and consequently improve practice and reduce stress. “It gives teachers practical techniques they can use immediately, as well as strategies to enable them to behave more assertively, so building their confidence.”

The course contains a mixture of tutor input and discussion. NQTs write notes on their concerns about behaviour in schools. They are split into groups, given a selection of these concerns and asked to generate solutions. These ideas are then shared, with input from the tutors on the more complex ones.

Secondary ICT teacher Simon Clawson, who works at Sir Herbert Leon Academy, Milton Keynes, and primary teacher Jade Radwell of Hartsholme Academy, Lincoln, both attended the course last year. They speak enthusiastically about the experience they gained and the strategies, ideas and advice they were given to cope with various situations.

“The people who ran the workshops were fantastic, very approachable and really helpful,” says Jade.

“I was having problems with a particular child. He had emotional difficulties, was struggling to cope and I didn’t really know how to help him. He wasn’t socialising with other children and it was affecting his learning.” 

“I implemented the ideas gained on the course and made progress. It was a slow process that took months but the advice was invaluable. The child became more settled and I felt proud that I had achieved something with him.”

Simon comments: “I learned a lot and things I put in place in my class actually did work… I recently re-read some course notes and realised I had forgotten some really useful things, like the interaction between teacher and student and how your reaction to a given situation can defuse rather than escalate a problem. If you can get the time out of the classroom, I definitely recommend this course.”