| I recently told you about a boy who was sent home | | | | they can't have people thinking that can they? It's |
| from school for swearing -- what a consequence! | | | | surprising how many children are just sent home due |
| Swear and you get an afternoon off school -- great. | | | | to appalling behaviour. Exclusion figures would rocket if |
| Then to cap it all he was allowed back the same | | | | all these unofficial exclusions were made official! Many |
| afternoon to take part in the class assembly! Oh good | | | | children are also on part-time timetables too. |
| heavens - what are these people thinking of? It's sheer | | | | Today's appalling behaviour was ample proof that the |
| madness. What impact was this 'consequence' | | | | previous week's 'consequence' was completely |
| supposed have on the child? Probably anyone with an | | | | ineffectual. So the class teacher went to the |
| ounce of sense would say, 'It just wouldn't have an | | | | management and said they wanted me to be called to |
| impact.' | | | | deal with it. |
| Well, actually it will have had an impact... but not the | | | | Why they didn't deal with it themselves? That's a good |
| one you'd want. It will have simply reinforced to the | | | | question. Quite often teachers feel vulnerable and |
| child that any unacceptable or anti social behaviour will | | | | intimidated by management or perceived authority |
| be suffered by the adults and there will be no | | | | figures - read about Milgram's experiments if you want |
| significant consequences as a result. In short, you're a | | | | to know why - these experiments have also been |
| soft touch, a walkover who'll put up with any amount | | | | repeated in recent years and with same results. |
| of appalling behaviour and do nothing about it. | | | | School staff also feel unsupported in their efforts in |
| What you definitely won't see is any improvements in | | | | disciplining children. And, in many canses they simply |
| the child's behaviour -- in fact it's almost guaranteed | | | | don't know what to do. Great credit to them this time, |
| that the opposite will happen. Surprise, surprise, that's | | | | they wanted someone to deal with the situation who |
| exactly what happened. Then they called me to go | | | | they knew would have an impact. |
| into school... oh boy, he's in big bother now. | | | | Did I shout? Did I bawl? No, I didn't. It isn't needed. As I |
| What had he done? What happened was totally | | | | described in Behaviour Bible a child can be told in no |
| appalling, but in the repertoire of some children's | | | | more than a whisper that you are deeply dissatisfied |
| behaviour it's almost considered normal behaviour, and | | | | with their behaviour. Your tone, body language, eye |
| unfortunately the sort of anti social and thuggish | | | | contact, timing, energy and confidence are crucial to |
| behaviour that adults are often allowing and | | | | effectively managing children's behaviour. The boy |
| encouraging by taking the wrong action (or no action) | | | | was told that he wouldn't be sent home but would be |
| when it happens. | | | | internally isolated in school for 3 days and also when |
| Following the 'going home for the afternoon | | | | he attended the PRU. He was also told (as were his |
| consequence' the class went swimming. On returning | | | | parents) that if he didn't come to school the |
| the children were sent to put their bags in the | | | | consequence would still stand until he'd 'done his time'. |
| cloakroom just outside the classroom. Our little anti | | | | This prepared for him going home with his sanitised |
| social boy decided to take advantage of the situation, | | | | version of events. |
| pinned a much smaller boy against the wall and started | | | | His behaviour since then? Very nearly perfect. I've |
| punching him. Three other boys tried to protect the one | | | | visited the school a couple of times and surprisingly |
| being assaulted. The class teacher and support | | | | (well not to me really!) he welcomed me with a big |
| worker heard the mayhem and were quick to step in | | | | smile. Did he 'throw a sickie' and stay away from |
| and stop the assault. | | | | school? No, he didn't. His parents tried to say he was |
| But what was going to happen next? They knew the | | | | being picked on and he hadn't 'done the crime'. This isn't |
| management people would want the same | | | | unusual. School stuck to their guns and the parents had |
| 'consequence' as the previous week and send the boy | | | | to accept that they'd been given a whitewashed |
| home. It would be an unofficial exclusion -- by not filling | | | | version of events by the boy. Again not unusual. |
| in the mountain of paper work involved an official fixed | | | | Consequences have to have an impact and give a |
| term exclusion would be avoided. Too many | | | | very strong message to be effective. Behaviour Bible |
| exclusions looks bad on the school statistics. It may be | | | | tells you how -- there are some actions you have to |
| noticed that the school has behaviour problems and | | | | take. |