When it comes to classroom behaviour, individual teacher skill matters. Some teachers are naturally better at managing classrooms than others. But there is a problem which lies in this approach. It’s simply not a sustainable model for excellence in behaviour across an entire school. Classroom behaviour is one of the most important aspects of school…
Read MoreDo Smartphones Really Need to Be Banned in Schools?
Schools across the world are fast implementing mobile phone restrictions, from outright bans to curbing usage to certain areas or times of the day, all in an effort to encourage students to be more sociable or to prevent cyber bullying or to ensure that lessons can proceed without the unwanted disruptions that mobile phones can…
Read MoreTowards an Effective Anti-bullying Culture
Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about how the school where I work could become a safer place through the reduction of instances of bullying. It goes without saying that bullying is a blight on school communities. Its effects can be far reaching and long-lasting. It happens in every school. From elite private institutions to…
Read MoreExternal and Internal Governance- influences on student behaviour
What makes students behave well? This question has been considered by virtually every educator at every level. And probably every parent at some stage too. Being an Assistant Principal for pastoral care, this is a question I am often grappling with. And not just after a fight has occurred between students, or just as I…
Read MoreDoing More than Expected
This week saw the resumption of full online learning for my children. At the end of the weekend, the usual drill of the evening is to prepare for school: make the lunches, prepare books and ensure there’s a clean uniform to be worn. But over the last year and some odd months, the ritual of…
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