2 So… you lost control of the class today

Humanise yourself Never underestimate the power of ‘Did you see Love Island last night?’ Facilitate a quick discussion, then use this new focus to flip back to the task: ‘Talking of how Samira got voted out, let’s talk about some chemical reactions that occur when certain elements are removed.’

Refresher lessons

As with everything, complacency can be the enemy of progress. As the year goes on, and you hit your stride and your class gets comfortable with you and your expectations, I find that it works well to punctuate a term with a reminder of some of these playbook plays. You may do this automatically without thinking, and usually a time when this happens is at the start of each term. It can be done as simply as putting a slide up reminding pupils of your classroom expectations, the school’s expectations and the rules and routines of your classroom.

Reflective space: So… you lost control of the class today

We’ve spoken about being reflective practitioners on this journey, so here’s your space to get those thoughts down. Think of a scenario that you have been in with an unsettled class, and the way in which you could have analysed it at the time. Apply some of these questions, and any more of your own, and get your reflective juices flowing.

1. What happened?

2. Was this experience personal?

3. How did the incident make you feel?

4. Is there a repeat offender involved in the situation?

5. Were there any catalysts or red flags to the incident?

6. Have you decided to take any additional steps (e.g. call home, detention, involving another member of staff)?