I taught them to cook vidya4 - Flipbook - Page 27
Autumn Term
25
I started, and days when they’ve barged out the room leaving
sinks full of dirty washing up. If I can’t keep order, I can’t do this
job. It’s as simple as that.
But who can help? During our PGCE studies at London
University no one tackles the serious issue of how to manage
boisterous teenagers and get them to learn. As I walk around the
school, I hear some loud voices, see naughty students leaning on
walls outside classrooms, but then pass quiet, busy classrooms
where the students clearly treat the lessons with respect.
Mr Lewes is the man for advice and I trust him to keep my
secret. He’s taught at the school for years and students pass him in
the corridors with a polite ‘Hello, Mr Lewes.’ He knows the families
of the students and has taught some of them too. I bet he never
dreads some classes as I do. How does he do it? Am I too young and
too new? What techniques must I use? How I’d love to hear a ‘Good
morning, Miss Hyde’ instead of ‘Look at her – is she new?’
‘Jenny, you’ll be fine. Make them know you mean business.
Plan your lessons carefully and don’t let them get away with
things.’
‘But I want to be like you. I want to walk into any class and
get their attention. My classes are really noisy and excitable.’
‘Jenny, we’re all different, and teachers have their own ways
of running successful classrooms. You’re strong and determined,
so I know you’ll succeed.’
We come up with a plan. My classes already line up outside
my room and I let them in when quiet. But once inside there’s
often a tussle and a few thumps between the boys. Mr Lewes says
he’ll deal with the ones who regularly forget their homework,
cooking ingredients or money to pay for stuff and until things
settle, they cannot eat at lunchtime in my room. And there will
be no mention of the cane.
Now I’ve got a theory about them eating in my room. We fuss
about laying the table and using proper plates, then we sit down
together. And talk and share. And sometimes they tell me about