The Art of Being a Brilliant Teacher

Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; hate less, love more; and good things will be yours.

Swedish proverb

There are various strategies for dealing with very difficult pupils. But always remember that they still demand that you control them, as difficult as they make it for you to do so, and they will give you their total loyalty if you succeed.

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.

Mae West

If they use foul language in your lesson, or in your hearing, get them to write down the words they used, and then call their bluff. Send the page to the school office and ask one of the secretaries to photocopy it three times. Then put all three copies on the desk in front of them and say, ‘If I hear you use language like that again, I will put one copy on the head teacher’s desk, one in your school file and send one to your family. Will I need to do that?’ Usually the answer is a very solemn, ‘No.’

Invite the pupil to look down the list and say whether they would be qualified. Explain to them, as if you were the boss, why you would need to be persuaded that they are an ideal candidate.

Another strategy is to use a spoof job advert that lists the attributes required for a particular job – one that the pupil might be interested in (perhaps an electrician, a nurse or a gardener).

Now, today you weren’t able to meet that challenge. You weren’t able to get on with the person in charge, that is me as your teacher, and you irritated other kids because you made it difficult for them to learn.’ Possibly, depending on how confident you’re feeling, follow up with, ‘So what can you do differently to create a better impression?’

Another option is to ask the pupil what they see themselves doing in ten or fifteen years’ time. Then ask them what they think their boss would think about them if they chose to behave in the way they have done with you.

Always start with something positive, then work towards the problem

social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL)