In some ways,
you're absolutely right: it is obviously an essential skill of any teacher to be able to maintain order in his or her classroom.

But then to what extent can you blame the kids? Does there come a point where a group of these foul progeny become a gestalt mass so inherently objectionable that it is beyond the call of duty for any one teacher to be expected to control them? There are many stories about teachers resigning - particularly in schools in dodgy London boroughs - because their job has transformed from pedagogy to crowd control.

I take your point though: said Mr Carrington-Potter's response was just about the most twattish thing he could have done.
(LongJohnBaldry, Thu 21 May 2009, 9:18, 1 reply)

This^^ with added..
Why don't they teach assertiveness training or something at teacher training college? (PGCE in the UK) It'd save a lot of misery if they did.

I always got so pissed off that the teachers that dealt with Sparklet always took it an allegation of bullying as a personal criticism, "There's no bullying here, I wouldn't have allowed it"

Failing that, firing a pistol into the ceiling, like the supply teacher in The Simpsons would do it..
(Beer Elf Thought this was like a campfire, anyhow, on, Thu 21 May 2009, 10:02, closed)