Been an ongoing problem since starting at a new school in Sept (I've been on here before detailing how hard this job has been since I started, but the short story is that music wasn't taught properly for several years. As if that isn't bad enough the school has a big behaviour problem). I'd just like some advice on other ways I can manage this sort of behaviour.

Generally, classes come into music giddy and very unsettled which from the start gives me problems. I've changed things by setting each pupil on a task when they get it and play slow music. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but pupils that do the task get rewarded. My classroom is a distracting environment too, up until now the pupils thought it was ok to pick up the instruments and mess around with them without permission. I've locked the guitars away and hope to do so with the keyboards once I work out where I can put them (this is just so I can get some control in the room, as they were pretty much allowed to run riot until I came along. I don't mean to be so restrictive, but these instruments can only be used when I say so.) My other big problem is a grand piano which sits at the front of the room, it's like a bloody child magnet. Pupils sat at it, playing it, causing a noise the moment they come in etc. If I could get rid I could, I hate the thing being there, an electric one would be much better.

My next, biggest problem is getting a class to be quiet. I give a countdown, usually with instructions between each number and with many classes, I get ignored. It's as if I'm not even there. I praise kids who are being quiet, make it a competition ("first table to be quiet" etc. works better with younger classes). At first I used to line the classes up again and we'd practice coming into the room in a sensible manner, this caused aggro, confrontation and many saw it as a game. I was ALWAYS told never to talk over a child and wait for silence, but honestly, I'll get NOTHING done. I have called some parents of persistently chatty kids (not enough admittedly, but I want to change that in January) I have spoken to heads of year, asked for support etc. etc. I have had senior leaders sit in lessons which helps, but it infuriates me that the kids will sit and listen when they're in the room. It's great to have that, but I feel like I'm reverting back to trainee mode, where I constantly have someone watching the lesson (I'm in my 2nd year of teaching). I've spoken to individual pupils ("but she/he was talking too!"), I've spoken to target groups, I used seating plans (yet more aggro and arguing, I tried seating plans when I first came to the school but had to loosen the rope a little as it caused so many problems.

I am running out of ideas, and in such a skills based subject I'm starting to worry about what else I can teach classes that just won't listen when asked. Our school is all about 'independent learning' and 'cooperation' which doesn't work with classes that are so disengaged with the subject. I have tried hard to engage and I've made baby steps, but I would like to be able to sit down with a class, demonstrate and explain something and let them have a go. I'd like to be able to leave a class to work at something for 10 minutes and then bring them back to refocus. At the moment, I have time to give instructions and if I'm lucky some more for the plenary. I do give out sheets with specific instructions on, but many choose to ignore this however at the moment it's my best tactic, but this can't be done forever. I'm convinced they'll assume this is how all lessons will be and ignore me more, at the moment I feel like a supply teacher!

What's even worse is that this is the case for pretty much all my classes! - If anyone has any new tactics I could try for January they would be much appreciated.

I loved this job in my first year, but now I'm already having nightmares about going back next week!

kstring24:

Thanks all.

My problem with insisting on silence when taking the register or when they come in is that to the pupils it's a game, and it means they can get out of the lesson.

Do you have to have them quiet* to take the register?

They need to be actively engaged in something positive.  Can you take the approach of part blocking the door and handing them a starter activity on paper as they come in while welcoming them and indicating their seat?

If they can be kept busy for just those few minutes, you have a chance.  Perhaps differentiate the starter activity (different coloured sheets?  A symbol at the top of the sheet?) to keep them all occupied?

Once they're actually doing something, can you then take the register without needing them to respond?  Tick them off the class photo or using your seating plan if you're not 100% certain of names?

* I don't mean accept uproar.  But if you can actually get them doing something positive, getting them silent just to take the register is a bit of a risk in my experience.  If they're chatting about the task that's a good thing, isn't it?

Some great advice here. I would add my emphasis: there doesn't seem to be enough of a focus on the consequences when they misbehave. Detentions aren't pretty, but in a school like this they are essential. There is something here that the kids are foreign to: structure. They treat your room as somewhere they can do as you please. So bring the noise to them with this framework:

1. The repetition of regular class routine. It sounds like you've got this going on, so keep it up, and try never to deviate from a few set patterns.

2. That should really be seating as well. If they kick off about it, fix it with this structural tool...

3. Detentions, meetings, phone calls home. They don't work if you only do them sometimes. The key thing is to make them certain, rather than severe (although sometimes they need to be both). If they don't turn up, or they howl at you, then escalate; get a senior member of the school to deal with them, as they should if the school has any kind of behaviour policy.

The only reason they behave for some teachers rather than others is because they know that some teachers, they can get away with japes, and some they can't. Become the one they can't. It will take a long time to build up a relationship of trust with them, but for many it will take a while before they know you mean what you say, and that the subject, your space and you, should be valued.

Good luck

Read more from Tom here on his personal blog, and follow him here on Twitter.