Well from what you say it sounds very much like they've noticed youre a bit nervous / too nice and are trying to push it a bit. Children this age can certainly be *very* unpleasant to teachers - they often seem to get a real kick out of making you feel uncomfortable / hurt.

It's hard to know how to advise you really as I think you need to build a sense of detachment from their thoughts and behaviour (and this is what youre actually in the process of doing) - it's a stage some / many of them just go through at this age I think (maybe linked to the growing realisation that adults are not all-powerful / invincible / infailable etc.).

So for now I wd fake as much detachment as you can - show no emotion apart from professional good humour. Be very business-like. If they try to intimidate / upset you by picking up on little things you say and twisting them (e.g. "What do you mean afraid?") I wd defuse it by looking directly at them, right in the eyes, and pausing and waiting. They will almost always quail. If they don't, explain it in literal terms (e.g. "It's a figure of speech Dominic; it's a way of politely informing you that, yes, we will be doing peer assessment today.). Be slightly patronising. Smile slightly. If you think it's serious enough keep Dominic at the end and convince him you are not afraid of him (whether you are or not).

One boy I taught tried this "you're afraid of me!" thing so i sat on his desk for 10 mins while I taught the next bit of the lesson. It worked.

Tbh I wdn't worry about whether you're mentor will think less of you for voicing your concerns.  i really don't think they actually will - you are only a student, and only human - and even if they did i don't really think it#s that big a deal. Just keep politely asking for help and you will likely get at least some effective support.

The only other thing I might do is maybe stop being so nice to them - at least not to the ones who are being evil. They don't deserve it do they? You can still teach them to the best of your ability but why offer them "friendship" etc. if they are going to see it as weakness and an opportunity to test you / hurt you. Keep it on a very professional level and push them to work hard. If they challenge you eg. your marking then I suppose I might say that if they're really concerned they sd see the Head of Dept and just leave it at that (and warn the HoD). After all teachers often disagree about grades - we all know these kind of comments are usally about the child's wish to get a dispute going b/c they feel disappointed or just like conflict.

If certain children persist in being badly behaved then I really wd punish them and keep at it, trying to keep as calm as possible of course and saving any discussion about it until the actual detention. If they are persistently disrupting /stopping you from teaching get them out of the lesson asap and then do a detention in which they have to do some very serious / extensive independent written work (in silence).

Regards

J

I teach Year 6, so my advice may be worse than useless, but I would say that it is important to keep them in their place-try never to react emotionally and always think of them objectively as children who need the best conditions for learning.This means doling out sanctions when necessary, being detached from them emotionally(I agree with the previous poster) and not seeing their silly comments as personal in any way. They may try to wind you up, but try not to think less of them, just see them as kids, seeking attention. Hope this help, good luck.Whenever I've had problems with a class, it has tended to be a change of approach on my own part that has changed the situation, sometimes surprisingly easily.

They aren't picking on you in a personal way, nor bullying you. They are just being grotty year 9s! It is totally normal and not anything like a personal attack. They are year 9s, they get nothing from school. Not the academic pressures of year 10 and 11, nor the 'fun' of year 7 and 8. They will always be a handful if they can.

When I was on placement, a lifetime ago, I had a year 9 class who were absolute lambs for their maths teacher and loved him. I had them and they were devils incarnate, throwing things round the room, swearing at me and each other and all sorts. Why? Because I was a student and didn't have a clue how to stop them.

Get their teacher to be in the room with you for a few lessons. Partly to give you confidence and partly to send the message to them that they are being a pain and need to stop. Just having her there will stop those who are simply joining in and she can step in when things get tricky. Do this now, before things totally get out of hand and she has to. Then gradually get her just to pop out every now and then for 5 mins here and there in the lesson. Then just to pop in for a few mins here and there. You may never have this class totally where you want them when you teach them by yourself, it doesn't mean you can't teach.

The maths teacher for the class I mentioned above told me that every year of his career he had always had just one class who he couldn't get where he wanted them. No rhyme or reason for it. No particular age group. No particular ability group. Just every year there was always one class where things didn't work out. And all the time I was in secondary and middle schools, this was the case. Take heart, it really isn't just you.

Hi Verity

Just seen this. Unfortunately this is a very common situation for new teachers; they start off with a class who a) resent change and b) resent the introduction of a new authority. Automatic deference to rank is dead, so they expect you to 'prove yourself' over a period.  Alas this means that in many classes, many children will take a new teacher as an opportunity to do as they please. They know/ believe that you won't be there for long, that you're a little uncertain, that you might not know the ropes so well. And many will exploit that.

The weird/ sad thing is that many really nice kids will do this too, especially if they are triggered by strong personalities in the room. Because they don't see you as an authority, any attempt to modify their behaviour by issuing instructions or consequences can lead to confrontation. This takes many forms, but often ends up as a simple 'No' followed by 'they're picking on me.'  This is a simple extension of the 'It wasn't me' excuse. It isn't meant to be the truth; it's simply a deflection to avoid trouble and work.

The key thing you need with these pupils is persistence; the relationship takes time, and it is built on trust- trust that you will be reliable, that you have boundaries, that you care enough about them to want to push them and reward them and sometimes punish them. They need to know that YOU know what you want. You need to be consistent; you need to have clear ground rules in the room. You need to have clear consequences that always happen, no matter what.

If someone mugs you off and repeatedly disrupts your lesson, then have them removed- don't put up with it and let the class see you're a punching bag. Get them out. And not into the corridor- have them taken to the exclusion room/ park room etc.

So, reboot your relationship. Tell them you want to remind them of what works in a class and what doesn't. Tell them what will happen if they want to cross the line. Then make sure it happens, that day if possible. If they fail to attend detentions etc, then escalate. GET OTHERS involved. You won't look rubbish, you'll look like a teacher who works in a team. We don;t do this by ourselves, we are legion, for we are many. Believe me, although some moronic teachers get a bit sniffy when the new girl asks for help, it's far better to do this than to suffer in silence. To Hell with them and their professional amnesia about how hard it is to begin. You have a class to teach.

Good luck

 Read more from Tom here on his blog, or follow him.

Thanks for your reply Tom, this advice helps me a lot too.