The Complete Classroom

Issues and Solutions for Teachers

Steven Hastings

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2006
• eBook ISBN: 9781134163410
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Based on the acclaimed series 'The Issue' in the Times Educational Supplement, this book brings together Steven Hastings' vast experience and offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges and concerns facing modern schools. Everything from tackling truancy to teaching children to write, from teenage suicide to pets in the classroom, this easy-to-digest guide cuts through the jargon to offer professional advice, expert opinion and practical ideas for better teaching.

Divided into three themed sections, the book proves a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the main issues affecting contemporary schools:

• the healthy classroom, including dealing with junk food and bereavement,
• the thinking classroom, from emotional intelligence to personalized learning
• the well-rounded classroom, covering everything from going green to pupil power.

Both informative and practical, the book provides a coherent synthesis of the current key topics in teaching, illustrates each topic with firsthand case studies, provides follow-up resources and shows how each topic inter-relates.

Whether you're an NQT or an experienced classroom teacher, a governor or a school manager, this is the essential guide to life in schools today.

Part I

The healthy classroom

Children learn best when they feel well. You teach best when you feel well. It’s not just a question of physical health, of course, but also of emotional well-being. In conversation with teachers, however, it becomes apparent that many children arrive in the classroom unfit to learn. And many teachers struggle through the long terms, never quite feeling at the top of their game.

It’s not easy to make generalizations about what keeps people healthy and positive. All your pupils will have individual needs. Each one will be facing different challenges and demands in their life, both at school and at home. Often it is the teacher who is in the front line, having to react quickly and sensitively to a wide range of problems. There was a time when teachers would have argued that this kind of thing was not their concern. Now most of us realise that having a healthy, happy classroom is in everyone’s interest.

Some of the subjects touched on here, like teenage suicide, are rare events. Others, like truancy, are all too common. And others, like self harm, may be more common than many schools realise or are willing to admit. What links them together, is that no matter how often these issues might arise, you need to be able to respond with the right advice at the right time.

But this section is not just about looking after other people. Your own needs are important. Teaching is a demanding profession and it’s sometimes the things you don’t think of that can make a difference. A simple measure like taking good care of your voice, for example, can help you become a more effective teacher. It may even prolong your career. Being a healthy teacher is not just about never having a day off sick – it’s about being able to function to the best of your ability. With this in mind, the section closes with a look at teaching sabbaticals. It’s not wrong to want to take a break. Many teachers find a change in environment revitalizes their practice, refreshes them physically and mentally and helps them recapture their enthusiasm.

Chapter 1

The teaching voice

The voice is a fundamental tool of the teaching trade. It is used to communicate information, hold attention and keep order. Teachers talk for around 60 per cent of their working day, so it’s not surprising that voice problems are common. For most, that means the occasional sore throat after a particularly hard day in the classroom but, for some, it means serious damage to the vocal cords that can threaten a career. Learning to use your voice more effectively will help keep it healthy – and could make you a better teacher.

Statistics that speak loud and clear

Two separate surveys of UK voice clinics, both carried out since 2000, found that at least one in nine patients was a teacher; in Scotland, the figure was one in five. According to Voice Care Network UK, which conducted one of the studies, teachers are eight times more likely to suffer from voice problems than other professions. Other research published in the Journal of Voice in 1998 found that a fifth of all teachers experienced a problem with their voice during the teaching year. Another study reported in the same issue found that the same proportion of teachers, 20 per cent, had taken time off because of voice problems at some point in their career, compared with just 4 per cent of non-teachers.

Tool of the trade

Some teachers shout a lot, most teachers talk a lot, and all teachers face situations where they have to make themselves heard above background noise. Using your voice all day needn’t be a problem, as long as you are using it correctly. But whereas actors at drama school will work on their voice every day, a teacher at training college will be lucky to get a morning’s lecture on the subject – and if you qualified more than five years ago you may not have received any instruction at all. Not surprisingly, many teachers find that their voice is unable to cope with the demands. Research by Dr Stephanie Martin at Greenwich University in 2003, assessed the voices of 50 NQTs before they went out into the classroom. It found that 46 per cent had vocal qualities that gave cause for ‘some concern’, while not one was starting their teaching career with a voice of ‘professional user quality’. Not surprisingly, half of the sample group lost their voice at some point during their first year in the classroom.

Pitfalls of the profession

Another factor which can put your voice at risk is stress. Physical tension in the body has a negative impact on the quality of your voice and often leads to soreness. The classic confrontational posture – with the jaw jutting forward – is a trademark of many teachers, and is particularly bad for the voice. Other problems reported by speech therapists include teachers talking in too low a register to try to sound authoritative – and even a primary teacher who talked through a fixed smile all day because she wanted to seem friendly.

All teachers need to look after their voices, but primary teachers face a particular challenge because the noise above which they need to be heard is usually at a higher pitch. Also at risk are physical education (PE) teachers who have to contend with echoing sports halls and windy playing fields.

Breathe easy

The first step to improving your use of your voice is to understand how it works. Speech is produced when breath passes over your vocal cords, causing them to vibrate. The sound is amplified by the resonating cavities in your chest, mouth and head. Then your lips, teeth and tongue shape the sound into recognizable words. It’s a natural, instinctive process. So what can go wrong?

One common failing is poor breathing. Snatching shallow breaths into your mouth or chest is a common side effect of a hectic lifestyle, but doing this involves the weak muscles around your neck rather than the strong muscles in the abdomen, and this puts pressure on your vocal cords. Correct breathing, using your diaphragm, takes the pressure off your neck and shoulders, and gives power to the voice. It’s important, too, that the air has a clear passage from the lungs to the larynx, which is where good posture is important. A slumped spine, hunched shoulders or a pushed-out neck could all cause tension and block the flow of air. A gentle massage of the neck and shoulders from time to time will help to relax muscles, but the way we breathe and stand are ingrained habits and it may take time and patience to change things.

Don’t put up . . .

Serious problems with your voice don’t come out of the blue. They are usually the result of prolonged misuse over weeks, months or years. And your body will provide you with plenty of warning signs along the way, if you’re prepared to take note. The classic distress signals are hoarseness and sore throats, especially first thing in the morning, or a feeling that the voice is ‘scratchy’ and taking a long time to warm up. Perhaps you notice that your voice is getting stuck in a particular register, with less range than usual. Listen out, too, for any involuntary swoops or squeaks. If you sound like a teenager with a breaking voice, it may be because your voice is breaking in an altogether less happy sense.

. . . shut up!

It’s easy to assume that a sore throat is just part of the job and carry on regardless, but in doing so you could be risking more serious damage. If you’re struggling, take time off. An athlete who pulls a hamstring simply has to be patient, and it’s the same for teachers with a sore voice. If you can’t bring yourself to stay at home, you may find that a class responds charitably if you explain the problem. Set them some work and practise a little amateur sign language. At the very least, try to build some quiet lessons into your timetable, and avoid unnecessary chatter in the staffroom. And when you do find yourself having to speak, ensure that you make an extra effort to talk properly, with good breathing. Whispering may seem like a good idea but it’s actually likely to make things worse because you’re talking without proper breath support. If a few days’ rest doesn’t help, or if the problem recurs frequently, visit your GP, who will probably refer you to an ear, nose and throat specialist. If problems are dealt with in the early stages, changing a few habits should be enough to restore your voice to full health. However, prolonged abuse of the vocal cords can lead to nodules – growths on the cords – which may require surgery.

Healthy hints

As with looking after other parts of your body, there are general do’s and don’ts when it comes to voice care. For example, eating spicy foods late at night can cause a condition known as acid reflux, which damages the vocal cords. And eating too many dairy products can increase the amount of saliva you produce, bad for your voice, and not good either for those at the front of the class. Be careful, too, that you don’t make a nervous habit of clearing your throat. This makes the vocal cords clash together and causes wear and tear over time. And just as a sportsman takes time to warm up his muscles before serious action, try to get in the habit of warming up your vocal cords in the morning with some gentle humming or a sing-song in the shower.

Most teachers do much less talking in the holidays, so at the start of a new term, it’s important to be extra careful, and try to ease yourself into the swing of things. Finally, remember that being in good general health will strengthen your voice. Being unfit and often out of breath will affect your voice, as will any viral throat infections you pick up.

Acoustics and aspidistras

Voice problems sometimes have their roots in the room where you teach. A cavernous, echoing classroom is likely to have you pushing your voice. There may be nothing you can do, but think about how you organize the room. Is it possible, for example, to set the desks up in such a way as to bring your audience closer? Central heating is another potential source of problems. The voice works best in a moist, well-ventilated room, but many modern classrooms are hot, dry and stuffy. Most people are more sensitive to temperature than moisture; we know if a room is too hot or too cold, but can’t always tell if it’s too dry. But it’s possible to buy gadgets that measure moisture and it may be worth persuading your school to invest in one. A good way of increasing moisture in a room is to have a few leafy plants dotted around. Opening a window will also help beat dehydration, as will having a glass of water to hand. Keeping the voice well watered is important; and most experts recommend drinking a couple of litres a day.Water at room temperature is best, and regular sipping is better than downing a large glass twice a day. Be aware that caffeine has a dehydrating effect, so too many cups of coffee won’t do your voice any favours.

Speaking up for yourself

Voice care is an important health and safety issue. Every year a small number of teachers are forced out of the profession because of permanent damage to their voice. The teaching unions claim voice problems are a ‘foreseeable risk’ and that employers have a duty to take ‘reasonable care’. So if, for example, you find yourself teaching in a classroom next to the school canteen and constantly having to make yourself heard above the noise, don’t be afraid to raise your concerns. If you can’t talk, you can’t work – so it’s in your school’s interest to take the issue seriously.

In February 2002, a report published by the General Teaching Council for Scotland, Voice and the Teaching Profession, recommended that schools make more use of voice specialists to deliver in-service training days and advice to individuals. But the Voice Care Network warns that many UK schools are still unwilling to allocate sufficient time or money to voice training. Schools that do take the plunge are rarely disappointed. King Henry VIII school in Coventry, for example, booked a day’s workshop for all its staff, and followed up with another day for those who wanted it. ‘The initial idea came from the staff,’ says director of studies Roger Howes, ‘and everyone got a lot out of it. But I can see that this is probably the sort of thing we need to have every year or so, not just as a one-off.’

Finding your voice

Keeping your voice in good working order may seem more like a matter of personal health, rather than a classroom skill. But looking after your voice is the first step to making best use of it. Teachers want to be listened to, and having an interesting voice is almost as important as having interesting things to say. The way you use your voice will affect everything from how classes behave to how much they remember of what you tell them. It’s easy to fall into the trap of sounding like a caricature of a teacher, adopting the safe, dull voice of an authority figure. Or to think that talking loudly is the key to holding attention, even though most children switch off if they feel they are being ‘talked at’ rather than ‘talked to’.

According to Lesley Hendy, a former lecturer in drama and education at Cambridge University and now a freelance voice tutor, the most common request by teachers at her workshops is ‘to learn how to shout’. But the real skill of vocal delivery is modulating pause, pace, pitch and power, which means having a voice which is in good working order, and being in control of the basics, such as breathing and posture.

Most teachers find that a relaxed, well-produced voice has more ‘colour’ than one that is pushed or strained, and so holds the attention of the class more easily. And while it is quite possible to learn to project the voice, it’s also true that clear articulation is sometimes more important than volume when it comes to being heard clearly and easily.

Discovering the full potential of your voice can be a lifetime’s journey, but even a few simple vocal exercises every day can soon bring about noticeable improvements. There are a growing number of voice books on the market, though most experts insist there’s no substitute for personal instruction – at least to get you started.

In practice

As a teacher, my voice is my main weapon, and it’s in constant use. I probably talk for around five hours a day, every day, but if I have a parents’ evening, it can be nearer to eight hours.

I’ve been in teaching for over 20 years, but it was only 5 or 6 years ago that I started having problems. I’m asthmatic, which probably doesn’t help, and classrooms aren’t as quiet as they used to be, so you’re raising your voice a lot of the time. On one occasion I lost my voice so badly that I had to pass a note to the doctor to explain what was wrong with me. I literally couldn’t say a word. The doctor just shook his head and said ‘Singers, actors and teachers; it’s always the same’.

I realized I needed to do something to save my voice, so I asked my headteacher about the possibility of some kind of microphone. Now I wear a headset, rather like the ones pop stars use, and speak into the mouthpiece in a normal voice. My voice is amplified through speakers that can be positioned wherever I want in the classroom.

It’s strange for a while, but then you forget you’re using it. There’s a novelty factor for the pupils too, though again, they soon get used to it. The only problem was that a colleague got the same system at the same time, and until we got our frequencies sorted out, my voice kept coming through in her room and vice versa. Very confusing for everybody.

I started off using the system every day, but now my voice has recovered I rarely need it. In any case, since I started having voice trouble I’ve adjusted my teaching style and I don’t talk as much as I used to. I try to plan my lessons so there is some time for pupils to get on by themselves.

Most schools would benefit from a couple of microphones that can be shared when staff have problems. They cost a few hundred pounds: if someone is off sick because of vocal problems, the cost of supply will far outstrip that. It’s not a case of having one day off if you lose your voice; it’s taken me two to three weeks to recover.

The long autumn term is definitely the worst time. Lots of colleagues are coughing, croaking or hoarse. You get people apologising in the staffroom for not being able to have a chat. And a serious problem, like nodules on the vocal cords, can threaten a whole career. The room where I teach has good acoustics, but when I cover lessons around the school I find some classrooms more difficult. If there’s any kind of echo you end up raising your voice to compete.

I look after my voice much more now. My consultant taught me the importance of keeping my voice hydrated. Every evening I hold my head over a bowl of steam and inhale – you can feel the soothing effect on your vocal cords – and I’m never without a bottle of water in school.

But why had I never been told this before? There’s definitely a case for proper voice training for all teachers at college. I’m a county secretary for the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) and, from a union perspective, schools are in breach of their duty of care if they don’t make sure employees know how to use their voice safely and effectively.

Jim Goodall teaches chemistry at Abersychan comprehensive school in Torfaen, Wales.

Chapter 2

Truancy

Mitching it. Wagging it. Dogging it. Twagging it. If proof were needed that truancy is ingrained in our culture, look no further than the range of slang phrases used to describe it. Children have been bunking off and skipping lessons since the first schools were established. But the fight against truancy has never had a higher profile: sweeps by police and welfare officers, hi-tech registration systems, prison sentences and increased fines to parents of persistent non-attenders. But despite all these measures, more than eight million schooldays are lost to truancy annually, with a hardcore 2 per cent of pupils missing more than five weeks every year. And there’s little sign of that figure falling.

What sort of numbers are we talking About?

Opinions vary widely, although experts agree that the Government figure of 50,000 each day is well short of the mark. One problem is the lack of consistency between schools when it comes to registering attendance.

Truancy is usually defined as ‘unauthorised absence’ – a phrase open to interpretation. Some Local Education Authorities (LEAs) class exclusion from school as an invalid reason for non-attendance, and so mark excluded pupils down as truants, despite Department for Education and Skills (DfES) guidelines to the contrary. Some count children who are home-educated; those convalescing from serious illness or those who leave school at lunchtime without permission, even though they do not miss any lessons. Some run truancy sweeps at a time when those who are just late are likely to be caught up in them. In contrast, while LEAs are keen to be seen to be catching truants, heads are under pressure to improve attendance rates: so some schools will mark all absences as ‘authorized’, providing the child brings a parental note on his or her return to school.

Nor do the figures include those pupils who register at 8.55am before disappearing again. Or those who skip the odd lesson because they don’t like Mr Smith or because they owe Miss Jones some homework. And finally, there are thousands of children under 16 years of age who just don’t appear on any school roll. Sometimes they are the children of illegal immigrants or Travellers. But often they have just been lost in the system. For example, a Trade Union Congress (TUC)/Mori poll in 2001 found that 100,000 children under 16 truant every day so they can hold down jobs, often using false identities.

Does truancy matter?

‘Playing truant’ implies that skipping school is a game. The facts tell a more disturbing story. A 1998 study found that only 8 per cent of regular truants achieve...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Part I: The healthy classroom
• Part II: The thinking classroom
• Part III: The well-rounded classroom
• Resources