The scale was devised to encourage trainee teachers to think about the degree to which teachers are in relaxed and assured control of their classrooms and can enjoy their teaching, and also, the extent to which there is a ‘right to learn’ for pupils, free from the noise and disruption of others. It is not designed as an instrument to pass judgement on the class management skills of teachers (not least because there are so many other variables which influence the levels – most obviously, which school you are working in). Its purpose is to get trainee teachers (and teachers, departments and schools) to think about the factors influencing the working atmosphere in the classroom, the influence of the working atmosphere in classrooms on teaching and learning, and the equal opportunities issues surrounding the tension between inclusion, and situations where some pupils may be spoiling the learning of others.
It should be stressed that there are many schools where you will not encounter the lower levels on the scale, ( but it is still important to remember that there are schools and classrooms where the lever levels do exist). Although recent Ofsted reports have suggested that pupil behaviour is less than satisfactory in under one in ten secondary schools, my research suggests that deficits in the working atmosphere are much more prevalent than that figure suggests, and that there are many schools where levels might range between at least level 10 and level 5.
It is unlikely that you will spend your entire training year in schools where the working atmosphere is always at level 10 with all your teaching groups. There are not just differences between schools in terms of the working atmosphere in the classroom, there are usually differences within schools – teachers can make a difference.
It is worth investing a lot of time, thought and work in this area because it makes such a difference in the extent to which you can enjoy your teaching. There are very few things in professional life less edifying than being, in effect, locked in a room with 30 children not fully under your control. These are some comments from teachers I interviewed recently about what it is like when you are teaching at levels 9 and 10 on the scale:
‘I cannot stress how wonderful it is to teach a well behaved class. It actually enables you to lower your guard and completely relax. I really enjoyed the lesson and the children did too… I could tell.’
(Trainee)
‘You come out feeling great. You know that you have their respect, they rate you, they think you are a good teacher.’
(NQT)
‘Your teaching actually gets better when you are at levels 9 and 10… your exposition is more fluent, you can think of things off the top of your head… you seem to be able to think of lots of good ideas because you’ re not thinking at the back of your mind about control and surveillance issues. You get a buzz out of it and you can let your hair down more, take a few more risks.’
(Experienced teacher)
‘As you are walking round the classroom, or looking out of the window, you think to yourself, there aren’t many people who have a job as fulfilling and enjoyable as this.’
(Experienced teacher)
‘In terms of how much you enjoy your teaching, there’s a massive difference between operating at levels 7 and 8… which are OK… no big hassle… and level 10, when it’s just a fantastic job, pure pleasure… you can get a real buzz out of the interaction with pupils. It’s like the adverts for teaching on the TV but in real life.’
(NQT)
Many of the decisions you have to make in this area are context dependent; there are very few, if any strategies that are guaranteed to work with every pupil, every class, in terms of how to get them quiet in the first place, how to cope when you haven’t got complete control, in what circumstances to send a pupil out of the class, and so on. You have to think, learn and work to get to the highest levels possible – I think that above all it is about ‘being a good learner’, from your own experience, from advice, reading and watching people who are accomplished in this field (although you can also learn from bad practice). It is helpful to have an open-minded attitude, and to be prepared to test ideas and theories about pupil behaviour against your own experience.
From Haydn, T. (2007 ) Managing pupil behaviour, key issues in teaching and learning, London , Routledge.