First published Times Educational Supplement (TESPro Magazine) February 2012
There are certainly a small number of teachers in every school who rack up a disproportionate amount of ‘call outs'. Think Victor Meldrew in a hospital bed with the emergency cord. As the few push the emergency button over and over, the time and resources of senior staff are quickly stripped. In schools running at 10 or more call outs per hour, the system is under strain. Senior leaders tire of repetitive castigation and side rooms become crammed with incredulous muttering children, "but....but...I only..... exhaled... can't believe... well out of order... and he sent me out". The system wobbles as the few remove support from the many. Teachers who patiently and calmly step children through consequences are left with no support on the few occasions they really need it.
We used to stand children outside the classroom for a few minutes to cool off. Go out, speak to them and return them to the room. Now, for reasons I am still not clear on, it is a health/safety/safeguarding/fire risk and so the ‘on call' team, like trouble-seeking missiles sweep up miscreants from perilous corridors. Segregation blocks are extended, problems removed, data prepared and an array of different people become involved. The trouble is that the further away from the classroom teacher behaviour is taken the more complicated everything becomes.
There are times when all teachers, regardless of their experience may need to call on support. Starting a new job or changing roles brings new groups of students who will test the boundaries until they realise they are not flexible. Removing students from the room is an essential part of drawing the lines in the sand with a new group or as support for new teachers.
For most, getting to the point where a child must be removed from class is a regrettable end to a series of well-rehearsed behaviour strategies. A few scream "WOLF!" for the first child to provoke an emotional response. Teachers who jump the consequence steps and send children out for the smallest misdemeanour cause ripples in the system that affect everyone.
In many schools the sheer volume of call outs mean that children are not actually removed but ‘growled at and negotiated back in'. Few things are more damaging to the good order and discipline of a school than Chelsea telling you to ‘Fuck Off' and someone trying to negotiate an instant re-entry, "She promises she won't do it again". Hmm.
The arrival of the ‘on-call' teacher can become a pantomime of power and subversion. Oh yes it can. Teacher and offending child vie to retell their version of events. Both the ‘wronged' child and the righteously indignant teacher are infantilised by the arrival of authority. Who did what to whom and which one is rude/obnoxious/aggressive/slack etc. gives way to an encore of swearing, bag-swinging, audience-cheering chaos. Such issues are always best dealt with by the classroom teacher and when everyone has time to look at it calmly. It should not be the duty of the on-call adult or anyone else to talk through the incident, issue punishment or make judgement. The class teacher must be in control of the discussion and resolution. On-call must be for support: to remove the child, not to prosecute the crime. There is no need for discussion at the door or the monologue that begins, "Well Mr Dix, I am so glad you have come, perhaps Darrell could explain....." You undermine your own authority and risk intransigence from the child, "I ain't fucking going anywhere with yoooooooooou bruf". No words are needed. No explanation necessary. No castigation required. The perfect on-call performance has few lines just that weary look of disappointment matched with a healthy disinterest in blame. The responsibility for redrawing the boundaries is left for the class teacher to lead.
Sometimes a growling experienced and respected teacher is useful to have at your side: to bring weight to the message, to emphasise the consistency of boundaries and certainty of unpleasant consequences. Feeding children to the growling beasts of punishment and expecting them to emerge as better human beings however is fantasy behaviour management.
Deferring to the arriving adult further undermines what you are trying to do. It sends a clear message to the child that, "I can't deal with your behaviour......but she can". Schools that operate using the "Take him away, convert him into a better-behaved human being and return him to me in a permanent state of humility" system of behaviour management create mighty leaders with many minions. Power is removed from individual teachers and many told, "We will deal with him now". A senior teacher at your side shows unity and resolve. Passing ‘problems' up the chain and imagining that others can remotely control behaviour is futile.
The answer lies in a firm and binding agreement on the triggers for emergency calls and on the role of the support. An agreement that is consistently applied by all, even in the face of the most irritating behaviour. When support is really needed it can then arrive speedily.
Reduce emergency calls, manage them well and fixed term exclusions fall. Senior staff can come and say hello and spend more time with the majority of the children who deserve as much attention as the few.