Peter Keane Analogies

Analogy re: Educational research

In primitive times, people were looking at goat’s entrails to see when the rains would come. At the same time, other adults were teaching their young how to plant seeds. Both were needed and were equally important. Need to experiment (universities and theories) and need to be effective at the ground level (practitioners).

Analogy re: Fruits of labour

Kids are running towards the edge of a cliff, the teacher tries to stop them and drags them back they fall, get up and try again to run towards the cliff. The helicopter above sees that as some of the kids get past the teacher, and when they reach the edge of the cliff they change direction avoiding the fall. The teacher however does not see this. The moral being that you are not necessarily always going to see the fruits of your labour.

This blog post is a reflection of a behaviour for learning seminar that took place during my PGCE at University nearly a year ago now (time flies when you are having fun right?).  It was a session that I had thoroughly enjoyed and wished that we could have had one hour longer with Peter.   What I found particularly excellent was his way of disseminating his seminar information through analogy.  I found myself at 10pm the same evening writing them down simply because I could remember them word for word, they resonated so powerfully with me.

Anyway, more specific to the behaviour for learning theme, here were my reflections from this particular seminar.

Summary of three strategies: Planning

Planning lessons is going to play an essential part in the success of behaviour for learning in the classroom.  Knowing the students is vital; it is going to be essential to have knowledge of the students with SEN, this needs to be recorded on the lesson plan.  In knowing the students, it will be easier to plan for successful lessons.  To give one example, if one has to deliver a lesson to a class with a large proportion of students with ADHD, plan for opportunities to allow the students to move around where possible.  If you know your students well it is unlikely that you will plan activities that you know they hate, this could instantly draw out bad behaviour.  Be flexible and reasonable, if you have to tweak your lesson plan – do it!

Hurdles

This is one concept that I have never considered; yet makes so much sense and is a strategy I will certainly be employing throughout my practice.

Keane stated that generally in the classroom the hurdle for bad is low, he gave the example of a student dropping a pen on the floor.  If the hurdle for bad was so low, then so should the hurdle for good should be equally low.  He explained that teachers generally praise students for being good in the classroom when they have achieved academically.  What about when they come straight into the classroom? They quietly, sit down or remain standing and take their coats off without being asked?  This is also good behaviour and should be acknowledged.

On this basis, Keane stated that quantitatively, students do more good things than bad, however the qualitatively, one may need to assess the behaviour differently i.e. chatting when the teacher is vs. flooding the boys toilets.   The key point to remember is that students do a lot of good things; some of those things teachers may feel they have the right to take for granted, just don’t take those things for granted respect and build that rapport and mutual respect with the student.

Relationships

This follows on nicely from my previous point, mutual respect and rapport are extremely important for ALL students and the teacher/student relationship.  Greet the students at the door, and say goodbye at the end of the lesson; this also gives the teacher an opportunity to hand out starters and ensure that the students leave the classroom in an orderly manner.

More specifically when it comes to difficult students, it is even more important that you have an intention to build relationships with them.  They will soon know when you have given up on them, and there will be absolutely no incentive whatsoever for them to behave for you.  This is also where having high expectations of them at all times is useful.

Keane mentioned the importance of giving students the chance to be involved and in control in the right context.  He gave the example of mountain biking where the students were better and quicker than him, they were able to take the lead of the activity and ensure that he was following and was okay.  This role reversal shows the human side to teachers and I believe is key.  I can say from experience that this was the way I developed an excellent relationship with my previous students who were a combination of disengaged students, some also with behavioural, drug and alcohol issues and SEN (and maybe all combined).  I took over the sports aspect of their course and they were passionate about football.

I never had a clue how to play, although I could swot up on the theory.  On the playing field, they were in charge, they were leading me and I learned so much.  I know how much they appreciated this time where I was not the classroom enforcer (and they could kick me in the shins). We collaboratively planned most practical sessions and even two football tournaments one internal and one external to the college raising money for charity.

Something that I learned that surprised me

Having experienced school the way in which I had, a perpetual cycle of OFSTED failings, new management teams, in a class so bad we weren’t allowed to do any kind of experiments in science (get the picture?).  I had mainly experienced this teacher-enforcer type role as a student.  From working with those students I described in the last sub section, there were many tales of poor teacher/student relationship leading to them being disenfranchised from school learning.  I believed that because of the nature of the course I taught on, we were allowed to be the kind of teacher that we are being told we should be at university.  This surprised and pleased me, as I believed that the transition from FE to secondary would mean that I had to be a mean faced teacher.  I am hoping that I will have the opportunity to maintain such relationships with secondary pupils, however I am sceptical that it will not necessarily work in difficult schools.  I am hoping that my PGCE experience will extinguish that scepticism.

An example of what not to do with regards to BFL

I think really, the key thing we have learned not to do is ‘lose the plot’ with students if they are misbehaving and avoid indulging in the red mist.  This means shouting unnecessarily.  I use the word unnecessarily to mean under any circumstance other than imminent danger.  If you shout at a student then how can you expect them not to retaliate?  Lead by example, follow school policy at all times and make sure that your expectations of the students are clear and outlined at the first session you have with them.

Links to further resources, websites and journals

Online:

http://www.teachers.tv – Teaching with Bayley: 42 videos specific to individual teachers’ issues

http://www.teachingexpertise.com/behaviour-management – Many articles, publications and resources

Book: “Getting the Buggers to Behave” Sue Cowley, fourth edition £12.30 on Amazon.  Consolidates what we have learned at this stage, very easy to read, is useful for new and seasoned practitioners.

Raw notes from the seminar: From Behaviour to Relationships – Peter Keane

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011 at 7:20 pm and is filed under Behaviour. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.