"I didn't become a teacher in order to work as a policeman." These were the words of one teacher who replied to our inaugural Guardian Teacher Network survey almost two years ago. Two years on and rather than the situation getting better in our classrooms it appears to be getting worse, according to teaching union the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL). The union surveyed 844 educators and found that more than half (54%) felt behaviour had got worse, with 62% saying there are more children with emotional, behavioural and mental health problems than two years ago.
Certainly, we've had our fair share of articles on the site that have dealt with the impact of challenging behaviour on teachers; teachers being dangled off a tower block by their ankles, and teachers frightened by pupils and not knowing where to turn for help to name just a couple. It seems an unhappy coincidence that one of our most popular resources last week was this one offering strategies to quieten a noisy classroom.
A range factors are being cited for this rise. Survey respondents blamed lack of boundaries (79%) followed by behavioural problems (69%), emotional problems (68%), wanting attention from other students (64%), plus a lack of positive role models at home and family breakdowns both totting up 61%.
Do these figures reflect your experiences? And what do you think schools should do about this rise in challenging behaviour? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
