Advice on discipline from experienced teachers?

If you can really impress them in the first lesson it will make a big difference in the long run so put a lot attention into the lesson plan.

Get talking to someone in school so that you know the chain of referral. For example, you might consider detention, but that might only be the norm after a note in the journal and a call home etc. You need to (or at least look like you) know what's going on.

Bit of confidence and the 5th years should be fine. The 2nd years have probably just about found their feet; any problems with them need to be nipped in the bud so that they don't continue.

Armelodie wrote: »

Learn their names ASAP..

Yes I second this. Use this every time I have a new class. You'll probably see the room before the students so you could make out a very rough plan of the room and on day one ask each student his/her name and write it down. As you will be taking someone else's classes - get them to have a look at the way the students sat and they will be able to tell you who should and should not sit together.

Another bit of advice I got when I was training, was to sit the students as they appear on the roll call i.e. as they appear on eportal (assuming you have eportal) - this is very easy to see who is absent and the majority of times that I have done this - there has been a good mix of girls sitting beside boys breaks up the groups who may cause trouble.

I agree with the poster who said to be over prepared and get the students to work asap. I also ignore a lot of what I hear in the first few classes as they will be trying you out to see how you react - now I do not tolerate bad manners or name calling etc. but I let a lot over my head in order to show them that I mean business and if you give out to them, they will know what annoys you and they will continue to do it. Good luck with it and don't worry too much about it - sometimes the kids are nicer than you had expected

I'm going to second a lot of what has been said before
What works for me as the eternal maternity sub in and out of a new school every year is
Talking to management and a few teachers -your co op teacher for example or a yr head - and getting the chain of command re discipline. Have it bullet pointed on a page as I find you get bombarded with policies etc the first day or so.
Absolutely get to know names. I too sit them by eportal or the roll call. It generally works and you'll know within a class if it needs tweaking.
I always always have a copy of their seating plan with me as well
Don't make idle threats as someone else said. I find having a few spare additional worksheets on whatever topic your working on very handy to dole out as extra homework if needs be. They're also really handy during practical work if somebody isn't following basic safety rules or directions etc
Be prepared then prepare again. Always have a little extra set aside just in case you get through stuff quicker than you think. Make sure you know your material inside out
Test power points etc before class to make sure connections are all working etc. if you are playing utube clips etc have them ready to go and don't be waiting for things to upload. Guaranteed it's the one time the internet is down or the page won't load.
Suess out the photocopier too - in some schools it's hard to get access to it when you need it
Always be in the classroom set up ready to go before class gets there. I've worked in a few schools where heading to class after break is a bit lax to put it mildly -by the teachers that is!- make a point of avoiding that trap and be down ahead of the class. Cuts out the potential for messing and getting hyper before class
Over the years I've also used the following with a second yr class that continually didn't bring materials to class with them. They had to line up outside the door with their books, copies, diary in hand (one or two specially chosen candidates also had to show me they had a pen). They didn't get into the room without all their materials. Took a few mins off the class time but boy was it worth it. In my current school I've also noticed an older teacher doing it with her classes too so I wasn't as harebrained as I thought 😃
I also note when they're late for class, esp if it's after a break. Same with homework. A lot of schools operate (informally so suss it out) a 3strikes and you're out rule. As in the discipline policy might say detention for no homework but the reality is, the school expects them to have missed homework 3times before detention is given.
Have a little page stapled into your roll book to keep track
Post it's can also be your best friend to remind you to follow up on something. Eg if a homework is only partially done and you tell student x to have it done fully for the next time... Esp when you don't have classes every day with them it's easy to forget to follow up on this kinda stuff. Post it's are great!
Sorry for going on ..., think that's it 😀😀 oh one last thing...
Finally try to keep moving around the room as much as possible too. Watch out for the phones under the table/ in their pockets! Don't answer questions about Facebook and the like - in fact double check all your privacy settings lol and maybe change your username to as gaeilge or something.

Best of luck! And enjoy!