Final teaching placement visit disaster

Lapis Luzali

Hello, im looking for some advice here as the stress and anxiety is causing me to lose sleep. Im finishing up my teacher training but I have one final visit left to do. The problem is the visit will take place in a Youthreach centre where iv been on placement a few hours a week. The issue is the students have no respect for me and will not produce any work in class. If I try to give a lesson they kick off and refuse to engage.
In my previous placement visits (not youthreach centres) I did very well, the last visit I got an A grade.
Ive spoken to my lecturers about it but theyve only suggested things that ive tried like include their interests in the lessons etc. They wont listen to me and fob me off when I try to explain.

The lecturer whose doing my final placement visit is very critical and my stomach is my knots out of fear ill fail my final placement visit. Can any one help? what can I do?

spurious

Have you told the management in the centre of the problems the group are giving you?

Lapis Luzali

spurious wrote: »

Have you told the management in the centre of the problems the group are giving you?

Yes I did, they were helpful and spoke to the students which did improve their behavior as they were really out of control when I started. Sometimes some members of staff come up to the class to make sure theyre behaving but im still having problems with getting them to engage in the lessons. They can become quite aggressive when I try to get them to do a lesson ive planned and ive felt intimidated at times. The more I push and try to get them to do any work or listen to me when I try to teach anything, the more agitated they become.

Afroshack

Are you asking them to do writing activities? Some kids work better with hands-on activities at a very slow pace. Kinaesthetic activities could feel more like play than work and they can still learn something

Lapis Luzali

Afroshack wrote: »

Are you asking them to do writing activities? Some kids work better with hands-on activities at a very slow pace. Kinaesthetic activities could feel more like play than work and they can still learn something

Theres very little writing, most activities are hands on. I try to include a mix of group work, self directed work, creative projects, I give them instructions and sometimes allow them to direct their own projects, freedom to express what they want. Sometimes they choose topics that interests them and sometimes I choose the topics. When I choose the topic items can be thrown around the room and they can become aggressive.
For example I was working with a girl last week, we were getting on great, she was showing me things shes done with the other teacher etc. As soon as I mentioned what I had planned to do in class she threw a strop and became verbally aggressive. She changed like a switch.

Dylan94

Often students who misbehave on a day to day basis will behave reasonably well during an inspection.

If not, then all you can do is respond appropriately to whatever happens during the lesson. You can only be graded on what you do and not on the students behaviour (unless you are not addressing it).

If you are doing the right things but they are just not responding well, keep trying new things and during the inspection if you respond appropriately (even if it doesn't work) you should still receive a good grade.

2xj3hplqgsbkym

Dylan94 wrote: »

Often students who misbehave on a day to day basis will behave reasonably well during an inspection.

If not, then all you can do is respond appropriately to whatever happens during the lesson. You can only be graded on what you do and not on the students behaviour (unless you are not addressing it).

If you are doing the right things but they are just not responding well, keep trying new things and during the inspection if you respond appropriately (even if it doesn't work) you should still receive a good grade.

Yes I would agree. Have a list of strategies you have already tried to engage students. Try something new on the day if you have to. Have a list prepared of other strategies you might try also, to show you have researched the area well.

spurious

Dylan94 wrote: »

Often students who misbehave on a day to day basis will behave reasonably well during an inspection.

This has been my experience too. They might claim they 'hate' you, but you are THEIRS to 'hate' and confronted with outsiders they try to help you.

As Dylan94 said, as long as you are responding appropriately you will be OK.

One of the places I taught had quite challenging students and the 'Dip inspectors' that came in used to be terrified of them. They were amazed how any of us managed to keep them in the room, let alone their seats. If only they knew, we used to give the Dip students the good classes.

mtoutlemonde

Lapis Luzali wrote: »

Hello, im looking for some advice here as the stress and anxiety is causing me to lose sleep. Im finishing up my teacher training but I have one final visit left to do. The problem is the visit will take place in a Youthreach centre where iv been on placement a few hours a week. The issue is the students have no respect for me and will not produce any work in class. If I try to give a lesson they kick off and refuse to engage.
In my previous placement visits (not youthreach centres) I did very well, the last visit I got an A grade.
Ive spoken to my lecturers about it but theyve only suggested things that ive tried like include their interests in the lessons etc. They wont listen to me and fob me off when I try to explain.

The lecturer whose doing my final placement visit is very critical and my stomach is my knots out of fear ill fail my final placement visit. Can any one help? what can I do?

Sorry to hear your predicament OP. It is a very stressful time for you. Have the students access to iPad/can they use their phones? Could you make up a kahoot quiz for them? They go down well with my students. It also encourages teamwork.

If you could tell us your subject area - I might be able to give you some more ideas.

Do you know students names? I always like to greet students as they enter with their names. I wouldn't formally go through learning intentions (have them on the board for inspection). If introducing a topic, get them to brainstorm what they think they will learn. Mentimeter allows students to put words into a wordmap on the whiteboard. There is an option that doesn't allow foul language. Work in tiny steps with students with lots of encouragement. if possible, get to know their interests and maybe make lessons around that if possible. You could be surprised that a bribe of a DVD/sweets for good behaviour could also work.

Your inspector will take into account the type of students you're dealing with. He/she may not have given you more advice to make you work it out yourself. You will meet a bad class again and will be on your own.

I hope this is beneficial. If you want anything specific or your subject - feel free to PM me. Best of luck. Your inspection will go better than you think. And as said above, the students will probably behave when there is a 'stranger' in the room.

LaLa2004

What subject are you teaching, if you don't mind saying?

Lapis Luzali

Thanks for replies, id rather not give too much information as I dont want to give my identity away, just incase. I do know all the students names, I greet them as they come in, ask how was their week etc, I then tell them the plan for the class, immediately they kick off at the suggestion of any work. Ive asked them what projects or areas theyd like to cover but they have no interest at all. Ive incorporated their interests but its made no difference. All they want to do is sit and do nothing or mess around and any attempt to get them involved in learning or project work is like pulling teeth.
Theyre not allowed phones or ipads, these are taken off them in the mornings and given back to them in the evenings. Theyre allowed computers but this has caused more trouble than its worth, they refuse to get off the computers and use them to go onto social media.

The inspector is very critical, I dont find him particularly supportive or understanding. I had him for visits before and his marks where never very good despite the class going very well, the learners where engaged and there was lots of dialogue. Other inspectors ive had have given me top marks. This is adding extra pressure because there is no pleasing him at the best of times.

kweeveen86

When I had my last observation for Teaching Practice on PGDip in Secondary School, I tried to assert my authority and show I was in control. It didn't work.

Long story short, a 12 year old traveller stood up on his desk and furiously screamed "f*ck you, sir! f*ck you" over and over.

I decided not to continue with the old secondary teaching career after that 😂

RealJohn

At least he called you ‘sir’.
I’m still not sure that that anecdote will be very helpful to the OP, if the inspection hasn’t happened yet.

OP, if it comes to it, you might just have to gut it out and accept what comes your way. As long as you do your best and try to deal with everything as best you know how, there isn’t much else you can do. It’s no help to you to worry about the inspector. Just do your job and let the chips fall where they may. It won’t be the end of the world, regardless.

kweeveen86

Point was, as you correctly said at the end, that it wasn't the end of the world even though it was a mortifying experience.

Still, I hope all goes well for you, OP. Best of luck!

Mardy Bum

Don't take it to heart. At least once in your career you will get a class that are beyond the pale because of a multitude of factors that have little to do with you and regardless of what they say in colleges a well prepared lesson does not mean the students will respond positively.

Relationships are key but pretty difficult to establish on TP.
What you need to do is show your inspector what you have done to try and improve the situation. In the lesson itself make sure you keep it simple.
Emphasise literacy and numeracy. Model the correct approach to the task and then let them at it. Do a bit of formative assessment at the end.

Some inspectors are/were awful teachers, don't let one person's criticism get to you. This experience will be more beneficial to you than working in the Institute of Education and in five years you will look back on it as something which helped form you.