“University didn’t prepare me for the challenges of managing a classroom.”
“I didn’t feel ready to manage difficult student behaviour as an early career teacher.”
These are common refrains our union hears from early career teacher members.
Some teaching graduates find their classroom management skills weren’t honed sufficiently during their initial teacher education (ITE), leaving them feeling unprepared when they step into the classroom.
The classroom challenge
Disruptive student behaviour is unfortunately on the rise with recent OECD research finding Australian classrooms are among the world’s most disorderly.
This presents a challenge for early career teachers who are finding their feet in classroom management.
The federal government funds the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) to produce evidence-based advice and resources for teachers.
A series of resources on classroom management for early career teachers is available on AERO’s website.
Our union encourages members to take advantage of these free resources.
The classroom management series for early career teachers includes:
- The importance of high expectations for student behaviour
- Positive teacher-student relationships: their role in classroom management
- Teaching routines: their role in classroom management
- Establishing and maintaining rules: their role in classroom management
School policies a touch stone
Your school’s classroom management policies and systems are an essential touchstone in informing your teaching practice.
Schools should have a quality student behaviour management policy and policies for students with special needs, as well as a holistic approach to compliance and enforcement of those policies.
Teachers also need to be mindful of reporting processes for dealing with challenging student behaviour or, in more serious incidents, violent behaviour.
The best way for teachers to protect themselves and students is to report all concerns they have in relation to behaviour management directly to their employer.
Incidents involving occupational violence should be reported separately as part of the employer’s work health and safety hazard reporting processes.
Our union is here to help
Where an employer’s response to these reports is lacking, our union is available for advice and support.
Managing student behaviour is a significant element of teachers’ duty of care towards students.
Understanding your rights and obligations, keeping informed and compliant with school policy and raising any behaviour management concerns with your employer are central to upholding this duty of care.
Click here to contact our union for further advice or support.
