This classroom-management resource follows a newly qualified teacher (NQT) who finds the practical side of music lessons very difficult to control and is easily distracted by behavioural problems or children going off task.
Behaviour expert John Bayley films Patrick Martin teaching his Year 9 lesson and, watching the tape back, he's struck by the seriousness of Patrick's approach.
Key points: John notices that the secondary pupils seem keen to applaud the music but Patrick doesn't encourage it. Secondly, John feels that Patrick should replace comments like "another reasonably effective performance" with something more positive. Third, he wants Patrick to seek more departmental or pastoral support with his pedagogy when he knows he will be teaching a troublesome pupil.
Teaching another Year 9 group at Chiswick Community School in west London, Patrick is a different teacher and his class is visibly more contented and positive. The pupils seem to get more from the practical experience and the lesson flies past. Patrick's own verdict is conclusive: "I really enjoyed that!"
