Banter Banner Budged By Banterers

[cronus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-30222229

Banter ban Norfolk teacher Mike Stuchbery leaves Lynn Grove High School

A teacher who banned the word banter in class has left his school by mutual consent after saying "speaking up" came at a "hefty cost".

Mike Stuchbery, who taught at Lynn Grove High School, in Gorleston, Norfolk, wrote a blog condemning use of the word "as an excuse for bullying".

Headteacher Alison Mobbs said his view was "shared by the staff".

Mr Stuchbery said the decision to leave was "so as not to further interrupt the learning of students".

The supply teacher, who had been employed through an agency, said he wrote his post titled "I'm Banning Banter" on 5 November after "a particular fractious day".

In it, he said he was "no longer going to take banter as an excuse for inappropriate behaviour" in his classroom.

The teacher said on Wednesday, after a phone call from his agency and a discussion with the school, it was "mutually agreed that I'd probably benefit from a new beginning somewhere else".

"While I unreservedly apologise for any disruption that I have caused, I stand by my comments about the use of banter as a cover for harassment and bullying," he said.

(continued, banter the new code word for bullying so shut up...he needs to go to France? they like to control words in France.)

[mistermack]

I can't say I'm surprised.
What he blogged might be true, but it's the worst thing he could have done.
Any teacher that complains in public that he's being bullied by pupils is pretty much finished at that establishment. It will just encourage the bullies, and remove any remaining authority he might have had.
And to do it without consulting the head is just stupid. If I was the head, he'd have to be out the door after that.

Having said that, there's something wrong with the general attitude at the school, if a teacher finds himself in this position. Keeping order is a nightmare, unless the support is there immediately, at the first hint of disorder. He should have had a course of action to combat this sort of stuff laid out before he even went through the door on the first day.

[cronus]

I can't say I'm surprised.
What he blogged might be true, but it's the worst thing he could have done.
Any teacher that complains in public that he's being bullied by pupils is pretty much finished at that establishment. It will just encourage the bullies, and remove any remaining authority he might have had.
And to do it without consulting the head is just stupid. If I was the head, he'd have to be out the door after that.

Having said that, there's something wrong with the general attitude at the school, if a teacher finds himself in this position. Keeping order is a nightmare, unless the support is there immediately, at the first hint of disorder. He should have had a course of action to combat this sort of stuff laid out before he even went through the door on the first day.

Some shouldn't teach. If you haven't got the banter don't do the job...

[JimC]

Over the years as a teacher, I have perfected a certain look...

[klr]

That look says "No banter allowed!"

Think the drill sergeant in Full metal Jacket, but with much less expletives. Being polite can be just as menacing.

[mistermack]

To me, it's more of a ''on no account should this man be approached'' kind of look.

[JimC]

[Hermit]

Over the years as a teacher, I have perfected a cartoon look...

All you need now is to have a dark three quarter length coat and a felt hat hanging from the hook at the back of your staff room door, and you'll pass as the stereotypical 1950s man. I wonder if your students giggle behind your back, or what their reaction might be if they saw your "other photo". No, not the terminator one. The one from your student days.

Shall I link to it, or will you? The contrast would be quite amusing, at least to both forum members who have not already seen it.

[JimC]

[JimC]

Actually, to be perfectly honest, I have virtually no discipline problems these days because I have successfully schemed my way to having an ideal teaching load, of either senior maths or physics or advanced maths in middle school - all situations where the kids want to be there...