Scenario 1: Defusing a conflict between pupils Resources to support Charlie Taylor’s Improving Teacher Training for Behaviour Behaviour Scenarios Scenario 1: Defusing a conflict between pupils This Scenario has been developed for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) to enable trainees to demonstrate knowledge, skills and understanding of behaviour management

Introduction Behaviour2Learn has developed 17 Scenarios focusing on the 8 areas highlighted in the Teaching Agency's document Improving teacher training for behaviour. These are: Personal Style Self-management Reflection School Systems Relationships Classroom Management More Challenging Behaviour Theoretical Knowledge Improving teacher training for behaviour has been developed by Charlie Taylor, the Government’s expert adviser on behaviour, to complement the new Teachers’ Standards that all teachers have to demonstrate from September 2012.

Scenario 16 Defusing a conflict between pupils You are walking across the play area and two pupils start to push and shove each other. Other pupils shout, “Fight, fight!” and start running towards the scene. What do you do?

Key Learning Outcomes Increased knowledge of how to take appropriate and effective action when you are confronted by more extreme behaviour. Increased knowledge of what you are expected to do in an emergency. Appreciation of strategies to establish your authority so that you are able to deal with difficult situations.

What do you do? Consider these responses and choose the best one(s): Tell the pupils, preferably addressing them by name, to stop now. Sound clear, firm and calm. Send one pupil to a senior member of staff. Take the other one with you in the opposite direction. Attract attention by clapping or briefly raising your voice. Tell the other pupils to go away, explaining that they are not helping. Ask a pupil you know to run and get help. If the pupils continue to struggle, separate them if it is possible to do so without harming them or putting yourself at risk. Join the follow up meeting with the pupils concerned to find out what has been going on and to resolve the conflict to prevent a recurrence.

What may be the best choice? All may be good choices You will need to de-escalate the situation quickly and disperse the crowd as best you can. This is one situation where you may need to raise your voice to make your presence felt to a large number of pupils, but it is important to sound calm and assertive. The same is true of your body language e.g. striding purposefully towards the gathering crowd as you tell them to disperse. Judge the situation and call for help if you are not confident that your intervention will work. Do not put yourself at risk. Remember that in most cases the protagonists, who may have been goaded by their peers, will be grateful for intervention to stop the fight. The sooner the better – so respond to the signs of an escalating conflict as soon as you notice them.

How might you prepare yourself to deal with such situations? Ensure you are aware of school policies for dealing with such situations and know how to call support quickly. Be involved in following up the incident so that you see how the school deals with such situations and establish your authority. Shadow a senior member of staff during break times to see how he/she reinforces wanted behaviour and deals with unwanted behaviour. Talk to pupils, including those you do not teach, when you are moving around the school so that they come to know you and to see that you are able and willing to intervene, when necessary, in situations outside your classroom. Always leave plenty of time to get to lessons so that you are not late for your class, even if an emergency arises.

Underlying Principles Dealing with a potential emergency requires quick thinking and firm action. Assertively making your presence known helps to stop aggression and disperse onlookers. Safety is the major issue here, both for the pupils and for yourself, and must be your priority. Teachers are not expected to put themselves at risk. Any necessary help should be summoned as quickly as possible. Resolving the conflict through follow-up action is an important next step once the emergency has been dealt with.

Rights and Responsibilities Everyone in the school has the right to feel and to be safe. All staff have the responsibility to be fully aware of the school’s policies so they know what to do in case of an emergency. Teachers have the responsibility to intervene and the right to use reasonable force to maintain safety and to prevent injury. It is worth getting involved with the follow-up with the pupils concerned if possible, even if this is not your direct responsibility, as you will learn useful skills, can help prevent a recurrence and establish your authority outside your classroom.

Activities to try Make sure that you know and understand your school’s policy and procedures for dealing with conflict between pupils. How do they reflect the law and relevant guidance from the DfE? Consider approaches you have seen, or used, to defuse incidents concerning pupils, including those you witnessed as a pupil yourself. List the pros and cons of each. Consider a range of approaches to repairing relationships which you have seen, or in which you have been involved. What would you do, and why, to repair the relationship between the pupils in this scenario?

Conclusions There will be occasions in school when you come across a situation (possibly involving pupils who are not well known to you) where you have to take action quickly to prevent behaviour getting worse. All staff have a responsibility to help to maintain a positive climate for learning in the school as a whole. It is tempting to ignore misbehaviour in the playground or outside your classroom, particularly if you are in a hurry and have other urgent concerns. However, if you show that you are willing to, and capable of , dealing successfully with misbehaviour around the school, it will strengthen your relationships with pupils and colleagues and increase your authority. This applies also to following up incidents where you have intervened. Your involvement demonstrates to all that you are concerned to repair conflict and maintain high standards of behaviour throughout the school. It is worth noting that your authority to intervene in cases of unacceptable behaviour extends to pupils who are on their way to and from school. However, you should be particularly careful to avoid putting yourself at risk if you are alone, without backup and not in the school environment.

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