A sense of humour and a thick skin are essential qualities for a new teacher, as Matthew Godfrey finds out This article appeared in The Daily Telegraph on 19 December 2001 NOTHING pleases some teenagers more than seeing a teacher lose his temper. Try as I might to keep my cool in the classroom, I still lose it from time to time. Normally, it is the incessant chatter of an uninterested pupil that is the trigger; sometimes, it is someone's refusal to follow my instructions. The point at which "sir" finally cracks is referred to as "switching"; in my case, it is normally manifested by a sudden reddening of the cheeks and a loud outburst, along the lines of: "Right! That's it! Will you please be quiet!" Troublemakers relish this moment and can sometimes be heard saying: "Look at sir: he's switched!" Naturally, this infuriates me further. These moments are doubly distressing. Not only have the pupils succeeded in making ...
Honest and frank reflections from the classroom from English teacher Matthew Godfrey - qualified 2000; currently Deputy Head at Caterham School (Surrey), freelance journalist