Comments on: The Appeasers http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/ A Blog About Teaching in Tough Schools in the UK Sun, 12 Oct 2008 10:07:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: The Appeasers’ Creed | Scenes From The Battleground http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-941 The Appeasers’ Creed | Scenes From The Battleground Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:34:26 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-941 [...] recurring topic here is that of The Appeasers, those who believe that the best way to get bad kids to behave is to treat them better than other [...] [...] recurring topic here is that of The Appeasers, those who believe that the best way to get bad kids to behave is to treat them better than other [...]

]]> By: Chenneth http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-299 Chenneth Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:48:03 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-299 I agree with both of you to a certain extent. I work in FE now but used to teach secondary and I can say without doubt trying to appease secondary students is useless. This does not mean you can't have the occasional chat about football or music but it should not take over the lesson. Part of the reason students like to talk is to avoid work, but not out of respect for you. In FE the students are there by choice and generally want to work. Also I chat to my students (when there's time) because I believe that FE should mirror the work place i.e. you can talk provided you get your work done and dont disturb others. I agree with both of you to a certain extent. I work in FE now but used to teach secondary and I can say without doubt trying to appease secondary students is useless. This does not mean you can’t have the occasional chat about football or music but it should not take over the lesson. Part of the reason students like to talk is to avoid work, but not out of respect for you.
In FE the students are there by choice and generally want to work. Also I chat to my students (when there’s time) because I believe that FE should mirror the work place i.e. you can talk provided you get your work done and dont disturb others.

]]> By: oldandrew http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-205 oldandrew Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:53:01 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-205 I'm sorry, but we are at war with <i>some</i> of our students. Those students who aim to stop others learning have to be fought not surrendered to. I’m sorry, but we are at war with some of our students. Those students who aim to stop others learning have to be fought not surrendered to.

]]> By: Duncan http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-202 Duncan Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:30:36 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-202 Heaven forbid that people try to have normal human relations with their students!! The very language of appeasement illustrates the problem here. We are not at war with our students! Okay, so I teach FE, and there are clear differences between teaching under 16s and over 16s (though you say yourself in another post that secondary school pupils would be considered adults in some countries): but the idea that having a normal, informal, friendly, human relationship with my students was appeasing them in some war, and betraying my comrades on the battlelines seems absurd. After all, making use of students' interests and preoccupations outside college is quite a good way of teaching them (again, this is more relevant and possible with some subjects than others). We can learn quite a lot in a friendly chat where the connection to the subject might not be immediately obvious to the student. Heaven forbid that people try to have normal human relations with their students!!

The very language of appeasement illustrates the problem here. We are not at war with our students! Okay, so I teach FE, and there are clear differences between teaching under 16s and over 16s (though you say yourself in another post that secondary school pupils would be considered adults in some countries): but the idea that having a normal, informal, friendly, human relationship with my students was appeasing them in some war, and betraying my comrades on the battlelines seems absurd. After all, making use of students’ interests and preoccupations outside college is quite a good way of teaching them (again, this is more relevant and possible with some subjects than others). We can learn quite a lot in a friendly chat where the connection to the subject might not be immediately obvious to the student.

]]> By: A Few More Words About Appeasement | Scenes From The Battleground http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-180 A Few More Words About Appeasement | Scenes From The Battleground Sun, 23 Mar 2008 15:00:48 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-180 [...] talked before about “The Appeasers”, teachers whose survival strategy is to win over the worst kids. Last time I characterised their [...] [...] talked before about “The Appeasers”, teachers whose survival strategy is to win over the worst kids. Last time I characterised their [...]

]]> By: needles&pins http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-755 needles&pins Sat, 05 May 2007 18:47:53 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-755 Another one for Cows United - the Mate makes it extra hard for the rest of us, worked with one some years ago. When I trained, my Dad expressed concern that teachers were let into schools when they were still close in age to some of the students. Now I'm a dinosaur I can see what he meant (although the Mate is not always a young teacher - just a wannabe). Another one for Cows United - the Mate makes it extra hard for the rest of us, worked with one some years ago.
When I trained, my Dad expressed concern that teachers were let into schools when they were still close in age to some of the students. Now I’m a dinosaur I can see what he meant (although the Mate is not always a young teacher - just a wannabe).

]]> By: guineapigmum http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-754 guineapigmum Fri, 04 May 2007 11:26:42 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-754 Thought I'd leave a real comment instead of those ones you might want to delete... Anyhow, I wondered if the scriptweriters for Catherine Tait had been reading your blog. The chemistry lesson last night looked as though it had been lifted straight from one of you posts! Thought I’d leave a real comment instead of those ones you might want to delete… Anyhow, I wondered if the scriptweriters for Catherine Tait had been reading your blog. The chemistry lesson last night looked as though it had been lifted straight from one of you posts!

]]> By: ElaineC http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-753 ElaineC Thu, 03 May 2007 18:17:30 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-753 Perhaps we should form Cows United, lily, as that was the most common description I received from students during the last ten years of my teaching career. And yet at the beginning I was regarded as rather humorous, approachable and fair. It wasn't me who changed. Perhaps we should form Cows United, lily, as that was the most common description I received from students during the last ten years of my teaching career. And yet at the beginning I was regarded as rather humorous, approachable and fair. It wasn’t me who changed.

]]> By: lilyofthefield http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-752 lilyofthefield Tue, 01 May 2007 21:37:54 +0000 http://oldandrew.edublogs.org/2007/04/30/the-appeasers/#comment-752 I tried for a kind of "I'm in charge, you do as you're told when I tell you to do it. I am not your friend, parent, psychiatrist or social worker and I don't much care if you like me personally or not. I don't make many rules but those I do I expect to be obeyed and will run through the sanctions like a knife through hot butter if they are not. In return I will work hard on your behalf to make the lessons interesting, enjoyable but most of all productive." I believe I fell into the category known as "Cow". I tried for a kind of “I’m in charge, you do as you’re told when I tell you to do it. I am not your friend, parent, psychiatrist or social worker and I don’t much care if you like me personally or not. I don’t make many rules but those I do I expect to be obeyed and will run through the sanctions like a knife through hot butter if they are not. In return I will work hard on your behalf to make the lessons interesting, enjoyable but most of all productive.”

I believe I fell into the category known as “Cow”.

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