Keep calm and carry on has become somewhat of a mantra in just about every walk of life over the past few years, producing internet memes, colourful adaptations and an abundance of references to the saying in modern culture.
The phrase never seemed as appropriate as today; the day a child accused me of victimisation in class.
This week, pupils were working on presentation projects, recapping an item of news for the whole class. To prepare them, we had previously talked about newspapers, the future of print vs the internet, how the news has changed recently to stay relevant and what responsibilities news companies have in society.
As part of the project itself, the main class teacher had left me to assist half the group develop their individual stories in an IT lab. Unfortunately, technical issues plagued the lesson, with computers crashing and losing internet connection, causing some restlessness amongst the teenagers.
Nevertheless I continued to offer help and support, and talked to individual pupils about their projects, discussed the interesting facts and questioned why these stories were important.
My first problem with the pupil in question came after he decided to watch the Superbowl on his computer. For a couple of minutes I did not intervene as a number of the pupils had found articles with video content attached. However, it became clear that he was watching the match rather than brief highlights and reviews.
I swiftly turned off the video and told him that he needed to concentrate on his presentation. If he wanted to talk about the Superbowl, he could read about the match, or a number of relevant items from sponsors, to adverts, to the half time show, but not waste time with the video.
However, not too long after he started aimlessly walking around the class. I told him to sit and work, otherwise if I had another problem, I would take his carnet (a behavioural record book in French schools). About five minutes afterwards, he and another pupil, frustrated by her constant computer problems, starting switching off each other’s computers as well as those of their classmates.
I shouted at the pair, telling them of their disruption and how their actions showed little respect for their peers, myself or their regular teacher and demanded their carnets.
When the lesson eventually ended, I took the troublesome twosome to the main teacher so as I could find the keys to lock the computer lab, briefly explaining these students were to be punished and I would detail the problems after having secured the computer room.
Upon returning, I found the pupil who had been the most disruptive to be contesting his reprimand. He was telling the teacher that I was victimising him, having shouted at him constantly throughout the lesson and no one else. He continued by saying he did not deserve any comment in his carnet and that he would not participate in my lessons in the future if he were treated unfairly.
Against this, I had to explain myself to the teacher and again to this student in French. Not only was I having to justify my decision in a foreign language, but had to contend with his constant interjections, which were progressively louder.
I calmly explained that his behaviour was not appropriate and that he had abused the lesson to watch videos, and then when told to work had avoided his project, instead turning off computers around the room. I also added that he should be careful of his accusations, since he was not the only pupil who had been asked to stay behind, and as such it would hardly qualify as victimisation.
My case was somewhat helped by the second pupil who admitted that the punishment was fair in her opinion.
Nonetheless, this was a daunting and difficult situation to overcome in a foreign language. I believe that it is testament to my improved French to hold my own in the face of antagonism in a foreign tongue, which clearly took the pupil equally by surprise. Although it took me a little time to formulate the best way of expressing the problem, I was able to convey why I was justified in giving a punishment, defending my position and overcoming a potentially significant professional road bump.
Now, back into the fray to carry on teaching. Calmly if at all possible…
