Modelling

“Miss?”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to know something?”

“Depends…”

“You look like sadness from Inside Out.”

That might have been the defining moment in my career. Bottom set Year 10, with some very tricky individuals and I was trying to teach them about Hitlers’ grip on power in pre-Nazi Germany.

I am not sadness. I am the opposite. I hope that if you asked my students they might use these words: “passionate” (a little cringe), “understanding”, “funny”, “happy” and maybe at a push I will just about accept “a little wacky”.

That event got me thinking. About our jobs. Yes it is to teach, and help ensure students are safe at school, learn the skills needed for the future blah blah blah.

That isn’t actually our job. Our job is modelling. Not strutting down the catwalk modelling. Although go for it if you want! We model adult behaviour. We model how to succeed in our subjects. We model how to be successful. We model how to be at work.

In my training year I never quite understood modelling. I would set them on a task and then stare in exasperation, while my mentor waved her hands mouthing words at me, as students descended into “what?” or low level disruption due to not having a clue as to what to do. It is a common training mistake.

“Why can’t they answer this 16 mark GCSE answer? They have all the knowledge, but why can’t they do it?”

Well they can do it with correct modelling.

“Why doesn’t Tyler sit on his seat? Why can’t he listen?”

Well he would with modelling.

Learning wise model by:

• scaffolding them up to the main task
• show them what a completed and excellent version looks like
• guide them through it by group tackling the question
• sentence starters
• break down the essay into manageable chunks

There are so many more! You have a degree no doubt in the subject you teach. In History I worked really hard to get an excellent GCSE and A Level result and a good degree in the subject. I know how to do it. I could do it with my eyes shut probably. They don’t have those things yet. They need an adult to show them how.

Behaviour wise:

• Wear smart work clothes
• If there is a no phone policy don’t be visibly on your phone
• Be on time to lessons
• Don’t swear
• (I hope some of these are common sense)
• Build up their vocabulary by using words they understand but then add to it
• Be friendly
• Point out students in lessons who are modelling correct behaviour

As a form tutor I have heard members of form complain that there are members of staff who ask them to tuck shirts in when they themselves have their shirts untucked. To them this is a huge injustice, and to some extent they are right. Is it business like to have shirts untucked? Some students simply don’t know how to act (which is really sad) and they might not have a decent adult model at home as an example. So be the example.

Enjoy a picture of me as Sadness. I am forever thankful to that very tricky Year 10 group. They taught me a lot in my NQT year and I hope they learnt something from me too!