Killer and English Guy: the return! · Fri Apr 7, 21:56 by Eleri Straker
The other day, I was forcibly reminded of these two stalwarts from my own school days, in a way that made me think that nothing changes.
It was moderation time. That seriously busy time that all English teachers know and love, when life becomes just a pile of exam papers, under which we drown. This was slightly different, as it was A level course work. Despite the amount of work this involves, it’s actually quite pleasurable, as reading the musings of intelligent young people is always a revelation and a delight.
While reading our way down the pile, my colleague said that she was concerned that one of our best students, Chas, hadn’t handed in her finished piece, despite completing and improving on several earlier, practice drafts. Well, the time passed and Chas didn’t hand in the work, the deadline came and went and the pile of essays was sent off to the exam board.
The following morning, a shame-faced Chas turned up to face what she believed would be our collective wrath. She apologised profusely for not handing in the work and explained that she had had two pieces due in that day, one for us, English, and one for another department run by someone who could easily follow in the footsteps of the esteemed Killer of old. When my colleague (and head of department) asked why that was significant, Chas replied, “Well, it’s because he (Killer 2) gets much nastier than you.” Needless to say, we were slightly taken aback by this and for once lost for words.
Chas will be able to enter her coursework later in the year, so she will not suffer, but her words made me think.
Chatting later with my colleague about this, she said that Killer 2 actually got good results from this method. Being unpleasant to the students and frightening them seemed to be paying off. I suggested that this was wrong and that I had no intention of going down that route, particularly with 18year olds. After all, if we have to jump up and down on students’ heads to make them do the work, what will happen to them when they get those brilliant results that Killer 2 is so proud of? When they get to university and because they only work when bullied, fall behind? What happens to them then?
Like my colleague, I am probably, despite appearances, of the ‘old school’. I see no point in bullying students. I don’t want my students to be afraid of talking to me in case I get nasty. Surely as teachers we should be educating the whole student. Not just teaching our subjects. Isn’t it our job to equip student to deal with life and not just to react to bullying? After all ‘to educate’ means ‘to lead’, not ‘to force with threats’.
I believe my old friend English Guy was right. You don’t need to be a bully to get respect – or good results. I like the fact that my students will talk to me in the corridor and will come to tell me if they have difficulty with work I’ve set. I don’t get nasty, neither does my colleague and our results, every year are better than those that Killer 2’s department achieve.
Not that I’m gloating of course!
