Maintaining classroom discipline/Public domain films

Andrew Patterson · Post by **Andrew Patterson** » Mon May 30, 2005 7:26 pm

I came across this site:

http://www.archive.org ,

which contains public domain films.

Of particular interest to this forum may be the prelinger archives:

http://www.archive.org/details/prelinger

In particular:

http://www.archive.org/details/Maintain1947 , a film about maintaining classroom discipline.

Anyone got any comments on this film?

woodcutter · Post by **woodcutter** » Tue May 31, 2005 1:31 am

When I were a lad, in Scumbag comprehensive, the teachers with good discipline managed to make themselves frightening in some way. Much as I would like to believe there is another road, I have been forced down that one in Korean kiddie classes. I'm not a natural.

It is the job of certain persons employed by universities to create wild theories of all kinds concerning education, so they do just that. Such theories tend towards the fluffy-wuffy idealistic side of things, because they sound so much nicer. Sometimes, improvements are made. However, sometimes the results are awful. Cynical as this is, most of us teachers believe it, don't we?

That isn't to say that ranting and raving works though. Anger and discipline must be controlled, pointed and lethal!

Andrew Patterson · Post by **Andrew Patterson** » Tue May 31, 2005 6:35 am

Woodcutter wrote:

When I were a lad, in Scumbag comprehensive, the teachers with good discipline managed to make themselves frightening in some way. Much as I would like to believe there is another road, I have been forced down that one in Korean kiddie classes. I'm not a natural.

It is the job of certain persons employed by universities to create wild theories of all kinds concerning education, so they do just that. Such theories tend towards the fluffy-wuffy idealistic side of things, because they sound so much nicer. Sometimes, improvements are made. However, sometimes the results are awful. Cynical as this is, most of us teachers believe it, don't we?

That isn't to say that ranting and raving works though. Anger and discipline must be controlled, pointed and lethal!

Personally, I don't regard the film a fluffy-wuffy. Clearly the results of the "better style" are better than they would be in reality. The most important thing is to engage the class at all times. Note that he didn't and mustn't come across as a bleeding heart in the second style. Those high standards that he stated that he had set must have been set and must be folloed up on. A teacher needs to be aware of everything that is going on in the classroom and I mean everything. The concentration needed is similar to that required when driving. One should never get flustered when driving or teaching. The teacher, like a driver, should know where he or she is going.

Note that there were many discipline problems when he was writing on the board. He was fully engaged with the task of writing on the board and not with monitoring the class.

Think how often you have to check your mirrors when driving. If you are doing it properly. Be in control at all times but don't be a control freak.