NO 1822
Teachers in adolescent units are often greeted with
gasps of amazement and admiration when they reveal how they earn their
living. Parents of adolescents immediately start relating tales of the
perceived unreasonable behaviour of their own adolescent off-spring yet few
adults seem to remember their own adolescence with any degree of accuracy.
The response of older people makes it evident how threatening even small
groups of adolescents can seem. Part of this is caused by the noise of the
loud, unmodulated, newly adult voices of the boys, the shrieks of the girls
and the almost inevitable 'music machine' that will be present. Adolescents
often have an uncontrolled gait, and are not always enough in control of
their rapidly lengthening limbs to avoid some involuntary conflict with
passers-by. Because at my unit we shared a common entrance gate with the
ambulant members of a Senior Citizens Day Centre, I tried to help my pupils
to understand how they appear to the frail and the elderly, especially those
who have read the popular press.
Because our playground is used as a five-a-side football pitch in the
evening, it is surrounded by a 10-foot fence. So that equipment may be left
out overnight the doors to the 'cage' have heavy padlocks on them; it is
also equipped with floodlighting. The purpose of the fencing and
floodlighting was obviously misunderstood by neighbours who, having lost
their petition against our occupation of the premises, watched us move in
with concerned interest. At lunch-time on the first day I received an amused
call from the education offices. One of our neighbours had rung to say that
a gate had been left unlocked and he had seen 'two of the delinquents
escape!' Fortunately they had been reassured by the office, but there has
always been a certain nervousness.
On another occasion, during a long, hot summer, our boys were delighted to
espy a neighbour sunbathing in the nude. They spotted her when they went to
retrieve a tennis ball that had strayed over the playground fence and into
our car park. It appears that when they bent to retrieve the ball near the
hedge where it had come to a halt, they were rewarded with an unexpected
eyeful. Obviously this was too good to waste and before I knew what was
happening all the boys were sharing the welcome bonus. Since they were still
on the unit's territory and on the other side of the lady's fence, there was
no question of trespass (except by the eyes). Nevertheless the neighbour
reported our boys to the office as perverts who were totally out of control.
There was no concession to the fact that it might not be wise to sunbathe in
the raw, in a tiny suburban garden, less then ten metres from a school for
adolescents, let alone those presenting behaviour problems.
Another time I received enquiries about why a police car had been on our
site. I was mystified since we had had a quiet afternoon with no visits from
the police. It later transpired that two elderly gentlemen at the Day Centre
had been involved in a disagreement about a game of cards and had set about
each other with their walking sticks prompting the manager to call the
police. When I related the story to our youngsters they were very amused and
viewed our elderly neighbours with increased respect!
In many ways the head of a unit takes on many of the roles of a caring
parent during the day. On the rare occasions that confrontations between
pupils, or between pupil and teacher occur, they are conducted in front of a
suspicious and prejudiced audience from the surrounding semis and other
local authority centres. The car park is used by all departments and we
share the site with not only a Day Centre for the elderly, but also one for
the mentally handicapped, plus a day nursery, and units for Adult Literacy,
home tuition and occupational therapy. Raised voices in our playground have
the same effect as the shout of 'there's a fight' during a school playtime.
Spectators suddenly appear.
I have to demonstrate that I am in control. I do this best by trying to
elicit information about the dispute from other pupils. If this is done
quietly enough everyone else has to be quiet so that they know what is going
on. By using this strategy the noise level is usually reduced and I am
able to say to one or the other of the individuals involved, or occasionally
both, that I can understand the anger. If it seems agreed that an injustice
has been done I will offer to sort it out myself. If tempers are very frayed
I might have to send a pupil home until the next day, but, to be fair, I
must make sure I send home the one who has started it, not necessarily the
one who is making most noise. It is better if, as often happens, all three
of our staff work together, so that two talk to each of the protagonists
individually and the third teacher occupies and listens to those not
involved. The important thing is that something is seen to be done, the
reason for the dispute is seen to be addressed, and the business is finished
during that session. If a fight is simply stopped and the pupils corralled
whilst still angry, no work is achieved and the trouble starts again outside
the unit at the end of the day, thereby fulfilling the neighbours'
expectations of 'that kind of teenager'.
Perhaps I am lucky. I have never been hit or caught in the cross-fire in 12
and a half years in this situation. I have only twice been aware of a pupil
being in possession of an offensive weapon. In both cases these were girls
who were swiftly disarmed, and their parents were called in. I think it is
important that pupils realise that we are very vigilant and aware of the
possibility of weapons; but more important is the knowledge that there are
strong adults in control, who apply a known set of principles and procedures
to every situation.
JANE LOVEY
Lovey, J. (1992). Teaching Troubled and Troubling Adolescents. London: David
Fulton Publishrs. pp.7—9
