I will look into changing the colours when time permits.

Yes, behaviour management is long term in many ways, but sometimes that just is not possible – as in your case.

In these situations, it is often necessary to put on an ‘act’ and to be something that you may not be in normal life. Obviously, your looks, your voice, your dress – all have a lot to play in this area and it is a very individual scenario. i would recommend that you experiment and try different personae to see how each works.

Of course, the worrying factor here is that what works for one group of children, may not work for the next. You will probably need to have a few in stock.

I’m particularly interested in how to keep kids engaged in year 9 maths as a new student teacher. As a small, fairly quiet woman I am nothing like my supervising teacher who is a big guy with a booming voice and a very jokey manner with the kids. I found today that only about 1/3 of the class bothered to listen to what I said or do any of the work. I am of the opinion that classroom management is something that is a long term thing where the students grow to understand and abide by expectations. So how do I get it happening for me in just one lesson?