ABSTRACT
In any lesson there is some potential for pupil disruption. In recent years, the growth of mixed-ability teaching, often necessitating group work, has increased that potential. Teachers today are therefore more vulnerable to time-honoured ploys, which children have always used to gain distraction from their work. The four main sources of friction are characterised by Francis (1975) as noise, equipment, movement and chatter. None of these sources, by themselves, are a major challenge to the teacher’s authority, but each if wrongly handled, can develop from a minor irritation into a major confrontation.
