ABSTRACT
There are many different teaching styles present in a school but two seem to have more status than others: those who bark orders
successfully and those who punish bad behaviour with tenacious sanction systems. The key thing about both groups is that they appear to be getting an instantaneous response from the pupils. When these teachers ask classes to be quiet, they are. When they admonish pupils in the corridor, they stand still and don’t back chat. When they walk into a classroom, pupils go silent. And this seems to happen in schools in the most difficult locations as well, though perhaps the time delay of response is a little greater; the dressing downs last a little longer and occur more frequently, but in essence the same happens.
