ABSTRACT
Rudeness is hard to define and can take many forms. Here we are talking about direct swearing at teachers/other staff or making unpleasant personal comments. A muttered covert expletive in reaction to a situation is probably not worth the emotional investment and may be best ‘not heard’. The use of profanities is now common in both family life and the media, so this is less about the words used than the intent of disrespect. This is an area in which many teachers seek immediate and strong retribution. Although understandable, this does little to develop the language and behaviour acceptable in school. A teacher’s dignity is not maintained by the exclusion of students who most need to be in school. This behaviour (along with others) may need a slow drip of intervention, but as this takes time teachers will need to feel supported as part of a whole school approach.
