If you are soon to start working in a secondary school, then you may wonder how you are going to go about gaining the respect of the pupils. It may have been that you have previously worked in primary schools and teacher in secondary schools can be quite different. Pupils will often tend to me more of a challenge when they are older, and you need to ensure that you get the balance right from the off. You want to be approachable but also ensure that they know you have the authority.
This can be hard to do and you may find that you have to change your teaching style. It is usually better to go in stricter than you want and intend to be and then lighten up over the coming months and weeks. If you start off being too soft you may find it harder to get them to do what you are asking later on down the line. Some students may take advantage and see you as a bit of a pushover.
If you find that it is just one or two pupils that are causing your trouble, then you may wish to take them to one side and speak to them on their own about their behaviour.
