Teachers told to act like Clint Eastwood to gain respect

Teachers attending a seminar in Southern England on controlling behavior in the classroom were told that the key to success is to adopt an attitude similar to the one often seen in movie characters portrayed by American actor Clint Eastwood.

In the first of three seminars organized in Portsmouth and nearby Southampton by the local Kip McGrath Education Centre - there were only two seminars planned originally but demand led to a third seminar being arranged - 50 teachers were told by Jim Wood that an approach of what can best be described as "silent intimidation" will earn them the respect of their students. The News reports that Wood, the deputy head teacher (deputy principal) of a school in the area and a teacher trainer at the University of Southampton, told his audience:

The Arnold Schwarzenegger style of teaching is to be strong and shouty.

But most pupils say they love that. They find it entertaining because the teachers have lost control and they can see them going red in the face and their temples throbbing.

The most effective though is the Clint Eastwood style of teaching. In films, the really tough men are not ones with big machine guns. They're the ones who stare and quietly say "I don't think you want to do that".

There are times when you do need to shout. But good classroom management is about taking decisions. My instinct may be to shout. But if I stop for a second then I might think it would be better to use a quiet voice

Both the Daily Mail and the Press Association cite "Dirty" Harry Callahan, the fictional San Francisco cop Eastwood played in five movies made in the 1970s and 1980s, as the role model for teachers told by Jim Wood that "In the first 30 seconds of a new class" they should "stand quietly at the front looking at the pupils". He added:

It's intimidating. This is an important thing. The whole thing is an act. Treat the classroom as a stage

Linda Jones, a director at the center which has organized the seminars - Kip McGrath Education Centres has its headquarters in Australia and a presence in 20 countries around the world - explained why teachers so enjoyed listening to Wood speaking:

Jim is really exceptional. He covered various techniques and strategies for managing behaviour mainly for secondary school pupils.

His technique is about being non-confrontational, you do not get into an argument with the pupils, you steer away from the confrontation

Providing details of four of the "Top Tips" Wood suggests will help maintain discipline in the classroom The News also carries comments from two of the teachers who listened to him speak. Science teacher Jackie Westbury noted:

We have our difficult classes but we've found shouting doesn't work as you lose control. This was a valuable experience as it increases your repertoire of skills even after many years' experience

And language teacher Cathy Peters indicated that she already employs "Good long stares" and is now likely to use such techniques as the "slow walk".