ADOLESCENCIA: MATERNIDAD Y POBREZA

All students talked about this theme at length. They gave positive and negative descriptions of its impact, and sometimes they provided examples of both. POSITIVE

Students talked about three elements to the relationship being positive: 1. Familiarity

Three students talked about how just being used to a teacher helped study: … it's fine, you get used to all the teachers, you know what they are like, so you can have a decent like friendship or relationship, so you get used to everything (Jason, 42)

83 2. Positive teacher attitude

Three students reported that with some teachers they didn’t feel criticised or somehow inferior to other students for not understanding and this assisted learning:

Because she don't have a go at you if you're like struggling (Nicki., 207)

With Jason a positive teacher attitude also encouraged him to co- operate (78).

3. Teacher understanding of the way a student learnt

Four students talked about how, when teachers came alongside them to explain something in a way they might understand, this helped them “get it”:

and he says I'm doing well and even he said I just need that little bit more time to get something. (Jess, 276)

NEGATIVE

A lack of teacher understanding of a student was not helpful towards study and achievement in the following ways:

1. Behaviour

Jason responds negatively to any confrontational talk that challenges his behaviour, it has the effect of him withdrawing from work and/or putting his energy into a “battle” with the teacher:

but like there’s other things as well like when teachers have a go at you before, or something just goes wrong you’ll get quite annoyed with it

Okay

and you’ll just think, like, you can’t be bothered with it really.[ ] Like if you’re not doing your work or something they’ll probably call you immature [ ] or like they’ll say you need to start growing up and stuff like that

and that really gets you?

it gets most people angry, just like if we were to call them, say they needed to grow up they wouldn’t like it.. (140 – 148)

84

I find it interesting that Jason is very critical of himself too, perhaps it is too much for him to cope with when a teacher agrees with his own (and his families) perception of himself.

2. Learning

I became quite entwined in Alistair’s teacher pupil relationship issues. When he was brought to my interview room the head of inclusion, said in front of him, that she thought he would have some interesting things to say to me because he was really not into school these days. I referred to this interaction during our interview:

So Mrs H saying you’re not into school at the moment what did she mean?

I don’t know what she meant

Oh okay, that was news to you was it?... So school’s alright?

Yeah [50 -53]

I got the impression that Alistair’s withdrawal behaviour occurred when he did not understand and was often misunderstood as lack of interest (54 -57), indeed I misinterpreted Alistair’s behaviour myself later in the interview:

I don't know, because I don't get any of it, like one lesson I could do something, and then another lesson, like in practicals, I don't get none of that. Like when you've got to put stuff together that’s…

Yeah, you just muck around with things?

no I don't mess around I just put anything with anything to see if it works. (94 -96) The assumption that Alistair is “not into school” because he is not engaging in a task must seriously impact his learning and achievement. In hindsight it seems to me that this withdrawal is Alistair’s way of asking for help and for greater teacher input rather than less.

All three girls were affected in a similar way to Alistair when their lack of understanding affected their relationship with the teacher and they felt wrongly judged:

85

Not really, it's just like once they've explained it, they don't like explain it again and they'll just like have a go at you or something, for not listening. (Laura, 229)

The girls’ responses seem to be to internalise their anger or anxiety and try to work it out themselves or zone out (Jess, 179). Nicki, perhaps helped by her status as a new student seeks out other teachers to help her ( 294).

Although Bradley talked relatively positively about his teachers, saying some are alright, he said the least of all students about his relationships with teachers. His aim seemed to be to keep the relationship as minimal as he could, so as to avoid being noticed and challenged to work. His strategy of behaving well and not putting his hand up seems to work well:

Yeah because everyone else I'm with put their hands up so he probably doesn't get time to come to me [laughs]. (338)

Being largely unknown by teachers must seriously impact Bradley’s study and achievement.

4.2.2.1.3INFLUENCE OF PEERS