Apparently, somewhere along the way I’ve developed a look.
The look, so my class kindly inform me, is at its strongest when delivered over the top of my glasses with an inclined head and a raised eyebrow.
One young man assures me that in collective worship he can feel the look on the back of his neck – I say that’s his guilty conscience at work as I only use this superpower
a) when necessary
b) when I have eye contact with someone
When I started teaching the first deputy head I worked with had a ferocious look – I remember being impressed by her ability to stop trouble at ten paces with an arched eyebrow.
At the time as a naive NQT I didn’t think I could ever aspire to my own version of the look but it seems that somewhere along the way I’ve managed to perfect it.
The look can’t stand alone – it has to be built into your relationship with the pupils. If their behaviour and work ethic didn’t matter you wouldn’t bother.
I’m sure if I delivered the look to a random class that didn’t know me I’d just look like a crazed middle aged woman with a wrinkled forehead.
I’d like to think the look has nuances and isn’t the “emotionless, expressionless stare” that wikipedia describes.
Really?
Listen
Stop.
Don’t even think about it.
I hope that it also has a positive friendly counterpart
The look that says
Well done.
Keep it up.
Wow!
That’s great.
Don’t give up.
.