Daryn Simon’s Education Confessions in the Time Out Room – PP175

This week’s inhabitant of the Time Out Room with Mike Armiger is Daryn Simon. Daryn works in teacher training as well as working in schools. He tells us a little about his classroom philosophy as well as what he would change if he went back into the classroom. Daryn had his own experience of being put in a special kind of Time Out Room when he was in Year 9 and he remained there for the whole day. It was something to do with wearing the wrong kind of shoes. So perhaps he is the ideal candidate to interview in the Pivotal Podcast Time Out Room. Reflecting on what eventually persuaded him to leave the classroom – which he did love, Daryn said it was to do with the different priorities he sees in schools now. “…I just felt as though all I was trying to do was get pupils to pass an exam…it felt as if that was where the pressure was coming from.” Working with trainee teachers means that Daryn now has the opportunity to visit a lot of different schools which has given him a different perspective. Schools are under the same pressures everywhere and this can filter down to staff and then pupils as well. Some schools are better able to mange this than others, and that means some trainees get a better experience than others. On behaviour advice for his trainee teachers, Daryn points out that it’s tricky because the trainee has to live and work within the culture of the school they are in. He believes a lot of it comes down to relationships – build positive relationships and you will be off to a great start in behaviour. Daryn is also concerned by staff rooms and their sometimes negative effect on students. When staff are under stress, it is often vented in the staff room which can be very difficult for students. If Daryn went back into the classroom, he dosesn’t think he would change his classroom practice a great deal but he would  change aspects of his behaviour management and have more courage to challenge what he knows is wrong or not effective. If he could leave any educational theory or practice in the Time Out Room for ever, Daryl would leave the search for magic bullets in education. “…we are always trying to find the next ‘best thing’ the ‘what works’ in education whereas actually I see teaching as being far more complex than that.” Listen to the whole episode for more from Daryn. Daryn on Twitter Daryn’s blog Contains sounds from the following sources: storm door slam 02.wav by volivieri is licensed under the Attribution License birds chirping.WAV by fotis_p is licensed under the Attribution Noncommercial License. Bird Whistling, A.wav by InspectorJ is licensed under the Attribution License.