Ted Wragg, professor of education at Exeter University, answers your professional problems, big or small, every week. Ask him for advice - or offer some of your own - by writing to: Dear Ted, Friday magazine, Admiral House, 66-68 East Smithfield, London E1W 1BX.Or email: dear.ted@tes.co.uk

Ted says

Two-thirds of the teaching profession is now over 40, which means that most

teachers have been teaching for at least 20 years. The danger is that, when we are older, we become more critical of behaviour we might have tolerated, coped with more easily, or been more philosophical about, when we were in our twenties. If you look at “fly-on-the-wall” documentaries of 30 years ago, like The Space between Words, which showed an English teacher struggling with a class of reluctant teenagers, children may actually have become more focused. The social polarisation caused by league tables may have pushed more badly behaved children into less favoured schools.

Nonetheless, bad behaviour robs children of their opportunities to learn. A 1960s study of inner-city schools in the United States showed that some teachers were spending up to three-quarters of their time trying to keep order, which doesn’t leave too much over for learning their stuff. First and foremost it is important to have activities which grab and then hold children’s attention. There is much more competition from television nowadays; presenters such as David Attenborough are supported by multi-million pound budgets and the finest wildlife photographers on the planet - a touch richer than a school’s resources. In cartoons the image changes every few seconds, so younger children may be less easily held by long-winded presentations.

Research into classrooms offers a few more clues. “Nipping in the bud” is preferable, as some of the worst events have been allowed to escalate unchecked. Consistency in the application of classroom and school rules is another, otherwise children test the limits, trying to find out what is and is not permitted by trial and error - very wearing. Talking to them individually, away from the arena, can help. It is also worth developing forms of self-discipline, as these will benefit them most in adult life.

You say

Today’s naughtiness is tomorrow’s prank

I’m not sure that it is more difficult. Most of us only need to think back to our own schooldays. Did those things really happen? I mean, didn’t we all have a teacher who ruled the class with a rod of iron? Who slapped us around a bit? It didn’t do us any harm, did it?

It’s how we deal with the issue of bad behaviour that has changed. We discuss it. We hold meetings. We write things down and keep records. We try to be rational and adult. But don’t get behaviour out of proportion. Dealing with it comes with the job; it has always been with us. So keep a sense of perspective. Today’s naughty behaviour is merely tomorrow’s remembered prank.

Peter Wilson, Cardiff

Introduce a set of tariffs

People’s expectations have changed. Parents are more likely to question any disciplinary measures you might take. Certainly they seem more prepared to support their kids, come what may. You must remain focused on any incident, not upon the person who did it. You need to make sure that all incidents are dealt with in the same way. Think about having a set of tariffs for offences so that you can be sure you are seen to be even-handed. Document everything and keep it. Make sure you follow the school’s established disciplinary procedures and always refer incidents onwards and upwards.

Anonymous, email

Committed teachers will always win through

Yes, it is more difficult to teach nowadays, because teachers (like doctors and policemen) are not accorded the respect they were given years ago. Teachers have to prove themselves, to both children and parents. This is not a bad thing, because a teacher who is interesting, lively, fair and genuinely enthusiastic about working with young people will win through. The ethos of the school is crucial, though; in a good school the senior managers will be supportive and the staff will be working in harmony. Given this, problems with children will be minimal. But poor behaviour should never just be accepted. If you’re a capable teacher and mechanisms for dealing with really difficult children aren’t firmly in place, you should look for another school.

Primary deputy head, Loughborough

Bad parenting breeds badly behaved pupils

Next year will be my 40th year of secondary school teaching, so I believe I’m qualified to comment here. Yes, student behaviour has deteriorated. It’s not that we didn’t have naughty children in the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties; we did, and a few were extremely badly behaved. But there was not the widespread contempt for authority, the general lack of respect for others, the pent-up anger, the willingness to be defiant, unco-operative and uncompliant, that is now becoming the norm in many schools.

Having said that, I recently started work in an all-girls’ school where the students are keen to learn, polite, well motivated and a pleasure to teach. What makes the difference? I hesitate to say it, but they come from good homes, have educated and sensible parents, and the school has strong, traditional management. We have created an “us and them” society which is reflected in our schools.

Colin Henry, email

* Coming up: unequal pay

“I’m head of chemistry in a successful 11-18 school that is having recruitment problems. I’ve been told that two new heads of biology and physics will be on a higher scale than me; it’s been made clear that I may, in 2003, be given the same scale points only if my A-level results are better than last year. Is this fair?” What do readers think? Email dear.ted@tes.co.uk