I live in 🇨🇦 and work as a student support worker which means I work with students with behaviour issues and/or academic issues. I used to work as a sub in over 25 schools, then I took a position in a downtown “inner” city elementary school and am now a few blocks away at a high school.
From what I have observed, yes parents can be a huge part of the issue, but students will adjust their behaviour if admin has an expectation for the whole school. Also, teachers have to set the tone for the class immediately, not a month later. The expectations have to also be written down somewhere the students can see and be consistent at all times. Once you let a student get away with something you have lost control.
I have worked in one classroom where the class is quiet and the students are working, I go next door and it’s complete chaos.
I can predict what teacher will leave because they can’t take it.
In my old school, I warned a brand new teacher what he needed to do, but he didn’t listen. He thought he could be everyone’s friend. The week before I left, he would come find me and ask me to leave my student because one of my students would be under their desk and he didn’t know what to do. Other kids would be throwing shoes around. We all know he will be leaving at the end of the year.
I feel you have to invest a lot of time and energy at the beginning but it can pay off at the end. I use a soft and firm approach with a sense of humour. Some students hate me at the beginning but that changes not long after.
I know that is a lot more challenging with a whole class but one of my favourite math teachers does that at my current high school.
That’s my two cents.