5,4,3,2,1 by Theo

Throughout my PGCE year I've seen all kinds of ways in which teachers control their students. By far and away the most common technique, which I've seen from Primary School to 6th Form, is the countdown. "Right I'd like everyone quiet and facing this way in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1." It usually works.

Nevertheless, I was somewhat sceptical when Kate started trying this with Rosie. After all she's only two and, if I get mixed results with my Year 9 class, I was doubtful it would work. But work it does - in Spanish as well as English - most of the time. "Yo voy a contar desde 5 a 0, y cuando estoy a 0 voy a cambiar tu panal" usually results in a truculent Rosie lying on the changing mat of her own volition by the time I get to 1.

I suspect, however, that the shoe is about to be on the other foot. Just this week Rosie has started saying, parrot fashion, "I'm going to count from 5 to 0, and when I get to five I'm coming to get you. 5,4,3,2,1,0. I'm coming to get you." It's very cute, but I reckon it won't be long before she starts saying to us: "Daddy, I'm going to count from 5 to 0, and I when I get to 0 you're going to give me more cake..."