Apple for the Teacher?

[Charis alAslan]

So, I'm not a veteran teacher by any means. I've been teaching, and in youth ministry for over 6 yrs. But, I have been out of the official classroom for about 3 of those years, and have just this Fall returned. I teach 2 subjects - 7th grade Life Science and 6th/7th/8th grade Beginner's Chinese.

 

So, my issue is that I have 7 classes (over 150 students!! :shock: ) - 2 Life Science and 5 Chinese, and there are two particular classes that are driving me BONKERS! :x My 8th grade Chinese class is a pain in my derriere. They dont want to learn a thing! (Except maybe how to use Chinese to curse one another out! :roll: ) But, I've learned that if I keep them busy, they'll be pretty ok.

 

My biggest problem is one of my 7th grade Life Science classes. I dread having them come into my class. They dont pay attention, talk when I'm giving instructions, and have conflict after conflict with one another. My class is noisy and uncontrollable! What's a teacher to do??? Classroom management/Behavior modifcation incentive websites and textbooks can only go so far. I considered calling every single one of their parents this wknd. Perhaps I'll start by sending notes home. My admin is supportive, but so far I see this class getting away with rudeness with me and other teachers with little to no consequences! (This is not how I operate my day camp and classes - I'm all about the consequences.) HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have them 1st period Monday mornings!! They completely messed up their lab on Friday, and we'll have to re-do it again tomorrow.

 

It's a very bad thing when a teacher begins to dislike her students. :oops:

[JenniferL]

Do we have the same students? Because my seventh grade World Studies class makes me insane in exactly the same way.

 

What I'm doing, and its sort of working, is using Responsive Classroom techniques. I thought Responsive Classrooms was a bunch of hippy dippy hooey when they first trained me on it. But it actually WORKS.

 

The first step is to minimize ALL distractions, as much as possible. If there is something that sets them off, take it away. Make them earn it back. Even if it hampers instruction, take it away.

 

Second, start off every class with a Morning Meeting. The students sit in a circle facing each other. Every student must be in the circle, even if they decide not to participate. I'll only release a student if they are so obnoxious they hamper the meeting. The students have to play a Greeting Game, which is just a fun way of saying hello. Then there is a Group Activity, which is a team building game or discussion. Responsive Classrooms tells you to do a Sharing and a Reading, but I find those to be too elementary for middle school students. I try to get this done in twenty minutes.

 

Now, I use my homeroom time for this, so I'm not losing instructional time. But honestly, if your students are so disruptive that you are this frustrated, you're losing instructional time anyways.

 

I follow up with a Closing Circle at the end, where we reflect on our behavior. I ask them to do "Fill in the blank..." alot. "Today I showed responsibilty for my learning by...", "Today I showed respect for others by..."

 

The idea is that you are using these protocols to build a culture of mutual caring and respect in your classroom. You are holding the students accountable, not only to you, but to their peers.

 

Another Responsive Classrooms protocol that worked well for me is Positive Discipline. Create very simple rules. Mine are 1. "Practice Attentive Listening", 2. "Practice Mutual Respect", 3. "Right to Pass (on non-academic activities)" and 4. "Appreciation/ No Put Downs".

 

Have a chart where the students can see it, with everyone's name. On the first infraction, they get a reminder. It gets marked on the chart. On the second, you hold a class meeting to discuss the behavior and how to help this student behave the proper way. On the third, they have to write a page long reflection about they did, should have done, and will do next time. It goes home to be signed by the parents. On the fourth, they have to call their parents to discuss it. On the fifth, they go to the principal for the rest of the day.

 

The next day, everyone starts over. If anyone gets to three more than twice in a week, its an automatic parent conference.

 

I'm not using Positive Discipline this year, because my team decided not to implement it. However, I think it might help you out.

[Charis alAslan]

Wow! :shock: Thanks Mother! Those techniques do sound workable. I decided that I wouldnt do the lab tomorrow, but just spend the period implementing as much of this as possible. (42 mins to try to re-vamp my classroom environment. :roll: ) I cant do it exactly, since I only have a half-classroom with no rugs and 3 sets of 10 desks clumped together to fit all the kids, but I'll do my best.

 

Wish me luck! :?

[JenniferL]

I have a nice cozy rug I hold Morning Meeting on. We sit on the floor. But you can sit in chairs you pull up, or even stand if its going to be fast. As long as you face each other, and everyone feels like part of the group.

 

And let them know its their behavior that made them not do the lab. Kids like hands on, so they'll feel the loss, even if they use that time to screw around.

[U4ea]

You could try something off the wall and offer them choices in labs. Alter the lab in some way and rotate them around so they test everything. Yeah, it's Kindergarten, but... that's what they're acting like, so... *shrugs*

 

I was having BIG problems with mine, too. The same problems you're having, to be honest. I started doing centers every day and have cut the amount of crap I deal with down to almost nothing. They move more, which is what they want, they have a little freedom to chat, but not enough to get into trouble and they pay attention better in smaller groups than they will with a whole-class discussion.

 

Just an idea...

[Charis alAslan]

Actually, Lor - that's a wonderful suggestion! Only problem is I'm not in a Science room, b/c I'm not primarily a Science teacher. I'm a Chinese teacher. My room is a small half-sized room with very little furniture other than 32 desks crammed into 3 sets of 10 and 2 isolated for trouble-makers. :roll: There's no lab in my room, but labs have to be done in the room. And regular lessons, of course. I think it's just me, honestly. Having been the Director of out of school time programs the last 3 yrs, I'm the last and most terrifying resort for the kids. Now, I'm back to being the teacher, and there's a hierarchy above me of discipline. I havent practiced classroom management myself in quite some time, and right now it's really ruining my classroom environment. :oops:

 

But, what I did do was have them write reflections on how they were doing in Science, and I wrote individual notes to their parents in their daily planners. I didnt have them today b/c of practice exams, and I dont have them on Wednesdays anyway, so we'll see what happens on Thursday. If there's still a problem - (and I have them for a double-period, so there's tons of potential for problems!) - I'll start calling homes. :roll:

[F Horn of Valere]

so how did class go today and yesterday? Did Kath's ideas do their magic?

[Charis alAslan]

sorry, Frenchie! we posted simultaneously! :lol: check post above! :)

[JenniferL]

My stuff isn't magic. It takes weeks to get anywhere. But I see the difference between my classes that have Morning Meeting and my classes that don't.

[U4ea]

Actually, you can apply any of that to a regular classroom. When school started this year, I had 39 students in a room that wasn't big enough to hold 30. had to cram kids and desks in everywhere and I went home bruised from bumping desks every day.

 

Try the group thing, anyway, if you feel froggy one week. The first day will be noisy, just expect that. By the second day, they'll get the hang of it and actually like the different atmosphere. The hardest part for me is coming up with different ways of doing the same thing, but it's SOOOO worth it, in the end!