Friday, August 25, 2006
the honeymoon is over baby
this week my classes started behaving badly
it seems to be something about me that kids think they can get away with anything. their last teacher i think must have been one of the best teachers ever, because it took them 2 weeks to revert to some bad habits and behaviours. i still don't have whatever it is that real teachers have that helps prevent kids doing stupid stuff.
my 8's began talking more and now when i stop everything to ask for attention to explain something, it takes longer and longer for all the students to leave their little world and focus on the lesson. this time i've started hammering them by making them do so much work that they now hate me and if they have time for talking then they won't get all the work done and so will have to stay back in their own time to finish. it seems to be a good start. i've also taken away their priveledges of sitting wherever they choose and they'll lose some more priveledges very soon if they don't improve. i hate making them do work for the sake of it but right now it seems to be the only way i can manage some of their behaviours. i'm sure there is a better way of doing it that i have not found yet. smaller classes would be a good start- 24 screaming 13yr olds is so many different personalities all vying for position and attention that one teacher can't provide for all. there is a compromise in finding the common denominator that causes some students to fall through the gaps, and others to miss out on great opportunities. it is an unfortunate situation. i have no solution. there has to be a way. suggestions welcome
it seems to be something about me that kids think they can get away with anything. their last teacher i think must have been one of the best teachers ever, because it took them 2 weeks to revert to some bad habits and behaviours. i still don't have whatever it is that real teachers have that helps prevent kids doing stupid stuff.
my 8's began talking more and now when i stop everything to ask for attention to explain something, it takes longer and longer for all the students to leave their little world and focus on the lesson. this time i've started hammering them by making them do so much work that they now hate me and if they have time for talking then they won't get all the work done and so will have to stay back in their own time to finish. it seems to be a good start. i've also taken away their priveledges of sitting wherever they choose and they'll lose some more priveledges very soon if they don't improve. i hate making them do work for the sake of it but right now it seems to be the only way i can manage some of their behaviours. i'm sure there is a better way of doing it that i have not found yet. smaller classes would be a good start- 24 screaming 13yr olds is so many different personalities all vying for position and attention that one teacher can't provide for all. there is a compromise in finding the common denominator that causes some students to fall through the gaps, and others to miss out on great opportunities. it is an unfortunate situation. i have no solution. there has to be a way. suggestions welcome
# posted by marvin @ 3:46 PM 
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Sorry things are getting tougher, I think that you just find that balance through trial and error and years of experience. You can't expect too much of yourself at the beginning! Keep perservering!
i don't know how long i can persevere. it may or may not be worth the years of trial and error. i'll see how it goes.
my personality is not one that works for managing crowds of people. i still can't yell loud enough. they don't listen to me unless i yell. i hate that.
my personality is not one that works for managing crowds of people. i still can't yell loud enough. they don't listen to me unless i yell. i hate that.
*hug* I can't imagine you yelling, but I'm sure you can do it, you just have to gather all your indignation at all the world's injustice and fling it at them in your voice. After all, what none of us realised at school, is we are the lucky ones, and we just piss it down the toilets. There are thousands of children who would die to get an education, children stuck in poverty, starvation, forced labour, forced prostitution. As a child in year 8 I was oblivious to the alternatives. So don't worry about yelling at them, it does them good to feel bad about things sometimes, it does them good to feel the sharp sting of authority. There is a world of oppression out there they'll never know of, give them a small taste.
i thought i could yell.
then the other day when i thought i was yelling and raising my voice, i said to my year 8s, "i don't want to yell again, take your seats" and someone goes 'you were yelling?' and everyone laughed. i don't have a good voice. anyway, you're right of course, who at the age of 13 would have even thought of anyone else beside themselves?
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then the other day when i thought i was yelling and raising my voice, i said to my year 8s, "i don't want to yell again, take your seats" and someone goes 'you were yelling?' and everyone laughed. i don't have a good voice. anyway, you're right of course, who at the age of 13 would have even thought of anyone else beside themselves?
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