New Teacher/Classroom Management
Hi all. I'm a new teacher (a mid-year leave replacement) who started teaching ELA 7 at the beginning of 2004 (just a week and a half ago, although it seems much longer). Of course, I'm struggling to do it all in a class period or even in a day, but my biggest challenge, by far, is classroom management. I didn't think I would be this bad at it because while I had some problems during student teaching, it seemed like I had overcome them. I'm teaching in one of the schools where I student taught, and my old students—8th graders—seem truly happy to see me back (which feels good). Problem is, now I'm teaching 7th grade. I didn't realize the difference in maturity at that age!
My colleages are urging me to have patience and that it will get better, that the first year of teaching is the hardest (esp. since I'm coming mid-year) but I just feel I keep screwing up and digging myself into a bigger whole. I've tried to take the advice of others and each day I enter the class with renewed conviction that I can be firm and not let students take advantage of my status as new teacher). They complain about the homework as if it's all my fault. although some of the biggest assignments are semester-long and were put into place by my predecessor (who was put on emergency bedrest and wasn't able to properly get the students ready to accept me).
Today I had to give 4 students time out (send them to the deans). I can't have that be my only form of discipline but giving them zeros for classwork or offering extra credit for good work habits has not been motivating to the most difficult students. I have given out lunch detention (tho' it's more a torture to me than it is to the students) only to have students insist they have to see another teacher or just not show up. After several warnings of misbehavior, I say I will call parents, but for most students, this threat, even when followed through, doesn't have an impact if I can't do it then and there. I don't have my own room (and traveling makes this all even harder) so today when I tried to call a parent with the student, I couldn't because I didn't know the phone code! When I did reach the mom, she told me to call right from class and she would try to help.
I can't even officially say that I'm their teacher for the rest of the year, because the other teacher hasn't given her notice for leave. I seem to keep falling into their traps of defending myself, when I know I shouldn't have to. I have told them that I am their teacher and they have to answer to me and to do my assignments. I gave them a classroom plan that I adapted from someone on the old NCTE listserve, because I thought it set the ground rules and let them know I'm here and I mean business (not just another sub—and they've had a few). I am at wits end, and although it is therapeutic to type this all out, I should be doing my lesson planning, since I spend all my "free" planning time making phone calls to parents. At least most of the parents (those I've reached) have been supportive. Well, I'm sorry to vent for so long, but I appreciate any advice you can offer. Thanks.
Response: You sound like me my first year..although I only had to travel between two school buildings, and the 9th graders were my terror group. 7th graders are a pain, esp. if you were prepared for the older group...One of my friends started that way, and she finally came to terms with the kiddies by realizing they were kiddies (does that make sense?). She used the multiple intelligence ideas and had various components to each assignment, like acting, drawing, speaking, and models in addition to the writing and reading. Literature circles worked for her...I tried them after the kids I had all found books they liked at the book fair in February.
She also kept them busy...even if it was making door decorations for other teachers (had to have a book theme). One thing I remember was setting a consistent schedule. Are you on block? We used DOL (sentences with lots of grammar and spelling errors..books are available from www.greatsource.com better to use student writings if available) at the start of class b/c it gave them a chance to help each other find sentence errors, get out of seats, move, play with markers/chalk. Takes a bit of time if on hourly schedule, though. And of questionable help...but a nice routine the kids will even do by themselves...A good one was the Got'cha series with funny stories.
Instead of lunch detention, how about privilege passes? Reward the good behaviors? I made some up for a free water/bathroom run, or one in-class food, or a no-homework, or even just bonus points. Non-transferable, of course.
I am just thinking of stuff I tried, and my friend tried. She even had story time on the floor...give them reading time on the floor, or even writing time ...She had one story with food, so they had a party at the end. For expository writing, they played soccer, then wrote about how to play soccer.
THE BIGGEST THING....don't give up. I subbed my first year with a class (es) and I just kept plugging at them with the content they needed. No homework? Make them work harder in class time...even keep them after, perhaps. It will get better NEXT year, and writing about it does help. I read every classroom management book AMAZON.com sells....Fred Jones helped a lot, among others. Hit the content you have to cover, and plan as much as you can ahead...and grab all you can from the lists on ncte. Maybe sent letters home each week? Invite parents to sit in? A no work assignment sheet, where the student fills in why they didn't have the work, date and sign it, then have one more day before it must be in. Then you have more evidence for parents to see (they helped a few of mine)
You will always have the "I won't do it" types...refer them to the counselor? keep calling parents. Keep them really busy and spring semester goes by really fast. Good luck.
Response: Positive Classroom Discipline by Fred Jones—it's a wonderful, logical painfreemapproach to discipline. It works on the worst of classes. It has saved my sanity for years. I took training and am a trainer for my corp, but you can get the idea from the book.
Response: Thanks for your suggestions. Our classes are 50 minutes, and it can be like pulling teeth just to get the students to do the do now. It's supposed to take 5 minutes and it ends up taking 1/2 the class. Consequently, I get frustrated at getting nothing done in class. I tell them we should be able to start the homework during class time if they'd just get down to work quickly. Tomorrow, I'm changing the seating chart, so hopefully that will help.
Since giving zeros produced no change in the biggest offenders, I offered reward points (extra credit) and possibility of free time/parties etc. when they complete assignments without fuss or even bring in all of their supplies. But I think I'll take your suggestion and actually make up a "PRIVILEGE PASS." because maybe they'll feel like it's more of a real thing if they can hold on to it. Thanks.
Response: I've been involved with BTSA (a new teacher/mentor program) in California for the last 5 years. I've worked with 6 different brand new teachers and watched them struggle to gain confidence. A couple of things I've noticed....
Be consistent. Refuse to talk over them if they are speaking. Wait. It may seem like too much time is going by, but simply wait. Wait, wait and wait. They need to know that you simply won't do it their way.
Another thing that I can't emphasize enough, recognize the people who are doing what you want them to. If you ask them to get out their books, recognize those people who do what you ask, "Susie has her book out. Great!" Kids want recognition, good or bad. How you give them that recognition is your choice.
Noticing appropriate behavior keeps your stress level down and verbalizes the types of behavior you want to encourage. What you'll probably also notice, (which many new teachers have a problem seeing,) is that most students will do what you ask. However, the misbehaving students stand out more.
Finally, try to deal with issues outside the classroom. Before class, or after. Giving students a public forum feeds on itself.
Hang in there. You're gaining a valuable experience. As a first year teacher, you aren't expected to be perfect. You're learning. Try to find a support system at your school or district. The support of a veteran teacher to talk to could be a great encouragement. Take care.
Response: "They complain about the homework as if it's all my fault." I've only three and a half years under my belt, but one thing that has worked for me with students who complain is to answer their complaint with an agreement to meet with them personally to discuss the complaint and options. I schedule the meeting for homeroom or right after school. I've yet to have a student make the meeting. This method ends the discussion in class, which is important. I think that way I've respected all the students who are not complaining by not wasting their time. I've also let the complaining student know that classtime is not the time to discuss such matters.
"although some of the biggest assignments are semester-long and were put into place by my predecessor" Will you be in place until the end of the year? If so, it's your classroom. If you want to ditch the semester-long assignment left by the other teacher and replace it with one that you can support, do so. I would.
More advice? Focus on the kids who are complying with your requests and the school/classroom rules. Once you take a step back, you'll realize that they are in the majority and are probably just as fed up with the others as you may be. Another idea is to ask the dean or another teacher to come and visit your now and then in the classroom to see if they have any specific ideas that work. I tried that my first year and it did help.
I'm off to school to start my day. Each day, you'll feel more confident; that helps!
PS: You're so right about the level of maturity differences between 7th and 8th. I teach six sections of 8th-grade English and one section of 7th-grade French each day. I literally have to pause and remind myself I'm teaching a younger group before my French class. If I forget, my expectations are in the wrong place. I frequently thank the 7th-grade language art teachers for (1) being 7th-grade teachers and (2)training those little guys so well!
Response: I do Do Nows also, though I am teaching math this year to 6th graders. I started collecting the Do Nows this week, reading them and returning them the next day with comments, questions, etc. (This after reading a post on another middle grades listserv.) I only give the kids 5-7 minutes to do them. Of course, I had been giving them 5-7 minutes before but I was not enforcing the time. Now that I am it has been a great change for all of us.
My Do Nows used to take 20 minutes or so, now they take a lot less time and everything else seems to fit in so much better! I also find that by reading the Do Nows I can address some of their misunderstandings the next day in class. Of course, I have 19 students so collecting these, reading them, and commenting on them every day is more manageable for me than for others of you that have many more students than that! Yet, there may be a way to do a variation on this by collecting them and doing a random reading of just a few of them every day. The kids would never know if you'd be checking theirs or not so they'd have to hand them in every day anyway. Just a thought.
Response: One of the things I've done when talking gets out of control and I've warned them to settle down is to "watch the clock." If they continue talking for 15 secs (or whatever) I keep them that exact amount of time when the bell rings and tell them I'm NOT writing passes. If they're going to waste my time, I'll waste their passing time. Once they see I mean it and have to sit up to 30-45 seconds after the bell, they get the message quickly, They know that when I begin to stare at the clock, they'd better quiet down right away. Another technique we've used in our school is if one student is particularly disruptive, (and sometimes you find that separating two or three people is all you need for the rest to settle down) we send one of the students to a neighboring classroom that is NOT their grade level. A 7th grade student is very uncomfortable in a 9th grade class. In addition, a 9th grader doesn't like being in a 7th grade class. This works very, very well.
Response: You might also want to use the basic Responsive classroom behavior management plan..
1. Warning (say "This is a warning")
2. "Break Time" (grown up version of time out). Done in a matter of fact way, i.e. "Take your work to the break time seat." They come back on their own and then you reflect with them when it is convenient for you.
3. Send to a pre arranged buddy teacher for the remainder of the class. You send a kid to get the buddy teacher and s/he removes the child from your room.
4. Send out of room to an administrator only for severe things, not as a routine practice
Say what you mean. Your cues should be
1. Remind me what you need to do...
2."You need to...Look critically at your seating. Physical arrangement can get rid of almost all of the issues in a class. Put the desks in a different configuration. Smile and be respectful to them all, but follow through on what you need to do. Arrange to meet "privately" with students who question you. Start class with a quiet routine of whatever you like. I use SSR, Word of the Day, or Free Writing. Plan several activities for each class, especially if you have a Block schedule. Give them a 2-4 min. break in the middle to stretch and talk. Let them drink in class; most kids are dehydrated. Use sitting on the floor (rug) or other area as a reward place for silent reading or doing some writing on a clipboard. Post your daily agenda of activities, so they know what to expect. Also post your homework and have them write it in their planner before the opening activity. Walk around with a clipboard while they are doing this to note who is missing their book, pencil, materials.
Greet each student at the door by name and say good morning (or afternoon). These are just a few things that help you build a community with the kids. Keep at it. People naturally don't like change and getting a new teacher in the beginning of the year is really hard for kids.
Response: Thanks to all advice—your ideas already helped me. Thanks to a snow day yesterday, I entered school with renewed conviction today and was pleasantly surprised. I had already planned to change seating and I did so, ignoring the complaints rather than answering them. The students I had sent to time out on Wednesday were much better behaved and the classes progressed more smoothly. I tried the positive reinforcement—"good, amanda, you're writing the homework in your agenda"...and got the "Ms. Hartman, I'm writing in my agenda" so I could already see the benefits of this philosophy. Those students who still were most resistant, I pulled aside and talked to them privately, hopefully taking them out of the spotlight they enjoy. A lot of my chatty kids were still chatty, but most were separated from their best buddies and so it was less of a problem. I still need to figure out what to do with one class with a group of boys who are now spread around the four corners of the room but don't think there is any problem chatting across the entire class (it's in a u-shape—and it's someone else's room). I realize there will be ups and downs, but it was nice to have an up for a change. Keep sending those great ideas and I'll promise to try 'em.
PS. I'm buying a timer this weekend!
January 2004
Related Information:
Creating Classroom Community—Hearing from Middle Level Teachers
Creating Classroom Community (Middle)
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