Monday evening: OK, this post will be very spontaneous and off the cuff, or off the floor maybe. Basically I just want to make the considered and astute observation that this new job of mine, this job teaching a passel of 7th grade boys, this noble and glorious return to the classroom that I blog and talk about endlessly now--THIS JOB IS KICKING MY BUTT!!
Some of these boys are calm and reasonably able to focus on the work. So far so good. But many of them are....not that way. These others seem to talk and move uncontrollably as if in the grip of some irresistible compulsion. Each period is a series of short 60 second bursts of purposeful activity followed by several minutes of quieting them down again. This process is repeated throughout the period, giving every activity a slow-motion quality that cuts my agendas in half. And leaves me exhausted.
To be honest, I have seen signs of progress, some indications that if I stay the course, insisting on their attention and their focus, I will gradually win them over. So of course I’m renewing my efforts daily and learning all I can from all sources (including, I hope, you, dear reader--please note the comment box below...).
Here’s my dilemma:
Is my difficulty the result of inadequate planning or technique or management on my part?
...or...
Is it the natural, rocky start to the process of gradually building a relationship with a group of students?
In other words, should the teacher come into the class with a complete plan to govern the students? or is a class more like a relationship that you enter into with general goals and principles and then see how it develops? I guess it’s somewhere in between. No matter how comprehensive the plan, the nature of the students will require flexibility, but it’s also true that more planning prepares the teacher for whatever comes.
ping-pong, yin-yang, give-take, yada yada yada
Anyway, I feel better now.
* * * * * *
I didn’t post the above right away, and now it’s Tuesday night. I went to a training today and there was a substitute for my classes. The training was about an online program the school has purchased that allows students to write and get some preliminary editing from the program. I think it will be good because it will encourage students to write on the computer (after all that’s how we all write now) and give them instant feedback that the teacher can’t really manage for a whole class. It encourages rewriting, since students can improve their rating from the program if they make improvements. Working on a computer is also very motivational in itself. Since we have a cart with 20 computers I think I will be able to make good use of this program. I feel confident that this program will help me engage these students in the writing process. I’m feeling better already, and my voice got to rest.
Then tonight was back to school night, and my mood has swung further in the positive direction. We have an interesting mix of students--mostly Hispanic but with groups of African-Americans, Bangladeshi, Koreans, and Filipinos. There was a good cross-section who came to the school tonight. One parent brought me a can of orange juice as a thank you for teaching her child. Another parent told me where I could get some Bangladeshi food. Many of the parents spoke little or limited English (sadly I am monolingual), and some of their sons interpreted.
I remember the feeling of meeting these parents like this. (For some reason they seem to be mainly parents of the better behaved students. I wonder if that's a coincidence.) The parents are so earnest and concerned and respectful it makes me feel like I need to work even harder. It makes me regret that I have allowed some unruly students to detract from everyone’s learning. I vow to work harder to justify these parents’ trust in me. How can I do any less?
And so it goes--up and down, back and forth, within and without. This job is still kicking my butt, but I guess I’m up to it after all.
Hang in there Jeff. Help is on the way. You can do it! Don't give up now.
ReplyDeleteJeff- I have enjoyed reading your entries. They are providing me a helpfull touchstone to understand and support teachers from day to day at YOKA-Thank You! Ed
ReplyDeleteI'm reading these an find them so evocative of the mental and physical exhaustion I felt back when I taught. It does kick your butt. Hang in!
ReplyDeleteLast year, my 8th grade classes kicked my butt. And I felt that while things gradually improved, I never set a tone in the beginning, and it was an uphill battle. This year, I am kicking their butts (figuratively, of course). I truly believe that so much of classroom management is confidence, planning, and the ability to (almost) never let them see you sweat. AND stick to your guns. If you say they must raise their hand to ask a question, ignore them if they don't. They will figure out that in order to get what they want, they have to give you what you want. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteWe all decided that part of our problem was being so used to our class the way it was at the end of June; we all knew each other, they were trained as to our requirements, etc. Another part of the puzzle is that kids (and adults, too, really) will try to get away with what they can until they are stopped. So each new class will have a certain percentage of kids who do this more than others. Some have the self-control not to take advantage.
ReplyDelete