This week has definitely been a tough week for me...and it's only a four day week. Students have been disruptive and rude, making this week the first time I've had to fight myself to not lose my pantience with them. In the past I've never been to the brink of getting visibly upset at my students. What's even worse is that I've found myself numerous times this week walking that tight line between in control and losing control.
I've been running scenarios through my head all week of what I could do better and how I could prevent this from happning; this meaning why are my students acting up so much and why do they not respond to my directions and prompts. There are a couple different ones that I've thought of but the one that truly stands out to me is the fact that maybe I should've been all business with the students for a longer period of time. I came in and took about a week or two before joking around and enjoying my time with them, maybe too much. I observed another teacher teach this past week with a set of students that I also have in class and they were completely different with him than with me. They didn't talk when they weren't supposed to, they were into the discussion that they were having and didn't need prompting to answer and were respectful to the teacher as well as each other. While watching him I kept thinking how great it is of this teacher to be able to have his students so engulfed in the discussion that they didn't have to blurt out and talk all the time. As well as having their attention, he joked around with them like a champ! He was funny, entertaining and you could tell the students liked that but when he expected them to be ready to learn they came through for him. Watching him like that made me want that. After I asked him how he could be so loose with them but expect so much and he flat out told me to give them expectations right away and hold to them. I feel as though I've done that but obviously not to the extent that demands the students full cooperation.
Something definitely to work on in the future!
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Hi Joel,
ReplyDeleteI agree with the teacher you observed. You must make sure that the students know what you expect. Give short, specific directions and make sure that the students are looking at you when you are talking. Praise the ones who are responding and behaving appropriately. Good Luck. You can do it. Kathleen Dyer