naughty students

[miss tenderness]

This question is for both teachers and not teachers:
Assume that you have a naughty child or teenager in your class, keep laughing and throwing jokes. What are the procedures that you would take to solve such a problem that really distracts you and distracts the students' attention and accordingly hinder your lesson to go on smoothly. For me, I find it an unhealthy way to use threatening (by reducing marks or any other threat) or worst violence. Though thankfully I did not face a lot of this type of students but when I was put in such a sit, I would just throw a look of the I DID NOT EXPECT THIS FROM you sort! The good thing is that it works most of the time cuz a student feel that he was highly esteemed but he ruined his pic! If that doesn't work I would ask him to pass by me to discuss his behavior . I've just put my steps in the long way of teaching , I'm still have more to learn. That's why I'm interested in your theories and experiences .

[SleepyWitch]

I'm not a teacher yet, but have done a couple of internships teaching at schools and I do youthwork on a weekly basis...
if students are noise I'll just stare at them intently.. that usually sorts them out...
as for cracking jokes and stuff.. it depends on the students age and gender.. if they are boys anywhere from 8 to 16 they're probalby going through puberty and are trying to sort out the hierarchy... so some of their jokes might be a way of testing you... if you can reply to their jokes etc with better line they usually respect you from that moment on and don't try to give you sh*t anymore...
it's got to be a funny line that doesn't attack them personally, though.. it shouldn't be ironic or insulting either..... sometimes when my boys do something naughty to show off I'll just laugh and say something like "yeah, you're such a big gangster. come on, cut it out now".. surprisingly this has worked quite well so far
but I dunno about really disruptive students... some of them might be bored and need easier or more difficult exercises to keep them busy...

[Virgil]

Well, I remember that at one time I was one of those type of boys, disruptive and noisy. What they (and including me back then) need is a swift kick in the behind. Of course I'd be fired immediately. But that's why I couldn't be a teacher.

[ClaesGefvenberg]

I'm no teacher either, but I do perform some training within our company every now and then, and: surprise, surprise... Adults are not very different from children. They can be disruptive too, you know. They just go about it a bit differently.

so some of their jokes might be a way of testing you...

Testing you? You bet they do, and it's not only the boys either... Some girls in that age can be pretty aggravating too. Anyway, I recently visited my daughters school (4:th grade) for a full day, and some of the boys immediately decided to test me with some not so subtle pranks (then sneaking a look in my direction to see my reaction).

It was all I could do not to start laughing, but I soon coaxed them into talking about this and that, and it turned into a great discussion instead. As it turned out, all they really wanted, was to have someone listening to them, and I happily obliged.

/Claes

[Virgil]

As it turned out, all they really wanted, was to have someone listening to them, and I happily obliged.

/Claes

I prefer the swift kick in the behind method.

[miss tenderness]

lol virgil , I was also one of them but I was also very active and aways got good grades which make teachers tolerable and not harsh!

[Virgil]

lol virgil , I was also one of them but I was also very active and aways got good grades which make teachers tolerable and not harsh!

Luckily I got good grades too, but with boys they tended to be more strict. Boys can cause a lot of trouble.

[lavendar1]

Boys can cause a lot of trouble.

I'm pretty new to teaching, and last school year, one of my classes had 17 boys and 1 girl -- and since I'm an itinerant teacher of English (my word choice -- I don't have my own classroom), I found myself in a chem classroom with all those tables and glass things...it was challenging.

Bottom line -- I liked those kids. I learned early-on that they were kinesthetic learners (they loved the 'hands-on' stuff), and I indulged them as much as I could. "You care too much," they'd tell me. "We're dumb." (They were 'lower-level' students - many with ADHD and emotional problems.) But I didn't buy their self-labelling. Not for a minute.

When things got too bad (those raging hormones!) I'd have to ask them to leave the classroom; but, for the most part, we learned together. To me, that's what teaching is all about. And when the end of the year came, we parted company on good terms.

I believe in getting to know my students, in showing them that I care about them as human beings, and being tolerant -- hey, we all have bad days. When every day is viewed as a new beginning, kids usually respond in a good way.

[ClaesGefvenberg]

I prefer the swift kick in the behind method.

Well... I can't shun the method as such. I have been known to put my boot up peoples backsides on occasion. It is not exactly my first choice, but there are times when it becomes necessary.


/Claes

[rabid reader]

Having just graduated highschool last week I can say this much. Give some lee-way. If you rule with a Stalinist iron fist over the classroom you will lose a lot of respect and they will not listen to you.

The first day is the all important day, if you start out funny and athourtative the students will listen to you, but don't become their "favourite teacher" because that just means your a push-over and a "friend" more then a teacher.

If you are forced to kick students out send them to the office (where the principal or vice princapal dwell). My favourite class to this day was Drama because I could do anything and my fruity teacher would say, "Kyle, maybe you should go take a walk." or the ultamatium of, "Kyle you can go to the Cafeateria or the office, your choice. If I were you though I would chose the office."

I do not evy the job of a teacher but I had many enjoyable ones. I always like the etremly knowlegable and worldly teachers. They were easier to respect, but mostly |I thought teacher were more bullies who needed someone to push around after highschool, but maybe that was just my schools teachers.

[Shannanigan]

"You care too much," they'd tell me. "We're dumb." (They were 'lower-level' students - many with ADHD and emotional problems.) But I didn't buy their self-labelling. Not for a minute.

Good for you! I am not a teacher yet...but I am very much looking forward to becoming one, and I am still sorting out hypothetical situations such as this one, so I'm glad to see a thread about it. (In other words...thanks for all the ideas! )

Lavendar, I just saw that quote and I had to think about a book I read early this summer, called "True Notebooks" by Mark Salzman. He voluntarily taught a writing class in a juvenile detention center...and THOSE kids definitely felt the same way and were definitely hard to keep under control. Mark's tentative use of authority and strong use of conversation to keep the class on track really won the class over...and when he spoke at a convention I went to in April, he said he was still in contact with the kids through mail.

[miss tenderness]

Luckily I got good grades too, but with boys they tended to be more strict. Boys can cause a lot of trouble.

xactly ,my sisters's son tell me stories that he and his friends plot!! Awful ones , I'm sure if they were my students I would never be lucky to know how to deal with them or even bear the situation , like hanging pieces of paper on the teacher's back when he passes them or putting a plastic snake on the earth or at least sleeping when the lesson is presented. You know what is the worst thing girls can do? Mainly chatting or laughing and more worse chatting under the tables by writing small papers lol.

[miss tenderness]

Having just graduated highschool last week I can say this much. Give some lee-way. If you rule with a Stalinist iron fist over the classroom you will lose a lot of respect and they will not listen to you.

The first day is the all important day, if you start out funny and athourtative the students will listen to you, but don't become their "favourite teacher" because that just means your a push-over and a "friend" more then a teacher.

If you are forced to kick students out send them to the office (where the principal or vice princapal dwell). My favourite class to this day was Drama because I could do anything and my fruity teacher would say, "Kyle, maybe you should go take a walk." or the ultamatium of, "Kyle you can go to the Cafeateria or the office, your choice. If I were you though I would chose the office."

.

Rapid Reader(nice name by the way), nice participation. I agree with the part of being simple , down to student's level but not to the extent of making them crossing all limitations. Big congrats for ur graduation …you seem a very naughty student but very brilliant.

[ClaesGefvenberg]

Rapid Reader(nice name by the way)

Um... I hate to point it out, but the name was not quite "Rapid"... Close but no cigar Apart from that I agree: A great post, RR.

/Claes

[miss tenderness]

thanks to point this out Claes how r ur daughters by the way?