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My first day in teaching grade ten was a real failure :blush5::blush5:
Students were completely out of control , not all of them , but I have some bullies who spoiled the whole things .:crazy:
Fifty mnts have passed without doing sth serious .
Do u have any recommendations plz ?
This is my first experience in teaching . What could we do with such kind of students ?
At the beginning of class, take a large book in your hands. Hold it high over your head. Slam it down on the desk as hard as possible. Have a wild look in your eyes. Throw the book against the wall. The troublemakers will want to avoid aggravating you if they think you are nuts and you may hurt them!
Or, Plan B, just stare at them in the eyes and remain silent for as long as necessary. Tell the other students that today's assignment is to describe childish behavior exhibited by teenagers. Tell them to use examples. Say this without looking away from the disruptive kids. Then have the bad ones read the responses aloud to the whole class.
As a disruptive student I can say that this will not work. We had a teacher in Year 9 who did this and it never made us muck about any less.Quote:
Originally Posted by JJLogan
[QUOTE=JJLogan;1241662]At the beginning of class, take a large book in your hands. Hold it high over your head. Slam it down on the desk as hard as possible. Have a wild look in your eyes. Throw the book against the wall. The troublemakers will want to avoid aggravating you if they think you are nuts and you may hurt them!
hhhhhhhhhhhh am the last person who could do this, and if I did they wouldn't believe me . Actually , the big boss in the class wanted to sit next to me, and I din't mind it . My daughter told me this is bad mom . They need attention and in doing so u're giving them what they need . You should IGNORE them. As she said even shouting at them is a reward .
Or, Plan B, just stare at them in the eyes and remain silent for as long as necessary. Tell the other students that today's assignment is to describe childish behavior exhibited by teenagers. Tell them to use examples. Say this without looking away from the disruptive kids. Then have the bad ones read the responses aloud to the whole class.
I don't think embarrassing them in from of the class will work either. I thought I should capture their attention by using only visual and auditory materials. They hate their books and they're right ,you sell English language books per pound and we buy :) This generation worships the screen . If it's up to me , I won't use books .
I taught on the University level. I waited 'til no one was entering the room. I used to walk in, open my briefcase and make the gestures of pulling a 45 out of the briefcase. Aiming at the air, I pushed the top of the gun back and put one in the chamber. Then I made the click sounds of pulling back the hammer. Then I looked at the class. It had become quiet. I told them my name and delivered a short speech. "I'm the teacher and you are the students. If you have a problem with this, get out now, because later I will shoot you." Many people applauded. Every semester my Department Head insisted I stop doing that. I never did.
The way to deal with nasty yobs (Oops! Sorry ! I meant children from deprived and broken homes etc. etc. ad infinitum ) is to use the iron fist first and then reason and, if that fails, resort again to the iron fist. Anything else is wishful thinking that will damage the chances that the rest of the class will learn anything.Quote:
Originally Posted by wrc
But they kept you on payroll? Your Department Head should be sacked.Quote:
Originally Posted by wrc
Emil, is that your suggestion based on your long years of experience working with students?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scheherazade
No it's based on several years of being a pupil in a school where the toughest teachers were able to
control the fractious elements and the softies were not.
The very first impression is crucial. I remember in school there was a new teacher who when he first came into the room had a furious expression on his face, the class instantly fell silent. Of course, he had to keep it up, and he did so very effectively.
My language teacher was tormented because all it was a sport to mess around, run all over her with no consequences. My geography teacher was TERRIFYING without ever raising her voice, and we were afraid to even cough! Here's how she did it:
1. Walk inside the classroom. People sit down. "I didn't say anybody could sit down. Stand up." Class stands up.
2. For the entire class, all she did was dictate the 'classroom rules' that were posted above the blackboard. That's it! Not a single bit of geography. We were so tired from standing but couldn't do anything. When the lunch bell rang, she said "noone can go. This lesson's not over". After about 10 minutes, we were allowed out.
I tell you, noone dared try anything mischievous with her. I was actually so scared that I didn't do geography once it became voluntary, even though I never actually go in trouble by her. In retrospect I understand why she did what she did.
And never tell the class that you're new to teaching or it's your first day...
Another great trick of one of my teachers was to make all the kids sitting at the back to come sit at the front; all the front students sat at the back. I think it's a pretty universal phenomenon that rascals sit at the back of everywhere: classrooms, buses, movie theatres, and they hate sitting at the front because they're under closer scrutiny and it makes them feel weaker because sitting at the back is part of their tough-guy persona.
A more extreme form is to make a troublemaker stand in the front or back corner of the room for the entire lesson. Maybe even the next lesson to show your'e really serious. I experienced that in preschool and it's still one of my only memories from that age.
1965: I can't remember that far back.
I wouldn´t follow the advice quoted below on any account, specially if you live in a country where it is easy to get/buy arms. Today people take everything literally. I would seek advice with my peers from the same school. All of them have had their first day in the classroom.Quote:
Originally Posted by wrc