Job Discussion Forums

[schely10]

Please give me some advice on how to behave towards the students.

I'm coming from teaching 3 1/2 years in an inner city middle school in baltimore. The advice I was given as a brand new teacher without a degree in education was to be as mean as possible, not even to smile because that is a sign of weakness. This was very difficult for me becuase I am a very friendly person who ALWAYS smiles. But, they were right. I started teaching in january of 2001. The students told me that they were going to run me out just like the previous 3 teachers they had had between sept - dec. Needless to say, that was the most difficult 6 months of my life(but I survived )!! The following school year, I did exactly as the seasoned teachers suggested. As a result, each year has been easier and easier (because I have become meaner and meaner ). The students respect me and I have very few behavior problems in my class. Would it be necessary to continue with this management style there? How should I approach my students there?

[moonraven]

It depends on the age of the students--and also on what you mean by "mean"!

If you are teaching little kids, you should be relatively strict, but friendly. Junior high kids here will always "measure" the teacher--beginning the first day. I am usually pretty strict at first, and intervene the first day on any disruptive behaviors--"Ah, you want our attention; come up in front next to me for the rest of the class where you'll get plenty of attention."...etc. If you are strict at first the kids will respect you, settle down and work--and you'll have a cast of thousands of loyal fans.

High school kids are pretty much the same as Junior high, but have less energy--so you don't have to stay on top of them as much--but they aren't as much fun.

I've never found any discipline problems with students 18 and older--although some teachers have complained that university students are like junior high kids, I have found them only to be like junior high in their academic levels--not in behavior.

The main thing to realize is that most of these students have received a canned bla vla bla approach from their other teachers--so a teacher who views the educational process as DIALOG, instead of monolog, is new for them. It also allows you to discover new territory with them--and that's exciting!

[schely10]

When I say mean, I include the following:

Not smiling
assigning after school detention
assigning a detention assignment
detention + phone call to parents

[moonraven]

Hmmm. I always smile--and my sense of humor often takes the pain out of reprimands, but not their meaning.

Here in Mexico, I have called in a lot of parents of junior high age students--not somuch in a confrontative way but to set in place mechanisms for working together. In at least 90% of the cases the parents have been very willing to get in the trenches and take appropriate action. We have worked together to implement behavioral contracts, changes in diet, medications, glasses and habits at home, testing for special needs, monitoring of homework, etc. Parents and students have been pleased with the results.

In one school we implemented a detention system-- for the 2 recesses-- which was efective, as students were required to be working on homework or other projects--or reading--some foundit a useful time out during their day. I found that when I announced that a student had just won a special trip, laughter broke out in the classroom and he/she knew a detention slip was winging his/her way. I did not have to give out many slips, as the kids were usually too busy working on projects, or staging debates, or writing and presenting plays, or we were in the library or the computer center doing research. If kids are REALLY busy they don't usually act out. In one group I had two very bright ADD kids (I was an ADD kid, as was my brother, so I know how that is)--we worked out a system that if they were having a bad day when I arrived late in the morning to teach them they would advise me and they would take their desks outside on the balcony or next door in the guitar room and would work together quietly, then return to present their results--they both won all-school prizes for storytelling, speeches and research presentations--none of which were judged by me. Finding out WHY a kid is acting out--maybe his dad just lost his job and is at home cracking the whip (which warrants talking to the parents about stress and anxiety management)--or maybe the kid is not handling his parents' divorce well--it can be anything, but if you are a teacher who is in constant dialog mode you can sort it out with the student and the family.

[ls650]

[Flo]

"Wow - I'm glad I'm teaching here and not there!"

I used to teach in an inner-city high school in the United States. It was one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever had. The only reason I left was because it was a time in my life when I had the opportunity to travel abroad (I'm in Peru). I hope when I return to the States I can get a job that is just as satisfying.

[Punter]

Moonraven, can I join your class? Sounds like you have a great approach. Where in Mexico are you teaching?

[schely10]

Thanks a lot for the advice moonraven! I dont want them to think that I am an "ugly american".

[leslie]

Bye

[moonraven]

Classroom management skills are not developed from the night to the morning--they are experientially based. I haven't read the book you suggested, or any others on the topic, but there are a lot of them out there--probably. The only problem with following advice from books too closely is that maybe your personality or the personalities of your students don't coincide with the books' situations.

For example, having a quiet classroom (confused with an appropriate learning environment here in Mexico) is frequently NOT what's needed--as that reduces necessary dialog. Dialog implies some noise--but not so much that the quality of that dialog is reduced. Paying attention and learning when to indicate that folks are entering a counterproductive track are critical classroom management skills to have, as sometimes adolescents,, if they feel insecure start to replicate in theirbehavior the frantic activity of the hormones that are making them crazy inside....