From Chaos to Classroom Control

I went to a training today, From Chaos to Classroom Control. When my principal approached me with this training, I was ashamed. Did he really think I didn’t have control of my classroom? No, but he knows the students in our school and he wanted to prepare me with as many skills as possible to ensure I will not run away screaming in May. 

I learned: Teachers are, second behind police, the most diagnosed profession for depression.  Why? Long-term assignments with challenging students can have adverse impact on teachers. The average teacher remains in education for only 3.5 years. What do we need to do to “survive” in the classroom? 

Key Points on Misbehavior:

Goals of Student Misbehavior

1.  Attention
2. Power
3. Revenge
4. Display of Inadequacy

Discipline is a process that involves teaching students appropriate ways of behaving in a larger society. 

Strategies need to be proactive, not reactive.

1. Teach by example
2. Always be fair
3. Follow the golden rule
4. Discipline with kindness and respect
5. Accentuate the positive
6. Minimize the negative
7. Explain your expectations
8. Be consistent
9. Be patient
10. Act, don’t react

If a child can not behave, on top of everything teachers must do, we must teach them. When can you give up on a child? Never, every day is a new opportunity to reach each student. I can never predict what will come of my students. Therefore I need to keep high expectations not matter their ability level.

After Spring Break

The Sunday night before heading back to work I felt nervous and doomed. I knew it would be a difficult Monday. Not only would it be difficult to wake up, but I will have to deal with 18 students who have had little structure to their lives for the past 9 days. I walked into the classroom with a calm and easy attitude. I know my students could sense calm and played off of it very well. THEN recess came. I am talking with a coworker about the potential layoffs and we hear a crowd of students chanting, fight, fight! In a split second I am across the playground on the basketball courts. As furious as I am, I calmly walk the two boys to the office. That easy attitude has now been replaced with disciplinarian attitude.

Tuesday comes and BEFORE recess, one of the boys starts fighting with another student! Unbelievable. I laugh to myself, "And I thought this week was going to be difficult, ha ha." I talk with my principals about this student who has been fighting. We come to the agreement that he is having a hard time adjusting back to the school routines and rules. This is a reflection on the lack of structure in that household.

Luckily, I scheduled a dentist appointment Thursday morning and a training in the afternoon. Mini vacay so soon after spring break? Much needed.

Friday, I made an effort to keep the calm attitude throughout the day UNTIL I handed out rewards for the groups that earned the most points. Well, since my class loves rewards they try very hard to get points. The totals were as follows:  22-25-25-23-23. Since they were close, I decided to give each group a prize. The groups with 25 points were receiving a Hershey's bar and all other groups were receiving a Rice Krispy Treat. Let me tell you, I had three students tell me they didn't want the Rice Krispy Treat, they want the Hershey's bar. I looked at them and said, "If you do not want to prize I am giving you, you can sit down." In complete shock, I watched my students stand there with their hands still out and pointing to the Hershey's bar. I have never met such picky, spoiled, ungrateful less fortunate kids in my life!

Yes, that is how my week ended. I will never forget those three students.

The Calm Before The Storm

I am enjoying my last few days of my first spring break as a teacher. Before our break we were informed that we would know if there are funds in the budget for our positions when we get back. I am currently preparing my resume to begin a search for a new teaching position if I hear the bad news. HISD will inform all teachers by April 18th. My nerves are on edge now.

The school districts around my area have no postings yet and I hear they will only relocate current employees. So the search will be even more difficult than last year. Private schools may be the way to go; which means a pay cut but easier work. After substituting at private schools last year and talking with the teachers there; I realized they all "paid their dues" in the public sector. But let me say, NONE of them worked in HISD. There are public schools then there are urban schools. If you have worked in a urban school district, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

But...that is a whole other topic.