Dear EatsBugs,

First, let me commend you on what you already possess that makes you an outstanding teacher – a humble, teachable spirit. I heartily agree with Mrs. Chilli about the discussion with your principal being a gift. If he didn’t think you had it in you to be a great teacher, he would just keep quiet and hand you a pink slip at the end of the year (or whenever your state requires).

I have not read all of the other comments, so forgive me if mine are redundant. They may appear akin to stream of consciousness, so take them for what they are worth.

1. Student Engagement is the key – in every lesson, at every moment, have the kids participating actively in some way – choral response, a quick write, share two sentences about what we are doing with a partner next to you, as students verbally share answers to a worksheet – have other students put a star on their papers if their answer matches or add it to their paper if it is a new idea.

2. REQUIRE the students to be actively engaged. If you ask for a choral response to a question and not 100% of the students respond, mention it and repeat the question until all students respond chorally. (or any engagement strategy you are using).

3. TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN – if students don’t know your expectations and procedures, you have no one to blame for their misbehavior but yourself. (This goes for all the student engagement strategies I mentioned as well as procedures for pencils, entering & exiting class, picking noses, etc.)

4. NEVER argue or negotiate with a student – even if you win, you lose.

5. Continually move about the classroom. Never stay in one place in the room. Kids have built in teacher radar and know just how much they can misbehave and/or not attend in relation to your distance from them.

6. Get to know your students as much as possible in your given situation. Relationship goes a long way.

7. The more frustrated you get, the calmer and more thoughtful you must appear on the outside. The old adage, “Never let them see you sweat!” is a truism.

8. Plan well – as a new teacher, you can’t afford to fly by the seat of your pants. Know exactly what you are going to do for each and every step of every lesson.

9. Fred Jones (fredjones.com) has GREAT tips and ideas for management. I am a veteran teacher with good management skills and have found his ideas invaluable in making me even better.

10. Save for a rainy day! Any bit of encouragement or joy or and “atta boy” you get – write it down. When you feel discouraged, revisit those moments and remember why and for whom you became a teacher.

11. BE Consistent! The kids will give you what you require if you require it all the time.

In five words: PLANNING, PROCEDURES, TRAINING, RELATIONSHIPS and CONSISTENCY!

We are all pulling for you!

Smiles,

Kim
rainydaydiamonds.blogspot.com

I, too, am here via Mrs. Chili.

I completed my internship back in May, and while I am still waiting to get my first teaching job, I’ll chime in with my two cents, if you don’t mind.

I found having a sense of humor to be extremely helpful. I found taking the first day of class to set the ground rules and expectations to be useful. I found treating the students almost as equals worked out fairly well. I made a conscious effort to not call them “kids,” and I apologized when I did. When they saw that I respected them, they respected me.

My cooperating teacher harped on me constantly to always have multiple activities for each class. “Change gears at least three times for every class,” he would say. By changing gears you keep them from getting bored or zoning out.

Hope that helps!

First of all: I am sure everything will work out great. You know what you need to work on, and you are willing to learn. Besides, there is no better time to start with new rules in the classroom than after a break.

This being said, here are my two cents:

1. Sit down and write to yourself how you would like to see your classroom. When I just started teaching, I didn’t think about this for a second. I believe it’s very important to know what you expect from your students. Can they get up without asking? How about hall passes? Homework policy? Things they need to bring to class? Taking notes? Working in pairs? Etc. Etc. Etc.

2. The next step is to think of how you want to achieve the things you wrote down under 1. For example, many of my students didn’t do their homework and didn’t bring their stuff to class (they did bring their Ipods, of course). So I decided to check the status of their homework and books at the beginning of each lessons. The situation has improved dramatically. It’s the same with drinking during class or going to the bathroom. In the end, it’s YOU who decides what the rules are, and it is THEY who need to comply.

3. You are never done learning. Don’t expect that all problems are solved by January 18. Your principal doesn’t expect this either. I still have a class from hell that is really bugging me, and on some days all my classes horrible. But with the right tools and mindset, a lot can be improved.

4. Don’t get overwhelmed by all the advice! Do what works best for you, and what fits your teaching style best.

5. Keep reading on this subject. Three of my favorites are:

http://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Disciplinarian-Management-Eventually-Successful/dp/1877673366/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198354436&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Setting-Limits-Classroom-Revised-Discipline/dp/0761516751/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198354463&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Love-Logic-Control-Classroom/dp/094463429X/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198354490&sr=8-1

I teach grades 9 through 12, and like Bowyer, I have my 9th graders and any new students in the other grades sign a contract of classroom rules and regulations. They get a copy, and I have one in my file cabinet. If and when any problems arise, not only do I come up with some kind of punishment right away (and usually the first few times I will punish the whole class — peer pressure works wonders!), I pull out the contract and remind them of the rules and the fact that their signature is on there. But my main management skill is to be mean to begin with. I don’t smile, joke, nothing! with my new groups at first. And I work them to death. They have no time in class to chit chat or to get themselves in trouble. However, by the end of the year, I’m able to slack up a great deal, and by then, I hardly have to tell them what to do… They already know what I expect.

Best wishes to you.

This has happened at an excellent time. The first day you’re back from your trip, you have a reason to (re)establish rules and procedures the way you want them. Rearrange the desks, change the posters, make it feel like a brand new year.

You might even change the way you’ve been dressing. If you normally wear a tie, stop; if you don’t, start. The kids will notice the change.

Be firm, don’t smile, and try to get them to hate you for a little while. (It won’t last.) Have some silent days that include lots of tedious, independent work. Be sure that they know they have to earn fun assignments.

Finally, reward them. I normally hate candy in classrooms, but, with your job in jeopardy, now is the time to have it. I used to keep a log of their behavior and give them a jolly rancher on days with no negative marks. They’re cheap and nasty, but kids will do amazing things for them. Plus, it’s fun to watch them get upset when you make a tally mark on a notepad.

Don’t underestimate the power of humor. It defuses situations, distracts onlookers, and endears you to the childen. It is my best and favorite tool. And it’s as easy as restating what they have said from an adult perspective.

My first year of teaching was tough. I inherited three classes of completely out-of-control seventh graders, and I hated going to work every day. It’s my second year in a poorly-performing urban high school — and third year of teaching — and I have fun every day. I can’t wait to get to work in the morning and I will probably miss the kids terribly over Christmas.

If you list some of your specific issues, perhaps people can offer more targeted advice.

Good luck! I know you’ll do a great job!

1) pick a few (maybe 3-5) priority rules – things that are REALLY important to you in your classroom. this can be largely directed by your particular students. talk with the students about them and find clear, direct ways of stating them.

2) when you’re generating rules of behavior for the classroom, it’s often good to have some rules that include your own behavior also, to let the students know that they’re not the only ones who are accountable. as an example, my students cited many past experiences where they felt unjustly judged by teachers, so one of my “rules” was that i, as the teacher, would work under positive assumptions unless someone showed me otherwise (w/cheating, bad behavior, etc.).

3) once you have rules established, POST THEM IN THE CLASSROOM. it seems juvenile, like of course everyone can remember them, but it’s a very powerful psychological tool to have the rules visible every single day. it also makes it easier to give rule reminders, to have something to point to and say, “remember we all agreed to…”

4) try to walk the fine line between explaining your actions and defending/justifying them. you’re the teacher, so you should never be on the defensive with your students, feeling that you have to justify yourself to them. however, if they want to know why you’ve decided something, (i believe) they deserve a clear (but brief) explanation. understanding the reasoning often makes it easier to follow rules.

okay, hope that helps a little bit at least, and i’m rooting for you! (even though i’m in a hurry – sorry again!)

(oh, and i came by way of chili. )