I don't know if I can do this....

Published on September 14, 2005 By alison watkins In Misc

I get up at 5:45 and I'm off to school by 7. I arrive at 7:20 to a bunch of kids waiting ouside my office asking questions about what I clearly stated 46372 times the day before. I'm not even to my first class. The bell rings. It's time for hall duty. Kids are scrambling about, still figuring out where to go. I guide them. I'm still not even to my first class. Ahh...homeroom. The kids are so tired and drained that they have nothing to say. Ahh..a moment to think.....

At 8:21 I head down to the auditorium with my rolling cart in tow, ready to teach 77 6th graders how to sing. I am bombarded by questions I can't even make out at this point. There are SO MANY of them! I make a loud announcement and tell them to sit. They get fussy with me because they think I'm being mean. Oh, well. We warm up, we sing, FIRE DRILL! We get inside. Class is basically ruined due to our three time a week fire drill policy. So much for teaching....

The next three classes are General Music. The kids don't want to learn. I write up worksheets the night before for at least an hour, make hundreds of copies, just for them to get left behind. Today they are acting extremely pissy because it's hot outside and our building has no air. I talk, they talk through my lesson. I give them warning. A minute of silence passes. I engage group with chalk board exercises. They start to talk again. I assign writting to those who interrupt. They bitch. All is quiet for a moment. More talking...more writting assigned.

Before I know it, the bell rings and school is over. I spend 3 hours after school to decorate my room....but I don't understand why...they don't care...they just talk and throw spit wads through my entire class. I go home. I think of ways to engage them.....I think that just maybe that this time it will work...I though this for the past 4 days...nothing has worked yet. My light is still flickering, but at the same time it is beginning to dim.

I try so hard, yet they don't care. I don't know if I can do this.....

Comments

Texas Wahine

on Sep 14, 2005

It's junior high kids.

They are the WORST kids to teach.

Your day is hectic and it's hard to be enthusiastic when it's met with such apathy, but just keep working on it. As you get to know the kids and they get to know you, you will make a connection with many of them, and your class will feel like a team...a team that you lead.

Be consistent. Be brave. Be prepared. Be animated and excited. Most of them will grow to respect you.

It will happen. It just takes time.

dharmagrl

on Sep 14, 2005

Honey, you CAN do it, and you WILL do it.

You can't let them get to you...DO NOT show them any signs of weakness or else they'll play that for all it's worth. Remember I told you they were pack animals? What you have to do over the next few weeks is figure out who the Alpha kids are, and where everyone else is in relation to that. Once you have a handle on the Alpha's, I think you'll find the rest will fall in line. Just don't let them get to you (easier said than done) - and be firm and consistent.

We're all rooting for you....and I'm here if you ever need to talk. I'll email you (and IM you) my cell phone number this evening. I have a 6th grader, if nothing else you can bounce idea off of her and vent to me!

Love you!

InBloom

on Sep 14, 2005

Alison, hang in there. It Will get better...trust me. Get them into a routine and be consistent with your discipline...don't let them get away with anything. If you need to take a few minutes to get them in line, then by all means do so.

I don't know if this will work with 70 plus kids in one room, but you might give this a try: When I want my students' attention, I put my right hand up in the air. In turn, they have to put their hand up in the air (with their mouths closed) to show that they are ready to listen to me. It takes a few seconds, but I eventually get the room quiet and get their attention. I gave them this rule on the first day of school, and for the most part, it works. It beats yelling at them, which I really don't like to do.

You already have what it takes to be a good teacher, and that is a passion for sharing your knowledge with them. Hopefully this passion will get them to eventually gain interest in your class. If you ever need any teacher to teacher advice, I'm here for ya.

shadesofgrey

on Sep 14, 2005

don't know if this will work with 70 plus kids in one room, but you might give this a try: When I want my students' attention, I put my right hand up in the air. In turn, they have to put their hand up in the air (with their mouths closed) to show that they are ready to listen to me. It takes a few seconds, but I eventually get the room quiet and get their attention. I gave them this rule on the first day of school, and for the most part, it works. It beats yelling at them, which I really don't like to do

Another cool way to get there attention is to play the "clapping game". You start by clapping/snapping a pattern and anyone who hears you has to repeat it. Say, you do two fast claps, then a couple of diligent students do it back to you, then you do a clap, snap, snap, clap, and a couple of more students who hear the first round will join in and repeat it back to you. Within a minute you should have the entire group repeating your patterns back to you.

alison watkins

on Sep 14, 2005

tex:
sounds like you know a bit about teaching. Didn't you say you were eventually going to teach? With advice like that you will be great! I think some of it might come from motherhood as well.

Dharma:
I think I'm going to try something new with them...getting down on their level if you will---I will be relating what I am trying to teach to music they like. I will call you tomorrow when I get a second to breathe and let you (and Shea-of course!) know how it works.

Inbloom: I will have to try the raised hand...that might work wonders in my general music class. Just out of curiosity, how long have you been teaching? Feel free to share more secrets!

shadesofgrey:
When I first heard of this I thought it was the best thing on earth. I tried it and it just made them bounce off the walls and gave them more fuel in the fire to mock me. Just out of curiosity, are you a teacher? If so..feel free to share more secrets--they are much appreciated!

Moderateman

on Sep 14, 2005

alison? you said you have a calling to teach. Do not let that get lost.

Teachers teach no matter what else is happening,

When the teacher finds their student, all the crap will suddenly fall to the wayside.

HUGSalot

elie

Locamama

on Sep 14, 2005

Tell them that if they don't cooperate you are going to make them do square dancing. I remember having to square dance in music class and I hated it. I would have done anything to get out of square dancing.

This is a variation of the South Park bus driver who tells the kids on the bus to be quiet of the bunny gets it while holding a gun to the bunny's poor little head. Funny in a sick way. That's my kind of humor.

Or hey get the trouble makers to come up and sing a solo. That will whip them into shape. I bet they would hate that even more than writing. heh heh heh - evil laugh - Make them all hold hands and sing the Barney song. That threat works wtih my boys. I've never actually had to make them do it just threaten.

Seriously, hang in there. We're all pulling for you. Too bad you can't go back to the sticker charts and red and green bears like the younger ones. We had demerit cards in my Catholic school. It sure worked for me. I didn't want a demerit but I guess I was a good girl who actually cared about it.

shadesofgrey

on Sep 15, 2005

shadesofgrey:
When I first heard of this I thought it was the best thing on earth. I tried it and it just made them bounce off the walls and gave them more fuel in the fire to mock me. Just out of curiosity, are you a teacher? If so..feel free to share more secrets--they are much appreciated!

Not a teacher now--but was a permanent sub at a preschool for a bit, and was a camp counselor for years. This was a remarkably effective tool for my campers who were jr. high aged (and we are talking having hundreds of them in the same place and trying to get some quiet). Sorry it didn't work for you.

foreverserenity

on Sep 15, 2005

Don't give up Alison. You know you can do this, it is your calling and you really love it. Remember school just started so they probably haven't gotten the holidays out of their systems yet.

I'm sure they will come to realise in time how much music means to them. Especially with you as their teacher!

InBloom

on Sep 15, 2005

~Just out of curiosity, how long have you been teaching? Feel free to share more secrets!~

This is my 6th year teaching...started when I was 24. I'll be glad to lend a helping hand whenever you need it.

Another piece of advice I can think of right off the top of my head is creating a rewards system to cooperative students. I have a system where groups compete for points. They can gain points for participation, good behavior, turning in homework everyday, etc...they also get points off for bad behavior, not doing work and so on. At the end of each week, the groups with the most points get prizes (pencils, pens, notebooks, etc...some teachers also have no homework passes, free time, radio time, and so on). Maybe you can modify some of these suggestions since you have really big groups.

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