Thursday. Fifth period. The topic for the day was "how to write a teacher an email".
I was a bit worried that the lesson would go short. I had a slide show (provided by Ms. B who is next door to my room and teaches the same subject--she's been such a huge help with this long-term gig) that I had slightly modified. I had thoughts on how to stretch things to fit the hour and a half I had with the class.
It turned out that none of that was needed.
The students were to be taking notes. For the most part, they were. But every time I'd pause (to let them write things down), they'd talk to their neighbors, so I had to stop and try to get their attention again.
Keeping a class of 14-year-olds focused is hard. Especially when they're more interested in conversing with their friends.
Fifth period is one of the co-taught classes. These are classes that have a large number of special ed kiddos, so a second teacher is there to help them.
After the umpteenth time I tried to get the class's attention, Ms. Y lost it.
Ms. Y gave the class an angry talking-to. She informed them that what they were doing was not acceptable, and it was time for them to stop acting like middle schoolers and pay attention.
Cowed, they calmed enough so I could finish the lecture. Barely. We finished maybe a minute or two before the class period was over.
This is why assigned seats are a thing. As I inherited the class from another sub, I didn't feel the need to change the seats. And Mr. P had let them pick their own seats at the beginning of school. But they had now lost the privilege.
Ms. Y and I discussed, and we came up with who definitely needed to be separated from whom. And creating a new seating chart got added to my already over full plate.
But, if it calms the class down so they can actually learn something, totally worth it.
By the time you read this, I should know if the new seats helped or not.
Maybe the suggestion that they were behaving like middle schoolers got to them! New freshmen always think they are so much older and more mature than middle schoolers! I can imaging picking their own seats would lead to problems.
ReplyDeleteThey're not quite mature enough to be able to sit next to their friends. (They are still mentally middle schoolers. They deny this, of course.)
DeleteWow, school has changed. Speaking during class while a teacher was speaking that would have been like the end of the world for us back then. We had to wash windows for disobeying class rules or get ruler whacked on the knuckles or spanked in front of the entire class.
ReplyDeleteOr sent home where we'd get even worse.
DeleteYeah, well, they're not scared of us anymore. They get huffy and offended when I insist on attention when I talk.
DeleteMore added to your overflowing plate is never a good thing. I hope the new seating chart works out for you.
ReplyDeleteIt's... The class is huge. They added two more students (and I was out of seats), so things weren't as calm as I would have liked. But slightly improved. (This class now has 37 students.)
DeleteOh, best wishes on your success.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteSo did they help? I assume yes, since it usually does.
ReplyDeleteSorry you got stuck with more work, but hopefully the assigned seats will help.
ReplyDeleteKind of. I haven't tested them with a lecture and taking notes again yet.
DeleteI am a high school Theatre teacher in Australia (so I teach 11-18 year olds), my classroom doesn't even have tables and chairs.
ReplyDeleteThat's a whole 'nother level of chaos.
DeleteBut it isn't, I promise!
DeleteOh, I know. You do a whole different kind of thing in class.
DeleteDrew says 9th graders are the worst and that he’d never want to be in a middle school…
ReplyDeleteOh, they are...
Delete