Did you hear me the first time?
When I began this year, and this blog, I looked forward to using my desire to write and my passion about public education to open eyes and minds as I share vignettes from a teacher and mother's perspective. But I've fallen off the consistency wagon and here is the most likely reason why: I'm not having a great school year. As I've concluded, I'm having the type school year where I wish we could afford to send our children to private schools. That bad.
Every seasoned teacher will tell you, bad years happen and I was due. Last year was divine; my students were fabulous, every strategy I tried seem to work, students learned, I felt like a great teacher. The students were self motivated so while they worked independently, I could get things done like grade or plan or work one-on-one with them. This year, it seems, we (the students and I) are finding very few of those sucessess. So I'm diving back in to this blog, this open disclosure with a topic deserving of some discussion in this forum: student behavior and a teacher's classroom management.
I'm struggling with behavior in my classes. It is deplorable; I feel like a failure. I hate this about my teaching, but when I get frustrated I yell. To be truthful, I'm thankful I'm not cussing because some of the things students do or refuse to do make me want to say, "what the hell is wrong with you?" Or, "can you pleae just shut the freak up?" But I don't because I'm a mother, and in times of clarity, I think "these kids must come from struggling circumstances for them to come to school so unprepared, to class so disinterested in learning, to take their role as student in a public school classroom so dishonorably."
Why are people not talking about the fact that when one or two students behave so poorly, 25-30 students at a time suffer. Do you realize that when there are 30 kids in the class, that the studious quiet students get completely neglected?
Remember how I told you in my original post that I was a good teacher, not a great one?!? Well one of the things that make me less than a great teacher is my behavior management skills. I'm a phenomenal disciplinarian as a mother, so far in my 5 and 2 year old. I don't take nonsense from them. When I say no, it means no. I follow through, am consistent and not afraid to hear the wailing when the consequences come. Not so much as a teacher, because I think it is the parent's job to do that. Furthermore, I want to spend my heart, time and energy on instruction. I don't take the time to deal with it. I know, shame on me.
Another note as to my reticence to divulge is my daughter's school year. She is having a phenomenal experience, and I ADORE her school, but Anna Cate's kindergarten teacher left after Christmas. She moved closer to her family, which is fabulous and I don't blame her at all, but I'm not so happy about the situation. I'd be fooling myself to think she is getting the best possible learning environment under such a transition, (but then again I think about how learning to deal with change and new people might be more valuable than consistent reading strategies).
Twice in the last few weeks, she has broken down in tears and shared with me that her teacher yells at them. I shudder to imagine how the kids must feel who come from homes where parents don't yell! A couple vignettes from a 5 year old give me some insight: before her original teacher left, during a time when Anna Cate's class had a substitute, the class told the sub the wrong way to go to lunch as a trick. According to my daughter, one of the substitutes told this group of kindergarteners they were the worst class. So maybe they are a rough little group of kids to corale. I don't judge -- I might fuss, too.
Anyway, in this little discussion about student behavior and teacher management between my 5 year old and myself, I told Anna Cate that I'm sure she is not yelling at her as I confessed my tendency to do so in frustration with my students. I shared the sad truth that sometimes the kids who are being good feel like they are being yelled at when they aren't, and she said, "it is really sad."
I could not have said it better msyelf. Public education in our efforts to educate the masses is really in a sad state some times. So here is my question to get this blog back on its feet: why is no one talking about student behavior and its effect on schools in our country?
Every seasoned teacher will tell you, bad years happen and I was due. Last year was divine; my students were fabulous, every strategy I tried seem to work, students learned, I felt like a great teacher. The students were self motivated so while they worked independently, I could get things done like grade or plan or work one-on-one with them. This year, it seems, we (the students and I) are finding very few of those sucessess. So I'm diving back in to this blog, this open disclosure with a topic deserving of some discussion in this forum: student behavior and a teacher's classroom management.
I'm struggling with behavior in my classes. It is deplorable; I feel like a failure. I hate this about my teaching, but when I get frustrated I yell. To be truthful, I'm thankful I'm not cussing because some of the things students do or refuse to do make me want to say, "what the hell is wrong with you?" Or, "can you pleae just shut the freak up?" But I don't because I'm a mother, and in times of clarity, I think "these kids must come from struggling circumstances for them to come to school so unprepared, to class so disinterested in learning, to take their role as student in a public school classroom so dishonorably."
Why are people not talking about the fact that when one or two students behave so poorly, 25-30 students at a time suffer. Do you realize that when there are 30 kids in the class, that the studious quiet students get completely neglected?
Remember how I told you in my original post that I was a good teacher, not a great one?!? Well one of the things that make me less than a great teacher is my behavior management skills. I'm a phenomenal disciplinarian as a mother, so far in my 5 and 2 year old. I don't take nonsense from them. When I say no, it means no. I follow through, am consistent and not afraid to hear the wailing when the consequences come. Not so much as a teacher, because I think it is the parent's job to do that. Furthermore, I want to spend my heart, time and energy on instruction. I don't take the time to deal with it. I know, shame on me.
Another note as to my reticence to divulge is my daughter's school year. She is having a phenomenal experience, and I ADORE her school, but Anna Cate's kindergarten teacher left after Christmas. She moved closer to her family, which is fabulous and I don't blame her at all, but I'm not so happy about the situation. I'd be fooling myself to think she is getting the best possible learning environment under such a transition, (but then again I think about how learning to deal with change and new people might be more valuable than consistent reading strategies).
Twice in the last few weeks, she has broken down in tears and shared with me that her teacher yells at them. I shudder to imagine how the kids must feel who come from homes where parents don't yell! A couple vignettes from a 5 year old give me some insight: before her original teacher left, during a time when Anna Cate's class had a substitute, the class told the sub the wrong way to go to lunch as a trick. According to my daughter, one of the substitutes told this group of kindergarteners they were the worst class. So maybe they are a rough little group of kids to corale. I don't judge -- I might fuss, too.
Anyway, in this little discussion about student behavior and teacher management between my 5 year old and myself, I told Anna Cate that I'm sure she is not yelling at her as I confessed my tendency to do so in frustration with my students. I shared the sad truth that sometimes the kids who are being good feel like they are being yelled at when they aren't, and she said, "it is really sad."
I could not have said it better msyelf. Public education in our efforts to educate the masses is really in a sad state some times. So here is my question to get this blog back on its feet: why is no one talking about student behavior and its effect on schools in our country?
How is it that little children are so intelligent and men so stupid? It must be education that does it.
Alexandre Dumas
Sarah, I am so thankful for your passion. Personally I don't think it is your job or any teachers to act as a parent to your students. Unfortunately to many think this is your job including politicians. Morality cannot be legislated or budgeted. Please continue to be the strong teacher and role model that you are. Life is full of seasons and thankfully they continue to change.
ReplyDelete-Brad
When we quit demanding they will quit delivering. Ask your students to help you create a new discipline plan. Involve them in policing themselves. Ask them to write down 3 things they would do to improve the quality of the classroom. Two general things they think needs changing, and one thing they will change about their behavior. Have them sign it. Then have them pair and share or create a thought map on the board, and as a class narrow, group, and create your behavior plan. Call it our Community Plan! Good luck. As for your daughter's situation don't compromise. I bad teacher can . . . well, I am sure you understand.
ReplyDelete