I'm slipping!

[John Lee]

Originally Posted by myKroom

I'm so frustrated with my kiddos! Classroom management, organization, and structured routines are areas that I consider myself to be very strong in...but here I am floundering around completely lost. I don't like the feeling at all!!!

I'm so tired of disrespectful, rude, ungrateful kids that want to do what they want to do and not listen to adults. I'm tired of telling parents about their child's misbehavior and the parents not doing anything about it. If a teacher would have talked to my parents about misbehaviors three things would have happened. 1. My parents would have been embarrassed and angry (at me...not the teacher). 2. I would have been in deep %#@!. 3. I would have been apologizing to my teacher and it never would happen again. Parents are just not parents anymore!!!!

Okay...vent over...on to the real stuff...

This school year has just been off. I had a super busy summer which involved my dad having emergency surgery, began grad school this fall, the district started new construction at our school which has changed A LOT of routines, switched classrooms, and many more little things. I just never had a chance to get excited for the school year...I'm still not excited!

I have a small class, which is awesome, but my boys outnumber my girls 2:1. They boys are true, active, busy, trouble making boys! I have a handful of them that just blatantly don't listen and constantly do the exact opposite of what I say. The class as a whole is still struggling with routine things. For instance, we have ran snack time the same way for 77 days and they still can't figure it out! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! They don't care about consequences (missing recess, free time, movies, etc.), they don't care if I tell parents, they don't care if they go to the principal, they aren't motivated by rewards. I do admit that I struggle giving rewards because I hate rewarding things that are everyday expectations (example: sitting criss cross on the carpet). I do have a behavior chart that has worked really well for most of them. But there is that handful that just don't care and I'm at my wits end. I try to go in every morning with a positive attitude and start fresh, but it doesn't last long. I feel like my frustration is going to boil over very soon and I need to stop it before it does. I know we have the holidays coming up and a break, but I don't feel like it will help. I feel like I need to overhaul something about my classroom and I'm not sure what!!

You stating this (i.e. being secure enough in yourself as a teacher to admit your struggles) says you are probably a very good teacher anyway, and you will figure it all out in the end.

[Tek]

First off, sorry.
Secondly, I thought I had bad kids. But maybe they're not THAT bad. I do have a lot of misbehavior and disobedience, though. But, the team point system and the teacher vs. students point system works pretty well.

1st graders love to beat the teacher in points. I started it this past week and it ended up tied 7 to 7. They really liked it, and so do I. The key is to make sure they're always up by just 1 or it's tied. If they're really bad though, you can go up by 1.

I've had a wild 1st year though. My curriculum director said to me "You've had everything thrown at you in 3.5 months, haven't ya?"

[myKroom]

Originally Posted by Tek

First off, sorry.
Secondly, I thought I had bad kids. But maybe they're not THAT bad. I do have a lot of misbehavior and disobedience, though. But, the team point system and the teacher vs. students point system works pretty well.

1st graders love to beat the teacher in points. I started it this past week and it ended up tied 7 to 7. They really liked it, and so do I. The key is to make sure they're always up by just 1 or it's tied. If they're really bad though, you can go up by 1.

I've had a wild 1st year though. My curriculum director said to me "You've had everything thrown at you in 3.5 months, haven't ya?"

Team point system?? I'm curious...what is it and how does it work?

[Tek]

So I have 18 student sitting in two-desk formations. 6 in one row, 6 in another and 6 more in the 3rd row.

I do a lot of "First team to ____"

i.e. write your name and date on spelling test sheet, or sit down with clean desk and clean floor hands on desk eyes on me smiling (it's so cute seeing their "forced" smiles... some just make you want to die laughing)

First team to do what I ask earns a point. If it's a tie or if I'm generous I may award 2 or even all 3 teams at a time. I also assign a team point recorder each week, and they love doing that.

And to switch it up, I have Teacher Vs. Students. Sometimes EVERYONE has to work together before my countdown. If I get to 0 and even one student fails to follow my rules, I get a point. If they beat my countdown, they get a point.

Six year olds love games... this is a perfect example of using effective classroom management within the scope of what they think is a game

I ham it up too... like "OHHHHH MISTER TEK GETS A POINT THIS TIME. Because ____. Maybe the students will listen better next time and beat Mr. Tek."

They all smile at it. Earlier in the year I would count down but when I got to 0 there was no consequence. And basically, it was ineffective b/c some students didn't care.

Now they care. Amazing what points and stickers can do. You have to be consistent though.

[kpa1b2]

Another thing I've done is have that student who is "always" forgetting the routine to model for the class the right way to do something.

I'll remind the class how to do something & then ask someone to model for us. I'll model the wrong way, making sure to really exaggerate my movements. Then I'll ask someone to model the correct way. I have 1 student who always does it right to begin, then have 2 more who don't always do right model it the right way. When they do it the right way praise them up. Try to remember to praise them the next time they do it right.

I also have a couple of zone-outers. I will state a direction & when they don't respond, I'll have them repeat the directions to me. They can't just do what I said, they have to tell me what I said. If they can't, I have another child repeat the directions to them & then they have to repeat the directions. Sounds time consuming, but probably only takes less then a minute.

[readingrules12]

And to switch it up, I have Teacher Vs. Students. Sometimes EVERYONE has to work together before my countdown. If I get to 0 and even one student fails to follow my rules, I get a point. If they beat my countdown, they get a point.

I've tried this when I was in primary, and it worked very well. They loved to beat the teacher. Excellent idea!

[myKroom]

Thanks for explaining Tek...I think I'll have to give it a try.

[Tek]

^ You're welcome, My. Let us know how it goes!

Originally Posted by readingrules12

And to switch it up, I have Teacher Vs. Students. Sometimes EVERYONE has to work together before my countdown. If I get to 0 and even one student fails to follow my rules, I get a point. If they beat my countdown, they get a point.

I've tried this when I was in primary, and it worked very well. They loved to beat the teacher. Excellent idea!

Absolutely! In fact, two of my boys straight up ran to me and playfully jumped at me with their fists going "We'll beat you Mr. Tek!"

I laughed, stopped and firmly said "OK back to your seats."

I let some things fly veteran teachers might not. I didn't know what to do in that situation but laugh a bit, and remind them where they should be. They are 6 and maturing at different rates.

I know they mean well. In fact, these were the two same boys earlier last week who told me "Thank you Mr. Tek you are the best and funniest teacher I ever had" (yeah, all 2 or 3 of them, lol)

[teacherman1]

Originally Posted by myKroom

I'm so frustrated with my kiddos! Classroom management, organization, and structured routines are areas that I consider myself to be very strong in...but here I am floundering around completely lost. I don't like the feeling at all!!!

I'm so tired of disrespectful, rude, ungrateful kids that want to do what they want to do and not listen to adults. I'm tired of telling parents about their child's misbehavior and the parents not doing anything about it. If a teacher would have talked to my parents about misbehaviors three things would have happened. 1. My parents would have been embarrassed and angry (at me...not the teacher). 2. I would have been in deep %#@!. 3. I would have been apologizing to my teacher and it never would happen again. Parents are just not parents anymore!!!!

Okay...vent over...on to the real stuff...

This school year has just been off. I had a super busy summer which involved my dad having emergency surgery, began grad school this fall, the district started new construction at our school which has changed A LOT of routines, switched classrooms, and many more little things. I just never had a chance to get excited for the school year...I'm still not excited!

I have a small class, which is awesome, but my boys outnumber my girls 2:1. They boys are true, active, busy, trouble making boys! I have a handful of them that just blatantly don't listen and constantly do the exact opposite of what I say. The class as a whole is still struggling with routine things. For instance, we have ran snack time the same way for 77 days and they still can't figure it out! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! They don't care about consequences (missing recess, free time, movies, etc.), they don't care if I tell parents, they don't care if they go to the principal, they aren't motivated by rewards. I do admit that I struggle giving rewards because I hate rewarding things that are everyday expectations (example: sitting criss cross on the carpet). I do have a behavior chart that has worked really well for most of them. But there is that handful that just don't care and I'm at my wits end. I try to go in every morning with a positive attitude and start fresh, but it doesn't last long. I feel like my frustration is going to boil over very soon and I need to stop it before it does. I know we have the holidays coming up and a break, but I don't feel like it will help. I feel like I need to overhaul something about my classroom and I'm not sure what!!

Sounds very similar to my situation, but the straw that broke the camel's back was the 26th student - easily the worst behaved student I've ever had. Although he's not officially diagnosed BD, it's mainly because he hasn't been in one school long enough to go through the process. They just hop him into another school and hope for the best.

I'm not "restraint trained" so when he flipped out (which happened often) I had to call the office to get him removed. Sometimes they came, sometimes they didn't.

Add this to my reasons above (with many more unlisted) and that's why I quit. I'm done with it.

Teacherman