Post by jaman on Aug 7, 2013 8:00:58 GMT -5
Good morning!
High school teachers face entirely unique challenges in the classroom. From diversity, hormonally imbalanced teenagers, insane parents, apathetic parents, massive quantities of standardized testing, apathetic students, dangerous students (You know, the ones with ankle monitors and felony backgrounds!), and so many more...
What is the biggest challenge you have faced down, and how did you prevail?
My biggest challenge came just this past year. In one of my classes, I had seven of the most ill-behaved youths in the sophomore class... in the same period! During the year, five of them spent at least some time in the alternative school, one student got a ticket that they proceeded to challenge in court, I was threatened, harassed, disrespected and bullied. I'm a laid back teacher... I don't give out referrals very often, preferring to handle things my own way without begging for help from the office. This class had me dumbfounded. Somehow, without me being truly aware of it, they wrested the control from me and I was literally unable to teach due to unruly students interrupting class constantly. So... I created a notebook, and actually had to go back and implement a standard disciplinary action format. (I HATE that!!) Every time a student interrupted, I wrote their name down, and started putting marks beside their name, and told them, in no uncertain terms, that if they got three in one period, they would be sent to the office with a referral. Amazingly enough, it worked. I got my class back, and we started learning again.
As a 15 year veteran, you would think I'd have thought of that before! However, even having taught in inner-city schools, I have always kept my classes entertaining enough that I have NEVER had discipline problems like that! These students apparently have so little interest in anything other than their social lives that nothing short of harsh discipline would work.
What's your story?
High school teachers face entirely unique challenges in the classroom. From diversity, hormonally imbalanced teenagers, insane parents, apathetic parents, massive quantities of standardized testing, apathetic students, dangerous students (You know, the ones with ankle monitors and felony backgrounds!), and so many more...
What is the biggest challenge you have faced down, and how did you prevail?
My biggest challenge came just this past year. In one of my classes, I had seven of the most ill-behaved youths in the sophomore class... in the same period! During the year, five of them spent at least some time in the alternative school, one student got a ticket that they proceeded to challenge in court, I was threatened, harassed, disrespected and bullied. I'm a laid back teacher... I don't give out referrals very often, preferring to handle things my own way without begging for help from the office. This class had me dumbfounded. Somehow, without me being truly aware of it, they wrested the control from me and I was literally unable to teach due to unruly students interrupting class constantly. So... I created a notebook, and actually had to go back and implement a standard disciplinary action format. (I HATE that!!) Every time a student interrupted, I wrote their name down, and started putting marks beside their name, and told them, in no uncertain terms, that if they got three in one period, they would be sent to the office with a referral. Amazingly enough, it worked. I got my class back, and we started learning again.
As a 15 year veteran, you would think I'd have thought of that before! However, even having taught in inner-city schools, I have always kept my classes entertaining enough that I have NEVER had discipline problems like that! These students apparently have so little interest in anything other than their social lives that nothing short of harsh discipline would work.
What's your story?
