I have heard repeatedly, both in education classes and in edu-blogs, that each class is different, and that reaction to a lesson can vary dramatically from one prep to another. Well, I've finally had a chance to see that first-hand.
One period? A huge class, but they're cricket-creakingly silent. When I ask for volunteers, I get blank stares. Answers? Questions? Nothing. Jokes fall flat. Information hangs in the air, as though searching for a place to land, but not finding one. However, when it comes time for independant work, they toil surely and silently. I guess I can't complain, but I'm going to try getting them out of their seats a bit more in order to juice things up.
Another period? A tiny class, with few students. Two of them, however, have HUGE personalities, so this classroom is energized. Unfortunately, it's the wrong kind of energy. These two students (a large, tough-talking intimidator and a small, quick-witted insult artist) seem to live to antagonize each other. Even though The Insultor is one of the smartest kids in all of my classes put together, I can't call on him, because he takes every opportunity to twist his answers into insults directed at The Intimidator, who immediately makes "I'm gonna get you after class" motions while shooting him the evil eye. I'm planning on using the "divide and conquer" method of talking to them individually about acceptable behavior. I really like both of these students, and I want them both to be heard, but I won't stand for these back-and-forths.
In another period, there's been some racial tension building. I won't go into details, in order to keep things confidential, but some of the students have been making comments that one of the (minority) students finds insulting. This student came to me and asked that I talk to the others. From what I've seen and heard, these students really aren't trying to be racist - they just don't seem to realize that their jokes are coming off that way. I plan to take them aside and explain that, although I know that they don't mean to be doing it, they are singling out a classmate and making him feel unwelcome, and that it needs to stop.
In another class period, the strangest thing has happened. The kids the other teachers complain about - the self-proclaimed "gangstas" that talk in rap slang and wear baggy pants and generally dislike school - seem to "get" me more than any other group of students, and this period is packed with them. If someone interrupts me, they tell them to quiet down so they can hear what I'm saying. Every joke hits, every lesson lands. Homework gets handed in by kids who haven't handed in homework in months. They're active when I need them to be active, they're quiet when I need them to be quiet...it's like there's a CLASS going on, or something. In this period, it feels like they're all rooting for me just as much as I'm rooting for them - it's incredible. I want to figure out how to bring this dynamic to my other classes.
Finally, an update from last week: Still tired, still functioning on little to no sleep, and I still haven't recovered from that cold from two weeks ago. I'm hosing down my throat with chloroseptic spray between classes, which works for about the first fifteen minutes of each. I think the lack of sleep and new/constant daily exposure to adolescent-germs are weakening my immune system. Also, my car might be breaking down. But will Magister L. surrender? NARRY A CHANCE!
Until next time, ladies and gents!
-The Educational Man of Mystery
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I entirely sympathize with virtually all of your predicaments (with the exception of the racial tension: we only have a few ethnically different students in any of my classes, and they've pretty well assimilated into the "culture" of the other students). It's still really strange for me even after teaching two very different sections of the same class for almost two weeks that they can be so different. For me, the trick is managing the time it takes for either class; the relative responsiveness of the classes wanes from day to day.
ReplyDeleteI do know what you're talking about with the two sections I haven't started teaching fully yet (but will this week): one class is less responsive than the other, but the more responsive one can get positively crazy if you don't keep them well in check. (This latter one happens to be the more intelligent class on the whole, I think.) To use an analogy from Plato's Phaedrus, this more responsive class is like a pair of powerful horses, one good and one bad; you have to keep the bad horse from running wild while still giving the good one enough slack to pull the class forward. I think that may be your challenge - that, and trying to reinforce appropriate ways for your "Insultor" to respond without insulting anyone.
Take care of yourself.
Thanks for sharing such an amazing information please keep Helping teacher in need
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