Crowd Control vs Teaching

Friday I taught in the local middle school, subbing for a Spanish/Science teacher. She does a nice job of planning and preparing so everything went smoothly. Her last class of the day is the hardest because it includes a particular group of seventh graders who are not only completely unmotivated, but are also singularly determined to use their energy to gain control. All of the teachers comment on how difficult they are and they were a challenge for me also. I hate sending kids out of the room to detention or otherwise because it usually doesn't fix things long term, but if I was teaching this group every day, that is the first thing I would do at the beginning of the year to immediately establish a behavioral boundary. It is interesting how different each class of students is and what a difference just one student can make to the dynamics within it. Out of 22 students, only two were real troublemakers. I sent one to the refocus room to work and should have sent the other as well. I always think when I go in that I can handle things better this time and not have to send anyone. As a result, half the class is over before I send them out and that is too long. Next time, I will give one warning to everyone at the start of class and then send them out with the first infraction.

I have to give a lot of credit to the rest of the kids in that class who still manage to work. It was interesting to note that one group in that seventh grade class and one in another eighth grade class had started supporting themselves by sitting together to work and refusing to let others worm their way in by telling them outright that they cause problems by not focusing on the work and being loud. Their peers tried to argue on their own behalf, but all in all, took the criticism well and walked away. Wow. Positive peer pressure in junior high!