Plea of desperation to teachers.
Posted by KissMeKate on Sep 02, 2008 · Member since Aug 2007 · 7322 posts
Dear teachers of vegweb,
2 of my 3 classes (block schedule) suck, behaviorally. They are an absolute embarrassment. I can't even begin to tell you. Please tell me:
- That you sucked too when you started
- What kind of class procedure systems you like
- What kind of management systems you like
- Any other tricks you may have as far as investment, behavior, etc., are concerned.
Basically, being a teacher is grinding my soul into a bloody pulp.
Love,
Ms. KMK
7th Grade Math
Nice idea, l2a! And yes, good behavior gets its own mark on the board. Very important!
Hmmm, I'll have to find a die! I don't have any board games. *think think think*
I have a big, huge oversized red wooden die. I can send it to you if you want. It's in storage, so I couldn't get it until next weekend, but I just set it inside the rolling door this morning so I know right where it is.
Nice idea, l2a! And yes, good behavior gets its own mark on the board. Very important!
Hmmm, I'll have to find a die! I don't have any board games. *think think think*
I have a big, huge oversized red wooden die. I can send it to you if you want. It's in storage, so I couldn't get it until next weekend, but I just set it inside the rolling door this morning so I know right where it is.
Aww, that would be so nice! I shall return the favor with an abundance of baked goods.
See, this is why you rock, kmk. Instead of sending particular trouble makers away, you're making everyone in the class accountable to each other. It's like basic training, where if someone messes up everyone does laps, so that in the end, they all improve together.
you can get a bunch of different sided dice at comic book stores/gaming/hobby stores. $0.35-$0.75 each probably. (used for D&D and such)
Not that I would know anything about all that geekery. ::)
See, this is why you rock, kmk. Instead of sending particular trouble makers away, you're making everyone in the class accountable to each other. It's like basic training, where if someone messes up everyone does laps, so that in the end, they all improve together.
RIGHT. And that's what the grandma was pissed about--she was like, "Just take the bad kids out!" Sorry. We go in as a team, or not at all. This schools is about SPORTS, after all. Teamwork. Ever heard of it?
Thanks for the flaming hand of love, hh! YOU rock!
It's not cardboard box huge, but it's larger than regular die.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c169/MindMatter116/YAY.jpg
I am also appalled by the grandmother's insinuation that sitting on the floor is fine for city kids, but not her granddaughter from the suburbs! Good for you for standing your ground. I was very sad to read how discouraged you were with yourself and teaching so it's awesome to read now how determined you are to make this work. You can do it!
oh and the other cool thing about the die thing.....once a kid gets a number, he can lose it for bad behavior. i actually used to try giving a number to a bad kid right away because then he tried being good in order not to lose his number. if i had to take it away i would usually made bad kid hand it over to good kid. that hurts
Nice! I'll try that as soon as I get my die from hh!
I did the 3-strikes system today. I think it worked a lot. It made the classes compete against one another for fewer strikes. It was great. It also gives me a tool for reprimanding kids who aren't necessarily bad, but then think they can get away with chit-chatting or what have you. Nope, everyone's equal on the board.
Also, what should I give as a prize?
I mailed it today, priority, so it's on its way.
Which reminds me of the the song from Paint Your Wagon:
Where am I goin'?
I don't know
Where am I headin'?
I ain't certain
All I know
Is I am on my way
Also, what should I give as a prize?
-free assignment pass?
-pencil/pen/eraser?
-hard candy/gum? (i know there are gum rules, but I used to let my kids earn a pass to chew gum for one class period - for some reason, that was really motivating to them)
-strike any grade pass? (you know, they can cancel out a zero or something at the end of the term)
-no homework coupon for the entire class?
-Friday Fun Day (play (math-related!) review games last 30 minutes of Friday class? (I used to do Jeopardy or Win Lose or Draw)
-permission to have a drink/pop in class for a day
-vegan cookie/baked good! (check to see if there are rules about that w/ your school)
-5 bonus points on a quiz or test
-coupon for class to be able to listen to music as they work for one class period
-free bathroom pass (if you keep track of bathroom passes)
can also make some sort of "math money" bills in denominations, similar to those coupons you get sometimes at stores - make 1's, 5's, 10's, maybe one 20...put them in white envelopes. Then the kids can turn them in at the end of the term for extra credit points.
maybe you could put some of these (and your own ideas!) all on slips of paper or in envelopes in a jar and have them draw an envelope - the element of surprise will be motivating to them also. Also, when someone wins something for the whole class, it is very motivating, 'cause they look good in front of their peers.
or you could go to a thrift store and buy some random cool and wacko things, wrap them in newspaper, and then have people choose one! You know, like that steal bingo game....without the stealing!
Also, what should I give as a prize?
-free bathroom pass (if you keep track of bathroom passes)
You need a pass to take a poo?
Depending on how much money you wanted to devote to this, you could have one prize randomly given to one of the well behaving students for each class and then reward all students who behaved well all week.
My mom taught first grade and had a prize box. She had some sort of system where you started on green and if you got all of the way to red for behavior you had detention during recess. If you stayed on green all week you got a prize from the prize box. She had their names on a piece of paper and if they were still on green at the end of the day she stamped under their name for that day. She hung the chart in the classroom so everyone could track their behavior. If they were good for the entire week, they got to pick a prize from the prize box. She went to a cheap downtown party supply store and got shiny pencils and things - first grader stuff - for the prize box. Candy might have been in there, too. Knowing my mom, it probably wasn't, though. She gave them Ak Mak crackers for recess.
That's the sucky thing about teaching. Students would come to school hungry so they didn't have an attention span, so my mom bought recess food so they'd be in a condition that allowed her to teach them. And she bought prizes for good behavior. And she bought...
So does that mean that they've earned their chairs back?
Yes. Some of them actually did not, so they were on tight probation today. I didn't want to make them stand or sit on the floor again for fear of parent retribution aka "my child is better than everyone else."
Also, what should I give as a prize?
-free bathroom pass (if you keep track of bathroom passes)
You need a pass to take a poo?
Oh lord, yes. Bathroom is a HUGE deal. It's not just a free for all.
OMG I'll give them a "prize" all right!
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