1st year teacher needs your help!!

[overwhelmed1styear]

Hi! It is my first year and I started the job after the school year started, so I have been having to be constantly catching up and learning how to do assessments, procedures, rdg and writing workshops, a new math program, a new grading system and well I teach all day so that doesn't leave a lot of time to learn all these new things and catch up--so hence the name I am very overwhelmed. I am struggling right now with classroom management--which I know is a problem with every teacher (especially 1st year). My students (who are 2nd graders) just talk talk talk all the time. I have one student who disrupts the whole class--I have had to sit him by himself. I have another student who is highly medicated and will scream at anyone who looks at him wrong and he goes crazy. I have a behavior chart that has excellent, reminder, 5 minutes of think time at recess, and then write--which is filling out a behavior chart. I also, have a glass jar of marbles they can earn as a class and when we fill it up with doing good marlbes we will eat in the room. Then they have their own personal sticker folder that they can receive stickers for which can be traded in for things (I am about to change it from stickers to coins). My attention getter is give me 5,4,3,2,1 or stop look and listen. So, I have all that in place--but I am still struggling with students tattling on each other and just talking and doing there own thing while I am trying to talk. Well, I know that is long but I have a lot to get off my chest so I don't cry all the time on those drives home :) Soooo with that said any suggestions from someone who has mastered management:idontknow:

THANKS!!!

[DarrenB]

I feel your pain. Many of us have been where you are. There is hope, so don't give up! I tell my beginning teachers (much to the chagrin of their principals) that your focus for the first three years of teaching should be on class management. Then, once you get a good grasp of that, you can work on improving your teaching methods.

That's a bit extreme, but really, if you think about it, you will not be an effective educator if you can't manage student behavior. But I think you realize this, and that's why you've posted.

You've got some great aspects of class management going for you. I like the marbles working to the class reward. Some of the other ideas will really just cause more trouble for your system- like the written response to poor behavior. What happens if they refuse to write? Some kids can't write and then you've got poor behaviors that come up due to that.

You want a class management system that is simple and effective at addressing the wide range of student behaviors. I've got a system, the Wong's have a great system, Rick Wormelli has a nice system too! Do a quick search for something like "class management plans" and find one that seems to resonate with your personality and philosophy. Then, and this is the important part, implement it with deadly consistency.

I think that probably what's happening is that you're not being as consistent as you need to be. Avoid the explaining trap. Enforce and move on. Reward students for meeting expectations. Have consequences for students who don't.

Keep us posted on how things progress. I know I really like these boards because they are so helpful and caring about our profession. It takes all of us to help any one of us.

And if I can be of any additional help, don't hesitate to ask.

Darren Barkett
http://www.HelpingTeachersGrow.com