that darn 7A
at this school, boys and girls are in separate classes. i teach 5th grade girls, 6th grade girls, 6th grade boys, and 7th grade boys. my 5th and 6th graders are a pleasure to teach because, for the most part, they seem like they actually want to be in school and learn. they listen, they behave, and a lot gets done. my seventh grade boys, however, are a different story entirely. i have the class that other teachers grimace at the mention of. the infamous 7A.
this class is made up of 35 7th grade boys. most of the classes at the school are 25 students. this is the largest class in the school by far, and has a huge number of weak students. the product of this formula is a wildy rowdy, jaded-beyond-discipline group of boys. small wonder that the school would dump this unpopular class on the new teacher.
i am shorter than half the boys, and the youngest teacher they have. the first day, i knew that this class would be a challenge, and so i went in there determined to exert my authority without resorting to the methods that everyone else uses. the other teachers are middle-aged indians who simply shout and even hit the students. this is utterly stupid- the teacher ends up getting very worked up, while the students, used to this kind of punishment, seem more amused than frightened.
i am, of course, not willing to hit anyone- i think hitting a child is wrong and will never resort to that. so i have had to devise my own system in this class. i am quite proud of the way i have handled them- the first day, i was very intimidated, but i went in there and acted stern and bored. i said some funny things to garner their attention, and then kept it by making it clear that anyone who misbehaved would not be shouted at; rather, he would be laughed at. i have become very good at turning any disruptive situation into an embarrassing one for the student; at their age, being laughed at by the teacher and the entire class is much worse than being yelled at (which makes them seem cool while the teacher gets hot) or even beaten (which is mere weakness on the part of the teacher).
i actually have fun in this class now- they are very careful not to do anything that i can use as "material" for a good laugh, and they behave better for me than they do for their other teachers. i know i am a bit unorthodox, but they learn more with me than they would if i spent half the period shouting. and best of all the atmosphere in the class is not oppressive and tense- there is a lot of laughter :)
at this school, boys and girls are in separate classes. i teach 5th grade girls, 6th grade girls, 6th grade boys, and 7th grade boys. my 5th and 6th graders are a pleasure to teach because, for the most part, they seem like they actually want to be in school and learn. they listen, they behave, and a lot gets done. my seventh grade boys, however, are a different story entirely. i have the class that other teachers grimace at the mention of. the infamous 7A.
this class is made up of 35 7th grade boys. most of the classes at the school are 25 students. this is the largest class in the school by far, and has a huge number of weak students. the product of this formula is a wildy rowdy, jaded-beyond-discipline group of boys. small wonder that the school would dump this unpopular class on the new teacher.
i am shorter than half the boys, and the youngest teacher they have. the first day, i knew that this class would be a challenge, and so i went in there determined to exert my authority without resorting to the methods that everyone else uses. the other teachers are middle-aged indians who simply shout and even hit the students. this is utterly stupid- the teacher ends up getting very worked up, while the students, used to this kind of punishment, seem more amused than frightened.
i am, of course, not willing to hit anyone- i think hitting a child is wrong and will never resort to that. so i have had to devise my own system in this class. i am quite proud of the way i have handled them- the first day, i was very intimidated, but i went in there and acted stern and bored. i said some funny things to garner their attention, and then kept it by making it clear that anyone who misbehaved would not be shouted at; rather, he would be laughed at. i have become very good at turning any disruptive situation into an embarrassing one for the student; at their age, being laughed at by the teacher and the entire class is much worse than being yelled at (which makes them seem cool while the teacher gets hot) or even beaten (which is mere weakness on the part of the teacher).
i actually have fun in this class now- they are very careful not to do anything that i can use as "material" for a good laugh, and they behave better for me than they do for their other teachers. i know i am a bit unorthodox, but they learn more with me than they would if i spent half the period shouting. and best of all the atmosphere in the class is not oppressive and tense- there is a lot of laughter :)
...Natural is the static
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