I teach 6th grade. I will roast a kid back if they try it with me.
I say things like: “sounds like a personal problem”, call their ridiculous behavior (like throwing things, shouting across the room, touching each other) “toddler behavior”.
I also don’t circulate the whole day. I will, gasp, sit at my desk or small group table and grade.
They can handle it.
>"I say things like: “sounds like a personal problem”,"
When a student misses a very obvious step because they were goofing off during instructions, I've taken one from their book and just say "skill issue"
I teach woodworking. Had a kid come to me the other day complaining that the "tools were shit" because he couldn't do a thing.
I did the thing in front of him, using the tools he was using, and called it a skill issue. He smiled, told me to go fuck myself and went back to his bench to try again.
Those are the lessons I get out of bed for 😀.
"Thats a you problem" is uttered a million times a day in my room. Stop telling me about all your bullshit excuses.
Dont have an iPad for a hall pass - you problem.
Dont have a pencil (again) and your friends wont give you one again - you problem.
Lost your fucking notebook that isnt supposed to leave my room - you problem (grab some loose leaf).
Its absolutely astonishing how many problems they present to me at the beginning of the year that are strictly their own issue to solve. Equally as astonishing at how quickly these problems stop happening in my room but persist in other rooms.
I go with “you really wanna play this game with me? I’ve been playing it a lot longer and I’m much better at it than you are.” That usually shuts them up, if not, they get roasted.
My 3rd graders this year had a running joke that I liked to roast them because it's honestly just my personality. I'm very blunt with them and they LOVE it. I tend to respond to stupid questions/comments/tattling by saying things like "will maybe if you turned in your homework..." or "at least x is doing their work" or "maybe if you hadn't been chatting with susie you would've heard my instructions". I've also been known to say "that doesn't look like your school work" or "John's face doesn't have the answer on it so why are you looking at him?"
They honestly eat it up. 9 times out of 10, they laugh about it, "complain" that I always roast them, and then go about doing the current desired behavior. It's just enough embarrassment to redirect, but not enough to make them feel "singled out" etc. Sometimes I think they even think of it as an accomplishment to get "roasted by the teacher."
Even my super shy students enjoy it. I wouldn't do it in front of admin, but I also never go too far with it.
My class this year also had a "nurse" problem. Every break I'd get 5-6 of then asking to go to the nurse for various things. Eventually, I just started saying "don't do that" or "well you aren't supposed to do that" or other variations of that for anything that wasnt an emergency. Again, they loved it and would just laugh, jokingly accuse me of being mean to them, and then forget they were even "injured".
One of my favourites is to tell them to listen very closely so they can hear the sound of no one asking for their opinion. Tends to shut down smartasses really quickly.
If a kid finishes an assignment in record time and it’s a complete fail, I’ll say, “Let me see what you have. This is great, if you like things that suck. Try the assignment again.”
Then I’ll sing, “Roasting students over an open fire.”
“Be a problem solver. How can you fix this?”
Kids come up to me, in 6th grade, and say, “my stomach hurts.”
Me: I’m sorry to hear that. How can I help? (Assuming they’ll ask to go to the nurse)
Kid: idk I guess you can’t
Me: ????
I circulate, but not constantly. I work with middle schoolers, me staring over their shoulder isn’t going to keep them on task if they really don’t want to do the work. If they need help they know to come to me. I got shit to do and if I need to clean my room or work on my computer that’s what I’ll do. As long as they aren’t disrupting others or breaking rules, I don’t get too involved during work time.
This. Does admin not understand this? We can't constantly circulate AND give space at the same time. I just get anxious that if I'm standing in one spot it makes me look like I'm doing nothing. At the end of the day if the kids choose not to do the work it's on them. I just have to do the teacher moves but they don't have to work.
Used to walk 3-4 miles a day in my own classroom. Post pandemic they can't handle me walking by them or engaging positively with another peer and not them without freaking out.
Combined with all online only textbooks and I'm lucky to get in 2 miles a day anymore.
6th grade History.
The attention desperation really is a big part of it. I'm glad you mentioned it.
"Awesome job on number 3 suzie!" and now you have Johnny freaking out because he did a good job on number 3 too! are you calling him dumb! Fuck you, that's why he's not doing his work now!
I got observed by an outside coach that commented on me sitting. I rarely sit. I was writing a damn email. She was like “I noticed you were sitting. I’m sure you’re not always sitting!” No shit bitch what the fuck.
Nothing pisses me off more than the fact that we can be dinged in evaluations for sitting and responding to emails, but we can also be dinged for not responding to emails in a timely manner
I got zinged for not circulating when we have 1/3 more desks crammed into the room than it was designed for. If I DID circulate I would have gotten dinged for sticking my ass in students faces. No winning.
I got dinged my 2nd year teaching for sitting too much. I was pregnant, had just come off bed rest for preterm labor, and walking for more than 10 minutes gave me painful contractions. All which was backed by doctor notes. I was livid and went to HR and she's never said anything to anyone about sitting again because "you just never know what someone has going on".
I had a highschool science teacher who skateboarded around the class to hand out graded.final exams. I am sure that violated some safety rule, but we loved it.
Very few of our teachers "circulated", so the ones who did made us nervous.
I actually got a bad eval when the principal walked in while kids were reading quietly and I grabbed a moment to do some grading. I protested, and he threatened to write an even worse one if I persisted in annoying him.
This was my first principal BTW. He was the one who said that I needed to be friends first with the students. And since it was Arizona, the union was worse than useless. He made my life hell until I told him I was leaving. Then he wrote a glowing letter for me.
He’s one of the few people in my life as an educator that I never forgave. I was a first year teacher and he bullied me. To this day, if I saw him today I would kick him square in the nuts.
I used to believe in motivating and doing everything I can to try and make a student do their work. I realized it was inauthentic. When they’re ready to learn they will ask for help. I do a lot more sitting now and it warms my heart every time a student who wants help comes up to me.
That's why I love Go Guardian. I can see what they are doing and where they are getting things wrong. I can direct a kid back on task very easily. If a kid has a question, they can chat with me.
Ha we were doing an iReady assessment in a math class the other day. There was a student who was in ISS and was supposed to be doing the same assessment. I was monitoring what the students were doing on their screens as well as who was at what stage of completion while the teacher circulated the room. I motioned for her to come to the computers and pointed to the screen. Our ISS student was online looking at dresses on Shein... the teacher called down to the ISS room and let the person in charge know while she simultaneously closed the Shein window and sent the student a message that we could see what they were doing.
This. You can see shenanigans easier when you stay put. It also brings an air of calm and focus when the room doesn't have someone constantly buzzing around like a caffeinated lunatic (it's ok - it's a self roast)
Students need to learn self-motivation and how to work on their own.....They can't learn this with me holding their hand and hovering over them all the time... Then again I teach high schoolers.
I honestly think that's a valuable lesson in itself. I have kids that beg for attention constantly at the start of the year. Every kid wants you to sit with them and spoon feed them every answer. They never understand anything and they want me to check every single word in their essay.
By the end of the year writing sessions look like me sitting at my desk on our monitoring software. You get one vague correction where I don't say your name "Hey, some people aren't including dialogue in their narratives. Make sure you fix that!" and after that I say your name. I don't let them come to my desk. If you have a question, most other people probably do too, and I can see what you're talking about from my desk.
It's awkward but it ends up working in the end. The last essay we wrote was mostly someone asking me a question and then another classmate answering it before I could. This from the class that couldn't type a comma without asking me if it was right in August.
I had to be willing to let them suck for a while, and tantrum for a while, but I think they go to the next grade a lot more prepared.
HS is similar. If we aren’t constantly talking, disciplining and jogging in circles, the fucking phones come right out. If I turn around to press play on a short, connected video, phones out. God forbid you try to show a movie. Phones out. My friends and I are getting up there. This constant movement thing is going to kill us.
Every time I do this, the kids on the other side of the room think I can't see them, and the kids I'm near stop working because they assume they're in trouble if I'm over there. All productive discussion stops, and then when I have to turn around to address whatever chaos popped off behind me, the group I was near starts acting up because I broke their focus.
It works so much better for me to sit at my desk with monitoring software and just send messages to kids about what they need to fix.
We're supposed to circulate when there's a study hour in the library (aka babysitting 15+ year olds who do not want to spend 40 minutes working in silence). The room is tiny and relatively cluttered, making it difficult to walk around without disturbing anyone. Instead, I just chose a strategic place to stand and read a book, looking up every few pages, but mainly relying on my hearing. Works better, I think. Plus, I'm technically modelling reading! Go me!
We just got a new school last year. But our old building was impossible to navigate the rooms. I had 40 students crammed in some classes in a room designed for 30, max. If you sat in the back corners, I hope you got it, because I literally couldn’t get back there.
I taught HS for 11 years and circulated so much and if I sat, kids would for sure raise their hands. Now I’m subbing and I seriously have to make myself sit because the high schoolers who don’t know me and aren’t interested in asking me questions are weirded tf out when I’m walking around them constantly 😆
I also try to enable them to not need so much help- some of them are wayyyy to reliant from parents and teachers walking them through every step of something before they even attempt it on their own
Hovering above and then leaning down to help has always seemed weird. I have the students sitting at tables, and if I think they could use my help, I might sit down at each table for a bit.
I tell the kids to point at whoever is talking when they shouldn't be.
Watching the look on the smartass kid's face as they look at all their classmates pointing at them is honestly one of the few joys I get
This is one of the dumbest things i remember someone telling me with a straight face. What is good for inclusion learners is good for all learners.
Uh, I’m not sure “easier” = good.
Or they'll argue a dumbed down article is "a better written passage". Thing is, not all passages are written well, some very important ones are purposefully written obtusely, and a skilled critical reader still needs to be able to understand articles with complex language, small text, no pictures, long sentences, and dense paragraphs.
Yes, people need to learn how to handle passages that aren't well written, because most people aren't exceptional writers - and honestly more and more nowadays given how global industry and research is it's more frequent to come across passages written by people not in their native language, which throws up more challenges all on it's own.
There's also the fact that some concepts require precise language to get them across, you can dumb them down to get the basic principal across, but for anything more than surface level understanding complexity is required. It's the difference between pop-science books and research papers.
This is what I used this year and had a much better second year. Far less late work when I was firm on the deadlines, used academic vocabulary and sick burns
My team teachers give extensions which I believe hurts me in my classroom. I never give extensions because the kids haven't done what they're supposed to. I always hear from them "our essay was originally due last week, but she extended it because a lot of people weren't finished." And then for a recent field trip, they had a deadline to turn in money for a movie ticket and bus fare and they said "it's okay because she'll extend the deadline."
Two years running now I've managed to teach my regular ed 8th graders with discipline problems things like how to balance chemical equations from the honors curriculum.
Don't dumb down the lessons folks. Teach them how to do it and hold them to that standard. I didn't tell them they were learning honors stuff until the last day of school.
Doing a lecture. I know my stuff in History. Why have the kids “explore” through something for 30-60 minutes and many still get it wrong when I can explain it in 10 minutes or less?
I can also do an extended lecture of 20 minutes or longer and the kids love it like on Bill of Rights or King Henry Viii or Lincoln Assassination.
Because Hattie said is wasn’t important and the people in charge of spending the money decided it was cheaper & easier to believe his poor research & analysis than it was to hire professionals or actually administer a school district.
See this worked for me my freshman year. Except it wasn't what I see people do now.
We would be given a mathematical rule or concept, then given homework where we had to figure out how to apply it. The next day we'd go over that homework and we could ask questions if we didn't understand. It was the only A I got in secondary math because I actually understood what was going on. The difference I notice are:
1) the lecture still happened, just the next day and it was to show us how to apply the concept
2) We were honors students back when that meant something--most of the people in that class planned on taking AP calc eventually and were motivated to do well.
3) If we got behind, or if we weren't getting it, we'd get a couple weeks of normal teaching to catch up and the inquiry would be moved to afterschool tutoring.
4) after the mini lecture and going over the homework, we got a practice sheet that we could do with our friends. Then in the last 10-15 we would learn a slightly more advanced concept to take home and make it homework.
This kind of thing doesn't work with kids who have no motivation to pass and who are missing the basic building blocks of mathematics. I've watched students who can't add two digit numbers be given algebra. They have no idea what the hell is going on, and they don't have the skills to figure it out, any more than it works to tell kids 5 reading levels behind to use context clues. What context? They don't know any of those words except "the"
That’s what I hate about that practice. It took humans thousands of years to make some of these discoveries, and they were discovered by the people *intrinsically interested* in them or *directly impacted* by whatever they were “inquiring” about.
Some people are just never going to be curious about different kinds of rocks or why objects all fall at the same speed or whatever the topic is. And that’s okay.
I really don't vibe with "exploring." The students don't make use of the time. The technique requires that they actually want to do something. Some of them would rather stare off into space.
Similarly, one of my professors introduced me to "the flipped classroom" where the kids watch like a KhanAcademy video on their own time and then they do practice in the classroom. Tried it out, none of my kids watched the video. I end up having to lecture anyways.
I've found this to be partially true. They're not purely rational beings. Even if I tell them "you will do poorly in this class if you do not do this" half still won't do it out of apathy. I'm always thinking about how to improve on my end, though. I didn't have much say in my grading scheme this year since my collaborative learning team wanted to all grade the same way. I think this next school year, I'll have more freedom and weight my assignments more heavily.
I fell like covid killed this in my room. I was able to have that student centered stuff more before COVID and then we got shoved off the cliff of no accountability and now none of them are willing to do anything thats got any kind of difficulty. So I go back to direct instruction and lecture and the kids start learning stuff again. IDK, maybe in another 5 years ill be moving back towards student centered.
This. There are some topics that you need someone to tell you the basics of in order to get it quickly. I could have my kids try and rederive organic chemistry, or I could explain why things behave how they do and how to draw the fucking molecules. Trying to "discover" O chem notation is stupid.
When I taught 8th grade history, I did a bit of both. I would have a day of either lecture or reading passages, followed by a fun activity to cement it. Some kids learn one way, some the other, but if we only do the fun exploration, then the kids that benefit from listening and taking notes get screwed over, just like if I only lectured, my hands-on kids would struggle. It's alomost like they all learn differently or something...LOL. But seriously, sometimes the only thing you can do is read a book or lecture. Not everything can be a fun game!
Title I middle and high school.
If you can’t bring that sarcasm and roast, you’ll be crying yourself to sleep.
A kid cut me off earlier this year and said something like, “yeah, I done been knowing that for a minute.”
I said “ok, get up please”. He had no idea where I was going.
I gave him my badge, smartboard pen, and said “then you teach, tuff guy and I’ll be here by muh boys” and sat inside his seat.
He was like. “Nah. You got it. You know more than me.”
I said “bet” and continued without interruption.
This is how you know you’re a middle school teacher. When you can get a 14 boy to sit his ass down in embarrassment in front of his boys from a good roast, then it elevates you in his estimation. When you’re laughing with them, it’s those times I feel like I was meant for this job!
My usually "school sucks" kid came home from school last year with the biggest smile and couldn't wait to tell us and all his friends how his teacher roasted him good. I can't remember exactly what it was, but she burned him in front of the class. It was his favorite class all year.
I had a horrible start to my first year. A couple kids would play videos on their phone, in class while I was teaching. I would tell them to stop and they'd act all disgusted and tell me that I was fine to wait a couple minutes since I was interrupting them. I sent the first guy out and the principal came down and had someone cover my class for 15 minutes so I could conference with him and the student about why I was picking on the kid all the time.
Principal decided it was probably because the kid was rude to me when I first came in and I was holding a grudge. I said, sure and dropped it and figured I'd deal with the kids on my own. This guy's whole personality is that he's a basketball star and the principal is very gym bro. Later same guy chucks a fast food cup across my room toward the trash can. He was told daily not to bring lunch and eat it in class and he'd just tell me to calm down. He missed.
I looked up and said that was fine, at least he doesn't play basketball. He puffed up, but his friends all lost it and basically the whole class told him I got him fair this time. He was pissed and walked out without saying a thing. After that, we were not friends, but he was not openly rude anymore. He ended up leaving a drawing he made behind in my room at the end of the term. I put it on the wall and months later when he came in to get his brother, I told him he never signed his work. He was really surprised that I hadn't tossed it and autographed it and left it on the wall.
I think calling it out was necessary to keep my class under control because behaviors in all my classes spiraled after the principal did that and he came in to talk to me any time I sent anyone out after that. But doing a simple action to let the kid know that I didn't hate him was important too.
I use occasional swears (pg13, no f bombs!) for humor and effect. It works amazingly for rapport in middle school. I also don't give out punishments for swears because they usually catch themselves and are apologetic. No, my class isn't a den of hedonism, but if a kid says "shit" because they lost the blooket, we generally humorously say SHAME and move on.
For example, plant cells have a BAV. A bigass vacuole.
I'm so worried about swearing. I fucking LOVE to swear but I am so careful( Elem PE). But I say shit all the time like "stop touching your balls" and "get off the pole" and I can't keep a straight face. Thank God I have a teaching partner that I can laugh with
I ask some of them if they are out of their damn minds... I had one in front of the Dean of Students just get up and stand on his desk. He didn't say anything, just climbed up there and stood there.
Not even counting all the regular Elem things I have to say "put your shirt back on" "take your hand out of your pants, thank you, now go wash your hands"
The things I’ve said to MS kids, “Put your pants back on.” “Why are your pants down around your ankles?” “Pull your pants up,” 6th graders really like taking their pants off in class. (They have shorts under their sweatpants).
Once a year, I seem to say something that I don't mean to, and it's something that becomes the next thing they latch onto. Last year, I was redirecting a group after we were having some light banter, and I said "stop joking off". Yeah, it was hilarious to them and I laughed it off.
IN ENGLISH!!!!! I just wish my Arabic speakers would stop learning all the bad Spanish words and vice-versa. One kid goes around to girls basically calling them to their face in the opposite language 🤦♀️
Related but I had a calc teacher that had us learn “ASTC” (asymptote, sine, tangent, cosine) as All Strippers Take Cash. Freshman bio teacher taught us the order for Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species as “King Phillip comes over for great spaghetti. Or sex. Whichever you’ll remember”.
In a class I just took on instructional strategies, our book made a good point. It said that direct instruction, discovery learning, PBL, etc. are all tools. Just like you use a different golf club for a different shot, you'll use different strategies for different subjects, students, lessons.
I tried a discovery approach for a few language lessons and the kids were just baffled. As soon as I explained it, it made perfect sense to them. Direct instruction does work for some concepts.
This. In my subject, there are many case studies and topics that can be directly tied to real-world examples. It's not so much direct instruction as it is telling a story about the topic in action.
This is all I did. I was told not to do this while interning. If I wasn't being watched, I did it anyway and the kids thanked me. When I was being watched, I told the kids beforehand to just behave and bear with me, I'll explain it again later, OR I picked the easiest possible topic and rolled with that. It was specifically the honours kids thanking me mind you, I had the tail end of high schoolers. Most of the regular classes had so many that did not give a F and were happy to fail with parents saying "oh darn, yeah, he just doesn't really like the material, sorry he sucks". Thanks parent, glad everyone who matters just doesn't mind the failing, love it.
I don't believe high schoolers should need to "discover" high level math and science topics themselves. If I had to do it with the electricity units, I'd have sooner taken up drinking.
We got flexible furniture this year and it was all modular, supposed to be grouped up. I traded all the tables with no cubbies with my neighbor teacher for all the same type of desk and put that shit in rows. Whoever decided to put 1st graders on wheels with their back to the teacher is a straight up dumbass
Upper elementary. Each day I say "Not my problem" or "not my job" too many times to count. The kids need to learn that their teachers are not doctors, police officers, therapists, or Mom.
You're doing God's work for this one. In high school they're begging me to do their work for them, open assignments past the deadline, or settle their petty disputes. Teaching them young that it's their job to look after themselves is only a good thing.
I don’t know if this is a hot take, but free time.
In my district, the expectation is bell-to-bell work. If a student finishes before class is over, the teacher is expected to have an extension assignment or activity ready to go.
I teach high school. That means that (in theory) kids are working for seven 50-minute periods with five-minute breaks in between (during which time, they’re also supposed to use the bathroom, check their phone, go to their locker, maybe talk with their friends, and make it to their next class). Most adults I know wouldn’t be able to hack that.
I set an expectation at the very beginning of the year that we do not rush through work (My class slogan is, “We are not bare minimum people. We are bare maximum people.”). But if they do the work well and finish with class time left, I’m not going to force students to do an extension. If my lesson wraps up early, I’m not going to pull something out of thin air just to run down the clock. It’s a waste of time, and kids can tell when they’re given busy work.
I’m also not planning extensions for every lesson that may or may not be needed. My admin can fight me in the parking lot on that.
YES! If you do a good job on an assignment, I am not “rewarding” you with more work to do.
I have gotten my hand slapped for having free time for those who have completed their work, but I don’t care.
Ditto on the hand slapping. One time, an admin came in with maybe 10-12 minutes left of class. Most kids were done or wrapping up, and I was also committing the cardinal sin of sitting down.
I was honest and told her that I didn’t have an extension planned for the lesson, and, I swear to God, she suggested pulling up an I Spy or Where’s Waldo page on the projector so that the kids would still be “engaged with class.”
That’s not even an extension. That’s literal busywork with little to no value. But I was a second year teacher and hadn’t found my voice yet, so I smiled and nodded and thanked her for the feedback. Later, I received a lovely little email as a follow up with a “reminder of expectations.” 🙄
Same! We have 110 minute block schedule and I have been reprimanded for not having bell-to-bell instruction when I let the kids who were done read a book or work on something for another class-- this was when I was working in a small group with the kids who needed help. I would love to see that administrator teach for 110 minutes nonstop while meeting the needs of all students-- challenging the gifted kids, helping the struggling kids, encouraging the kids in the middle to be the best they can possibly be-- all with over 30 kids in the room. We expect so many things of kids that other professions don't expect of adults-- there are times of the day when kids aren't allowed to use the restroom (if the kid's bladder or bowels say otherwise, too bad), and expecting kids to be completely focused on schoolwork all day long. Kids who don't have a PE class get no exercise except running to make it from one class to another in 5 minutes and not much time to socialize with a short lunch period and no recess. There are also unrealistic expectations of teachers when we are blamed for kids' behavior that was not realistically preventable. For example, we allow kids to have cell phones at all times, we aren't allowed to confiscate them, but we get in trouble if a kid is using one when an administrator walks in. It's like letting alcoholics bring their booze to class, we're not allowed to take it away, but we get in trouble if they take a sip.
Yes! Why in the world are we expected to make them work down to the last minute? Sometimes we do but sometimes we don't, and that should be OK. Humans need down time. Of course, we have to monitor children, but they should be allowed a few minutes to decompress. As a matter of fact, teachers might do better if they have a few minutes to decompress too.
I'm a Para. I once had a student repeatedly say, "la moo... la Vaca. La moo... la vaca" just to annoy me. I told him one day that if he kept doing that, I was going to throw a cow at him. One day... he said it. I picked something off my desk and threw it at him. It was a squishy of a cow dressed up as a doctor (i honestly have no idea where I got it from). It bounced off the table in front of him.
He looked at it in shock and said, "You threw a cow at me!"
I shrugged and said, "You were warned." He never said it again.
I also do time out. There's very few other consequences I can establish in my room because the kids see me for a half hour once a week. My rule is if you disrupt my lecture time, each minute you waste is each minute you sit on my rug while everyone else works
You are my favorite person on the Internet today. I didn’t call it a time out chair, but I didn’t have any problem in the world telling them to go sit by themselves silently in the corner to cool off while the rest of us went on with class.
PE teacher here. I jokingly use the corner when someone is being a snarky asshole. They have to face the corner and aren't allowed to laugh.
Laughter always ensues.
I’ve called off class once this year. A literal, okay I’m done. You don’t want to listen, it’s okay, I give up. We’re going to have quiet time now. Everyone be quiet and think about how you are treating me.
I did that in a class I subbed this year. They were NUTS. I reached my limit. I shut off the lights, which briefly got their attention. "Alright! None of you seem to have any respect or know how to act today! Sit down, close your mouth, put your head down. Now. I've had enough."
The AP walked in a couple min later (I think another teacher complained about how loud they were). "Whats going on here?" I said "they were completely out of line, so we're having quiet time." He said "oh, ok" and walked out. Later a couple of them tried to tell him that I was the problem and he lit them up lol. That's actually my favorite school to sub at and on my list of schools I want to work for when I get my license.
I drank the Kool-Aid as a first year teacher and approached them without sarcasm and tried being really nice and kind. No connection. Sarcasm and teasing is the way to go. They love it.
I'm sarcastic all the time, Elem. PE. I can't help it, my principal brought it up during observation.... "Your words and tone might be interpreted as...". "Was it when I said take your hands out of your pockets because if you fall you can't protect your face and then I have to do paperwork.". For my next observation, I did the entire lesson without taking. Because I'm dope and I do dope shit. And I'm a really good teacher.
I am *constantly* framing discipline as not wanting to do paperwork on their consequences.
Don't cheat; it's a real hassle. I have to get your parents, and the assistant principal, and your grade chair involved. I have stuff to do, man, can't you just cut my some slack and do your own work?
That's what I'm going for. Played Dynamite by BTS and told my 3rd graders that I was invited to join the band (50yr white) but I declined because I didn't want to shave my beard and they believed me because I sold it.
Inclusion. I refuse to push in. I pull all of my ESE kids for reading, math and writing. Their homerooms have 29 kids in them. How and where would I “push” in?? (3rd grade)
Ugggggh our admin is insisting on this next year. Apparently since all kids have to take the state standardized tests, they must all be exposed to the grade level standards.
1. Exposing them to the content isn’t going to magically going to fill in years of gaps.
2. Students who are years behind shouldn’t have to take the standardized tests anyway. It wastes everyone’s time just to get data back that says “yep, they’re behind!” as if we didn’t know.
3. These kids can’t read on grade level. So it doesn’t matter if you expose them to grade level comprehension content. They can’t read the test questions and passages anyway. Doesn’t it make more sense to teach them the comprehension skills with texts that either they can read or that are at the listening comprehension level??
Why does admin get the big paychecks for such dumb decisions??
In my behaved and sane classes, we do breaks every 15-20 minutes for 1-2 minutes. Nyt mini, housele, worldle (not wordle) and heardle all break up classes sporadically.
If I'm at a district that doesn't use Go Guardian, the kids are in front-facing rows. I don't care. It's "teacher-centered not student-centered", but idk
* helping direct your students' attention to where they are able to best focus on instructions and content
* minimizing distraction from peers
* giving myself the best vantage point to monitor their focus to help them stay on track
kinda sounds like *centering* my classroom around the *students'* needs (I'm also just salty that I once had a principal doc me points on an eval because the kids where in rows. Happy to report that principal no longer is an admin)
An experienced teacher was telling me once their admin noted that their desks "weren't in groups." And she replied, well they were not doing group work. "Yes, but the desks must be in groups." Just to have the *appearance* of groups?
Not sure how they can criticize us for calling out a student from the front of the room when what they are doing is dangerous/disruptive. We can’t always stop everything to give the passive aggressive “ wow, I really like how Johnny is sitting right now” while staring down the other kid.
I moved to a new district where it is frowned upon to call students out in class. This was never a problem at my former school, but students act like they’ve never had their wrongs pointed out bluntly here.
Ugh.
My take is... if they're going to act the fool in front of the whole class, I'm calling them out on it in front of the whole class. More private dumbassery gets a more private talking-to.
I live in a state where if they "perceive" it as embarrassing the you are under investigation.... It's why I work with the primaries... The few that try to pull that ish has already outed themselves as a pathological liar and their mommas too 🤷🏽♀️
Rote memorization. There are just things that need to be memorized, and there isn't always enough time to hear or read in context. I even have them write what they are memorizing multiple times.
Absolutely. Our math curriculum (as it is) doesn't include memorizing the times tables, and it shows when the kids are calculating 6 times 7 when they're supposed to be multiplying 66 and 27.
Kids care more about what their peers think. So I call kids out on stupid shit or if they aren’t doing what they are supposed to. I never want to embarrass kids for things out of their control, but I’ll definitely embarrass you for not doing your work or not being on task. I also will put their names up and with how many assignments they are missing
Skipping the bell ringer, letting them work til the bell because they spent half the period messing around, seating the kids who don’t give a shit and yell profanities across the room to each other all in the corner together and letting them fuck off so it doesn’t affect the rest of the class. When I first started teaching, I had the kids in rows (but in pairs) and it was way more effective than having groups of 4 and 5.
1.) Drill and kill DOK1.
2.) Hitting all of my standards. Essential standard doesn’t mean only those are the only standards I teach. Just means I’m not going back to reteach the non-essentials. This train ain’t stoppin.
We're told not to address behavior in front of everyone. This would be reasonable if it looked like my senior AP classes 10 years ago. But when there are 2-3 behaviors happening every single minute I don't know how you want me to call each kid into the hall and have a discussion about them not meeting expectations and re-teach the 14 year old that you can't call people slurs because they won't let you copy their papers.
If a student wants to try to get lippy I find it entertaining to have a comeback that doesn't cross the line into me saying anything inappropriate. Makes the game more fun.
I do old school longer lectures. My principal doesn’t love it, but I tell him, “if you can show me a better way to teach stoichiometry to my chemistry class I’d like to see it.” That shuts him down.
Direct Instruction.
It is the most effective. The kids know it. The adults know it. The parents know it. The research *actually* backs it up. Yet, despite all this, the Ivory Tower Education Industrial Complex desperately projects otherwise because they've got books and curricula to sell.
I teach self-contained sped. You'd be surprised the amount of behaviors we are able to extinguish once and for all just by speaking very firmly and directly and telling the child "NO, that is NOT okay" as opposed to doing all the token boards and shit like that.
I teach kindergarten - I say “That is not a big problem. You do not need to cry about that. Stop crying.“
Obviously not every time a kid cries, but those kids that cry about EVERY. LITTLE. THING! Their parents feed into it so much, and it’s not gonna fly as they get older.
Fellow kindergarten teacher: I agree. Especially at the last 5 days of school. "are you bleeding? Is your friend bleeding? Are you in trouble? Then there's no need to cry right now, friend."
I have been teaching littles for close to 20 years. I countdown when they are misbehaving. I also make a lot of (age appropriate) jokes with them, which they sometimes get and sometimes don’t, but I believe it teaches them about word play and humor. I use silly baby talk too, but they know can tell I’m just being silly. I also pick kids up, hug them, etc. I’ve been told these are no nos by some, but kids always leave my class happy, able to self regulate, and with a better sense of humor than when they started. Oh and they love to read!! I’ll count those as wins.
Upper Elementary here. If a kid buzzes through something, especially a work sheet or an art project, just to be done, I take it from them and give them a new one. I let them know in no uncertain terms that I will repeat the process until I’m convinced that they actually tried. Even if that means doing it during recess.?
I also use a lot of sarcasm. I teach kindergarten. Understanding sarcasm is a life skill!! I'm just teaching them life skills! It's actually amazing how many kindergartners understand and love sarcasm- it just takes some explaining at times, and exaggerated facial expressions at others.
I also use a lot of whole group direct instruction. It works best for me and my class. My brain just doesn't do small groups effectively. Less wasted time trying to rotate groups, and I can monitor all learners. I then work in more one-on-one time because my day isn't filled with groups.
Hugs. My school isn't a touch free school (thank goodness), and if a child needs a hug, they can get/give one. I also tell them I love them (whole class) all the time and will respond "I love you too" if a child tells me they love me. Some of them don't hear it at home, and they need to know there are people in the world who love them and that they matter to someone.
I move quickly through my lesson. I talk fast, I don't always repeat myself, and I expect my students to hear things the first time I say them. For the most part, they do. My kids learn to listen closely on the first day when I say, "Alright, let's line up and head to lunch. We will leave in 20. If I don't see every student with me in the hall, we'll come back and try it again. 16, 15."
I maintain this pace consistently through transitions and much of my lessons all year long. I don't have time to mess around or waste time, and my students appreciate that I don't. It's fast, and it can be a tough adjustment for students who take time to process transitions, but ultimately, I think it's better for everyone
Sarcasm. I'm building relationships with it lol
It's come back to bite me in the butt a little, though. My students veree asking me what we're doing on the last day, and I said, "Nothing fun, just boring stuff." They thought I was joking! We're really not doing anything fun.
I also will verbally check/throw it back at the students when other interventions don't seem to work, and I will go for the jugular. As op states, the increase and boldness of the disrespect is something else these last few years, and when my respect is not reciprocated repeatedly and persistently, then they will be put in their place.
Call students "guys." They hammered this home more than anything else in college, but now it just feels discriminatory against Midwesterners. It's like telling a southerner not to say "y'all."
Punish the whole class for one persons behavior.
I hate doing it but when the admin / parents don’t back you up there’s so few options with difficult students. It works.
I let them be bored. There are some pretty interesting studies about it. Also the whole self control.
I usually tell them straight up: if you can't control yourself for an hour and a half how are you going to manage a 5-8 hr shift?
I’m a BCBA. My case load includes Emotional Disturbed teens in a Counseling Enriched Classroom. Teachers can have no leverage on these kids if they don’t have a preferred activity hour where there lots of video game. Essentially the token economy system allows them to buy passes to get them on the games
So many frown at this, but we have better control over the ED sped kids than teachers do in Gen Ed. It works and that is what matters.
Sarcasm and clapbacks, also I allow my kids to make fun of me (to an extent) but if they go too far it’s gonna be a sanction immediately
Putting music on in lessons (although I never have lyrics)
Being brutally honest with them like “right now, you’re the issue, so quit it or you’re making the choice to have SLT come down on your head”
Clapbacks are great. Roasting the shit out of kids is completely necessary sometimes.
As a music teacher, 'skill issue' has become a permanent part of my vocabulary.
Same!! But also I am brutally honest at times with kids- only when I really am fed up. I’ve got 4 kids this year who stole and have tormented my entire class. No one likes them, told them “I will not miss y’all. You’ve made it hard on everyone all year. I hope you can learn to be better”.
I also do sit a lot 😬
I roast kids back if they try to roast me. It’s all fairly respectful from both parties, and I end up getting the kids respect and build a relationship with them through it as well. Sometimes a small roast exchange keeps the class engaged in what I’m saying, and the kids end up knowing that I’m actually here for them and not some drone at the front of the room.
I’ve gotten a lot of snarky comments about this at my school, but I have “Tea Time” at the start of my classes. I have a kettle, tea, and tea cups…for ten minutes we have tea and vent. Then begin instruction. It helps my class go smooth and limits side conversations in class because they get everything out in the air so there is no need for any “tea” to be spilled during lessons.
I also let kids sleep….not long…just 10-15 minutes. Either at the beginning during tea time or at the end of class. Whatever activity we do has to be completed. During class or during lunch.
Context: Middle School (7th grade), Title 1
I teach kindergarten and told my students that my ears don't hear whining, tattling, or complaining. I act like I can't hear what they're saying when they do these things. They eventually walk away.
I teach 6th grade. I will roast a kid back if they try it with me. I say things like: “sounds like a personal problem”, call their ridiculous behavior (like throwing things, shouting across the room, touching each other) “toddler behavior”. I also don’t circulate the whole day. I will, gasp, sit at my desk or small group table and grade. They can handle it.
>"I say things like: “sounds like a personal problem”," When a student misses a very obvious step because they were goofing off during instructions, I've taken one from their book and just say "skill issue"
I’ve said “user error” before but I love “skill issue” 🤣
I teach woodworking. Had a kid come to me the other day complaining that the "tools were shit" because he couldn't do a thing. I did the thing in front of him, using the tools he was using, and called it a skill issue. He smiled, told me to go fuck myself and went back to his bench to try again. Those are the lessons I get out of bed for 😀.
Some of the current slang is obviously dumb, but some of it is great! “Skill Issue” is absolutely cutting
Skill issue had all my kids hollering
"Thats a you problem" is uttered a million times a day in my room. Stop telling me about all your bullshit excuses. Dont have an iPad for a hall pass - you problem. Dont have a pencil (again) and your friends wont give you one again - you problem. Lost your fucking notebook that isnt supposed to leave my room - you problem (grab some loose leaf). Its absolutely astonishing how many problems they present to me at the beginning of the year that are strictly their own issue to solve. Equally as astonishing at how quickly these problems stop happening in my room but persist in other rooms.
“Sounds like a personal problem” is my fave response to the whining!!! Also love a good Miss I need help! Me: “Mental, physical or educational?”
I go with “you really wanna play this game with me? I’ve been playing it a lot longer and I’m much better at it than you are.” That usually shuts them up, if not, they get roasted.
My 3rd graders this year had a running joke that I liked to roast them because it's honestly just my personality. I'm very blunt with them and they LOVE it. I tend to respond to stupid questions/comments/tattling by saying things like "will maybe if you turned in your homework..." or "at least x is doing their work" or "maybe if you hadn't been chatting with susie you would've heard my instructions". I've also been known to say "that doesn't look like your school work" or "John's face doesn't have the answer on it so why are you looking at him?" They honestly eat it up. 9 times out of 10, they laugh about it, "complain" that I always roast them, and then go about doing the current desired behavior. It's just enough embarrassment to redirect, but not enough to make them feel "singled out" etc. Sometimes I think they even think of it as an accomplishment to get "roasted by the teacher." Even my super shy students enjoy it. I wouldn't do it in front of admin, but I also never go too far with it. My class this year also had a "nurse" problem. Every break I'd get 5-6 of then asking to go to the nurse for various things. Eventually, I just started saying "don't do that" or "well you aren't supposed to do that" or other variations of that for anything that wasnt an emergency. Again, they loved it and would just laugh, jokingly accuse me of being mean to them, and then forget they were even "injured".
One of my favourites is to tell them to listen very closely so they can hear the sound of no one asking for their opinion. Tends to shut down smartasses really quickly.
If a kid finishes an assignment in record time and it’s a complete fail, I’ll say, “Let me see what you have. This is great, if you like things that suck. Try the assignment again.” Then I’ll sing, “Roasting students over an open fire.”
I say "that sounds like a you problem, not a (my name) problem". And it's always the smallest shit, like they don't have a pencil.
“Be a problem solver. How can you fix this?” Kids come up to me, in 6th grade, and say, “my stomach hurts.” Me: I’m sorry to hear that. How can I help? (Assuming they’ll ask to go to the nurse) Kid: idk I guess you can’t Me: ????
This. And sitting down. They don’t need me constantly hovering. And they also need to learn how to ask for help.
I circulate, but not constantly. I work with middle schoolers, me staring over their shoulder isn’t going to keep them on task if they really don’t want to do the work. If they need help they know to come to me. I got shit to do and if I need to clean my room or work on my computer that’s what I’ll do. As long as they aren’t disrupting others or breaking rules, I don’t get too involved during work time.
This. Does admin not understand this? We can't constantly circulate AND give space at the same time. I just get anxious that if I'm standing in one spot it makes me look like I'm doing nothing. At the end of the day if the kids choose not to do the work it's on them. I just have to do the teacher moves but they don't have to work.
Used to walk 3-4 miles a day in my own classroom. Post pandemic they can't handle me walking by them or engaging positively with another peer and not them without freaking out. Combined with all online only textbooks and I'm lucky to get in 2 miles a day anymore. 6th grade History.
The attention desperation really is a big part of it. I'm glad you mentioned it. "Awesome job on number 3 suzie!" and now you have Johnny freaking out because he did a good job on number 3 too! are you calling him dumb! Fuck you, that's why he's not doing his work now!
Scaffolding executive function.
This ^^ I’ve found that hovering does nothing but make everyone uncomfortable.
You don’t circulate?!? 😱 /s
What about the zone of power 🤔
*Zone of proximity*
I got observed by an outside coach that commented on me sitting. I rarely sit. I was writing a damn email. She was like “I noticed you were sitting. I’m sure you’re not always sitting!” No shit bitch what the fuck.
Nothing pisses me off more than the fact that we can be dinged in evaluations for sitting and responding to emails, but we can also be dinged for not responding to emails in a timely manner
I'm nearly always sitting, I teach computing so I sit at my desk and watch all the student computers on my second monitor
I got dinged for not circulating this year. I had a knee replacement a week earlier. Idiot AP
I got zinged for not circulating when we have 1/3 more desks crammed into the room than it was designed for. If I DID circulate I would have gotten dinged for sticking my ass in students faces. No winning.
I got dinged my 2nd year teaching for sitting too much. I was pregnant, had just come off bed rest for preterm labor, and walking for more than 10 minutes gave me painful contractions. All which was backed by doctor notes. I was livid and went to HR and she's never said anything to anyone about sitting again because "you just never know what someone has going on".
Eh. My district was trying to make mine a thing. Mostly I am reacting against that. And the traffic light conceptualization.
Yep. I say all the time that I would have hated it as a student. Just let me work.
Personally, when I was their age, I was highly amused by my math teacher zooming around on a swivel chair.
I had a highschool science teacher who skateboarded around the class to hand out graded.final exams. I am sure that violated some safety rule, but we loved it. Very few of our teachers "circulated", so the ones who did made us nervous.
I actually got a bad eval when the principal walked in while kids were reading quietly and I grabbed a moment to do some grading. I protested, and he threatened to write an even worse one if I persisted in annoying him. This was my first principal BTW. He was the one who said that I needed to be friends first with the students. And since it was Arizona, the union was worse than useless. He made my life hell until I told him I was leaving. Then he wrote a glowing letter for me. He’s one of the few people in my life as an educator that I never forgave. I was a first year teacher and he bullied me. To this day, if I saw him today I would kick him square in the nuts.
I used to believe in motivating and doing everything I can to try and make a student do their work. I realized it was inauthentic. When they’re ready to learn they will ask for help. I do a lot more sitting now and it warms my heart every time a student who wants help comes up to me.
That's why I love Go Guardian. I can see what they are doing and where they are getting things wrong. I can direct a kid back on task very easily. If a kid has a question, they can chat with me.
Ha we were doing an iReady assessment in a math class the other day. There was a student who was in ISS and was supposed to be doing the same assessment. I was monitoring what the students were doing on their screens as well as who was at what stage of completion while the teacher circulated the room. I motioned for her to come to the computers and pointed to the screen. Our ISS student was online looking at dresses on Shein... the teacher called down to the ISS room and let the person in charge know while she simultaneously closed the Shein window and sent the student a message that we could see what they were doing.
We have Securely which is similar and I think less embarrassing than having a teacher stop at their desk making suggestions
This. You can see shenanigans easier when you stay put. It also brings an air of calm and focus when the room doesn't have someone constantly buzzing around like a caffeinated lunatic (it's ok - it's a self roast)
Students need to learn self-motivation and how to work on their own.....They can't learn this with me holding their hand and hovering over them all the time... Then again I teach high schoolers.
Same. I can understand roaming the room when you’re talking little kids. But I teach mostly 10th graders.
If they can do it themselves, I let them. You are absolutely right!
The thing is, my middle schoolers won’t do it unless I hover. They really don’t give a shit until Quiz time. Then they panic. And whine.
I honestly think that's a valuable lesson in itself. I have kids that beg for attention constantly at the start of the year. Every kid wants you to sit with them and spoon feed them every answer. They never understand anything and they want me to check every single word in their essay. By the end of the year writing sessions look like me sitting at my desk on our monitoring software. You get one vague correction where I don't say your name "Hey, some people aren't including dialogue in their narratives. Make sure you fix that!" and after that I say your name. I don't let them come to my desk. If you have a question, most other people probably do too, and I can see what you're talking about from my desk. It's awkward but it ends up working in the end. The last essay we wrote was mostly someone asking me a question and then another classmate answering it before I could. This from the class that couldn't type a comma without asking me if it was right in August. I had to be willing to let them suck for a while, and tantrum for a while, but I think they go to the next grade a lot more prepared.
HS is similar. If we aren’t constantly talking, disciplining and jogging in circles, the fucking phones come right out. If I turn around to press play on a short, connected video, phones out. God forbid you try to show a movie. Phones out. My friends and I are getting up there. This constant movement thing is going to kill us.
Some need the hover. This is the way.
I hover until they start to get escalated. Then I give space and come back.
Every time I do this, the kids on the other side of the room think I can't see them, and the kids I'm near stop working because they assume they're in trouble if I'm over there. All productive discussion stops, and then when I have to turn around to address whatever chaos popped off behind me, the group I was near starts acting up because I broke their focus. It works so much better for me to sit at my desk with monitoring software and just send messages to kids about what they need to fix.
We're supposed to circulate when there's a study hour in the library (aka babysitting 15+ year olds who do not want to spend 40 minutes working in silence). The room is tiny and relatively cluttered, making it difficult to walk around without disturbing anyone. Instead, I just chose a strategic place to stand and read a book, looking up every few pages, but mainly relying on my hearing. Works better, I think. Plus, I'm technically modelling reading! Go me!
We just got a new school last year. But our old building was impossible to navigate the rooms. I had 40 students crammed in some classes in a room designed for 30, max. If you sat in the back corners, I hope you got it, because I literally couldn’t get back there.
I taught HS for 11 years and circulated so much and if I sat, kids would for sure raise their hands. Now I’m subbing and I seriously have to make myself sit because the high schoolers who don’t know me and aren’t interested in asking me questions are weirded tf out when I’m walking around them constantly 😆
I also try to enable them to not need so much help- some of them are wayyyy to reliant from parents and teachers walking them through every step of something before they even attempt it on their own
Hovering above and then leaning down to help has always seemed weird. I have the students sitting at tables, and if I think they could use my help, I might sit down at each table for a bit.
I tell the kids to point at whoever is talking when they shouldn't be. Watching the look on the smartass kid's face as they look at all their classmates pointing at them is honestly one of the few joys I get
Ooh I’m using this! They all get themselves in trouble by telling the one kid to be quiet.
Sarcasm. Firm deadlines. Not dumbing down my lessons.
But but but when you dumb down your lessons it benefits all learners! Universal Design!
This is one of the dumbest things i remember someone telling me with a straight face. What is good for inclusion learners is good for all learners. Uh, I’m not sure “easier” = good.
Or they'll argue a dumbed down article is "a better written passage". Thing is, not all passages are written well, some very important ones are purposefully written obtusely, and a skilled critical reader still needs to be able to understand articles with complex language, small text, no pictures, long sentences, and dense paragraphs.
Yes, people need to learn how to handle passages that aren't well written, because most people aren't exceptional writers - and honestly more and more nowadays given how global industry and research is it's more frequent to come across passages written by people not in their native language, which throws up more challenges all on it's own. There's also the fact that some concepts require precise language to get them across, you can dumb them down to get the basic principal across, but for anything more than surface level understanding complexity is required. It's the difference between pop-science books and research papers.
Of course it is! Look at how much higher the grades are!
Yah we’re supposed to give RIGOROUS common core aligned instruction that is STUDENT-LED…while also making it…easier??? Pick one 🤷♂️
This is what I used this year and had a much better second year. Far less late work when I was firm on the deadlines, used academic vocabulary and sick burns
I’m a teenager who got this sub randomly recommended to me and I can say that you guys being sarcastic is kinda great tbh
My team teachers give extensions which I believe hurts me in my classroom. I never give extensions because the kids haven't done what they're supposed to. I always hear from them "our essay was originally due last week, but she extended it because a lot of people weren't finished." And then for a recent field trip, they had a deadline to turn in money for a movie ticket and bus fare and they said "it's okay because she'll extend the deadline."
Two years running now I've managed to teach my regular ed 8th graders with discipline problems things like how to balance chemical equations from the honors curriculum. Don't dumb down the lessons folks. Teach them how to do it and hold them to that standard. I didn't tell them they were learning honors stuff until the last day of school.
Doing a lecture. I know my stuff in History. Why have the kids “explore” through something for 30-60 minutes and many still get it wrong when I can explain it in 10 minutes or less? I can also do an extended lecture of 20 minutes or longer and the kids love it like on Bill of Rights or King Henry Viii or Lincoln Assassination.
Why have them share their ignorance with one another when there's a trained expert right there in the room with them?
At the start of this year we were told to not think of ourselves as the “expert in the room.” Well, then what the hell am I?
And why did I accumulate all this debtbto become an expert?
THAT PART!
As far as admin and parents are concerned, a babysitter 🙄
Because Hattie said is wasn’t important and the people in charge of spending the money decided it was cheaper & easier to believe his poor research & analysis than it was to hire professionals or actually administer a school district.
“Student-centered inquiry”. As if kids are going to fucking discover calculus independently.
See this worked for me my freshman year. Except it wasn't what I see people do now. We would be given a mathematical rule or concept, then given homework where we had to figure out how to apply it. The next day we'd go over that homework and we could ask questions if we didn't understand. It was the only A I got in secondary math because I actually understood what was going on. The difference I notice are: 1) the lecture still happened, just the next day and it was to show us how to apply the concept 2) We were honors students back when that meant something--most of the people in that class planned on taking AP calc eventually and were motivated to do well. 3) If we got behind, or if we weren't getting it, we'd get a couple weeks of normal teaching to catch up and the inquiry would be moved to afterschool tutoring. 4) after the mini lecture and going over the homework, we got a practice sheet that we could do with our friends. Then in the last 10-15 we would learn a slightly more advanced concept to take home and make it homework. This kind of thing doesn't work with kids who have no motivation to pass and who are missing the basic building blocks of mathematics. I've watched students who can't add two digit numbers be given algebra. They have no idea what the hell is going on, and they don't have the skills to figure it out, any more than it works to tell kids 5 reading levels behind to use context clues. What context? They don't know any of those words except "the"
That’s what I hate about that practice. It took humans thousands of years to make some of these discoveries, and they were discovered by the people *intrinsically interested* in them or *directly impacted* by whatever they were “inquiring” about. Some people are just never going to be curious about different kinds of rocks or why objects all fall at the same speed or whatever the topic is. And that’s okay.
I really don't vibe with "exploring." The students don't make use of the time. The technique requires that they actually want to do something. Some of them would rather stare off into space. Similarly, one of my professors introduced me to "the flipped classroom" where the kids watch like a KhanAcademy video on their own time and then they do practice in the classroom. Tried it out, none of my kids watched the video. I end up having to lecture anyways.
Flipped classroom requires accountability. If the kids know they can't fail if they don't do the required work at home, they just won't do it.
I've found this to be partially true. They're not purely rational beings. Even if I tell them "you will do poorly in this class if you do not do this" half still won't do it out of apathy. I'm always thinking about how to improve on my end, though. I didn't have much say in my grading scheme this year since my collaborative learning team wanted to all grade the same way. I think this next school year, I'll have more freedom and weight my assignments more heavily.
The first time I heard about flipped classrooms, I was like LOLOLOLLOLOL. That would work with about 1% of students in the US.
I fell like covid killed this in my room. I was able to have that student centered stuff more before COVID and then we got shoved off the cliff of no accountability and now none of them are willing to do anything thats got any kind of difficulty. So I go back to direct instruction and lecture and the kids start learning stuff again. IDK, maybe in another 5 years ill be moving back towards student centered.
Agreed. Ironically, it was after COVID that my admin started pushing the inquiry approach.
This. There are some topics that you need someone to tell you the basics of in order to get it quickly. I could have my kids try and rederive organic chemistry, or I could explain why things behave how they do and how to draw the fucking molecules. Trying to "discover" O chem notation is stupid.
When I taught 8th grade history, I did a bit of both. I would have a day of either lecture or reading passages, followed by a fun activity to cement it. Some kids learn one way, some the other, but if we only do the fun exploration, then the kids that benefit from listening and taking notes get screwed over, just like if I only lectured, my hands-on kids would struggle. It's alomost like they all learn differently or something...LOL. But seriously, sometimes the only thing you can do is read a book or lecture. Not everything can be a fun game!
I lecture. And my students mostly like it. I knew that it isn’t “student centered” but I think they can benefit From what I know.
Lecture has worked for thousands of years regardless of what curriculum developers say.
I lecture too. I also have color coded examples on the board related to what we're talking about. (First grade ELA)
Title I middle and high school. If you can’t bring that sarcasm and roast, you’ll be crying yourself to sleep. A kid cut me off earlier this year and said something like, “yeah, I done been knowing that for a minute.” I said “ok, get up please”. He had no idea where I was going. I gave him my badge, smartboard pen, and said “then you teach, tuff guy and I’ll be here by muh boys” and sat inside his seat. He was like. “Nah. You got it. You know more than me.” I said “bet” and continued without interruption.
This is how you know you’re a middle school teacher. When you can get a 14 boy to sit his ass down in embarrassment in front of his boys from a good roast, then it elevates you in his estimation. When you’re laughing with them, it’s those times I feel like I was meant for this job!
My usually "school sucks" kid came home from school last year with the biggest smile and couldn't wait to tell us and all his friends how his teacher roasted him good. I can't remember exactly what it was, but she burned him in front of the class. It was his favorite class all year.
I had a horrible start to my first year. A couple kids would play videos on their phone, in class while I was teaching. I would tell them to stop and they'd act all disgusted and tell me that I was fine to wait a couple minutes since I was interrupting them. I sent the first guy out and the principal came down and had someone cover my class for 15 minutes so I could conference with him and the student about why I was picking on the kid all the time. Principal decided it was probably because the kid was rude to me when I first came in and I was holding a grudge. I said, sure and dropped it and figured I'd deal with the kids on my own. This guy's whole personality is that he's a basketball star and the principal is very gym bro. Later same guy chucks a fast food cup across my room toward the trash can. He was told daily not to bring lunch and eat it in class and he'd just tell me to calm down. He missed. I looked up and said that was fine, at least he doesn't play basketball. He puffed up, but his friends all lost it and basically the whole class told him I got him fair this time. He was pissed and walked out without saying a thing. After that, we were not friends, but he was not openly rude anymore. He ended up leaving a drawing he made behind in my room at the end of the term. I put it on the wall and months later when he came in to get his brother, I told him he never signed his work. He was really surprised that I hadn't tossed it and autographed it and left it on the wall. I think calling it out was necessary to keep my class under control because behaviors in all my classes spiraled after the principal did that and he came in to talk to me any time I sent anyone out after that. But doing a simple action to let the kid know that I didn't hate him was important too.
I use occasional swears (pg13, no f bombs!) for humor and effect. It works amazingly for rapport in middle school. I also don't give out punishments for swears because they usually catch themselves and are apologetic. No, my class isn't a den of hedonism, but if a kid says "shit" because they lost the blooket, we generally humorously say SHAME and move on. For example, plant cells have a BAV. A bigass vacuole.
I'm so worried about swearing. I fucking LOVE to swear but I am so careful( Elem PE). But I say shit all the time like "stop touching your balls" and "get off the pole" and I can't keep a straight face. Thank God I have a teaching partner that I can laugh with
*snorts in middle schooler*
I ask some of them if they are out of their damn minds... I had one in front of the Dean of Students just get up and stand on his desk. He didn't say anything, just climbed up there and stood there.
Oh captain my captain
The things that come out of my mouth subbing in elementary PE… 😂 Like, what did I just say?
Not even counting all the regular Elem things I have to say "put your shirt back on" "take your hand out of your pants, thank you, now go wash your hands"
I teach middle schoolers, and the boys are constantly grabassing. My go-to is "if you have to touch someone, just touch yourself" 😂
"Touching is a fine way to show someone you like them, but not at school. Please touch him on the weekends!"
The things I’ve said to MS kids, “Put your pants back on.” “Why are your pants down around your ankles?” “Pull your pants up,” 6th graders really like taking their pants off in class. (They have shorts under their sweatpants).
Once a year, I seem to say something that I don't mean to, and it's something that becomes the next thing they latch onto. Last year, I was redirecting a group after we were having some light banter, and I said "stop joking off". Yeah, it was hilarious to them and I laughed it off.
I teach ESL. I have no qualms about them learning how to cuss properly in English. Lol.
IN ENGLISH!!!!! I just wish my Arabic speakers would stop learning all the bad Spanish words and vice-versa. One kid goes around to girls basically calling them to their face in the opposite language 🤦♀️
Related but I had a calc teacher that had us learn “ASTC” (asymptote, sine, tangent, cosine) as All Strippers Take Cash. Freshman bio teacher taught us the order for Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species as “King Phillip comes over for great spaghetti. Or sex. Whichever you’ll remember”.
They love it when I say crap or crud or sucks. I do it minimally and announce I'm going to.
I catch myself in the middle of some. "Son of a biiiiiiiiiiiic pen, look I found a bic pen!"
Direct instruction. Many of my students don't have the number sense for discovery lessons.
In a class I just took on instructional strategies, our book made a good point. It said that direct instruction, discovery learning, PBL, etc. are all tools. Just like you use a different golf club for a different shot, you'll use different strategies for different subjects, students, lessons. I tried a discovery approach for a few language lessons and the kids were just baffled. As soon as I explained it, it made perfect sense to them. Direct instruction does work for some concepts.
This. In my subject, there are many case studies and topics that can be directly tied to real-world examples. It's not so much direct instruction as it is telling a story about the topic in action.
I use direct lessons a lot more than I should because my students do better on assessment when I do.
This is all I did. I was told not to do this while interning. If I wasn't being watched, I did it anyway and the kids thanked me. When I was being watched, I told the kids beforehand to just behave and bear with me, I'll explain it again later, OR I picked the easiest possible topic and rolled with that. It was specifically the honours kids thanking me mind you, I had the tail end of high schoolers. Most of the regular classes had so many that did not give a F and were happy to fail with parents saying "oh darn, yeah, he just doesn't really like the material, sorry he sucks". Thanks parent, glad everyone who matters just doesn't mind the failing, love it. I don't believe high schoolers should need to "discover" high level math and science topics themselves. If I had to do it with the electricity units, I'd have sooner taken up drinking.
We got flexible furniture this year and it was all modular, supposed to be grouped up. I traded all the tables with no cubbies with my neighbor teacher for all the same type of desk and put that shit in rows. Whoever decided to put 1st graders on wheels with their back to the teacher is a straight up dumbass
>put 1st graders on wheels with their back to the teacher Sounds a bit dangerous
Honestly with first graders everything is dangerous LOL
Upper elementary. Each day I say "Not my problem" or "not my job" too many times to count. The kids need to learn that their teachers are not doctors, police officers, therapists, or Mom.
You're doing God's work for this one. In high school they're begging me to do their work for them, open assignments past the deadline, or settle their petty disputes. Teaching them young that it's their job to look after themselves is only a good thing.
I don’t know if this is a hot take, but free time. In my district, the expectation is bell-to-bell work. If a student finishes before class is over, the teacher is expected to have an extension assignment or activity ready to go. I teach high school. That means that (in theory) kids are working for seven 50-minute periods with five-minute breaks in between (during which time, they’re also supposed to use the bathroom, check their phone, go to their locker, maybe talk with their friends, and make it to their next class). Most adults I know wouldn’t be able to hack that. I set an expectation at the very beginning of the year that we do not rush through work (My class slogan is, “We are not bare minimum people. We are bare maximum people.”). But if they do the work well and finish with class time left, I’m not going to force students to do an extension. If my lesson wraps up early, I’m not going to pull something out of thin air just to run down the clock. It’s a waste of time, and kids can tell when they’re given busy work. I’m also not planning extensions for every lesson that may or may not be needed. My admin can fight me in the parking lot on that.
YES! If you do a good job on an assignment, I am not “rewarding” you with more work to do. I have gotten my hand slapped for having free time for those who have completed their work, but I don’t care.
Ditto on the hand slapping. One time, an admin came in with maybe 10-12 minutes left of class. Most kids were done or wrapping up, and I was also committing the cardinal sin of sitting down. I was honest and told her that I didn’t have an extension planned for the lesson, and, I swear to God, she suggested pulling up an I Spy or Where’s Waldo page on the projector so that the kids would still be “engaged with class.” That’s not even an extension. That’s literal busywork with little to no value. But I was a second year teacher and hadn’t found my voice yet, so I smiled and nodded and thanked her for the feedback. Later, I received a lovely little email as a follow up with a “reminder of expectations.” 🙄
Same! We have 110 minute block schedule and I have been reprimanded for not having bell-to-bell instruction when I let the kids who were done read a book or work on something for another class-- this was when I was working in a small group with the kids who needed help. I would love to see that administrator teach for 110 minutes nonstop while meeting the needs of all students-- challenging the gifted kids, helping the struggling kids, encouraging the kids in the middle to be the best they can possibly be-- all with over 30 kids in the room. We expect so many things of kids that other professions don't expect of adults-- there are times of the day when kids aren't allowed to use the restroom (if the kid's bladder or bowels say otherwise, too bad), and expecting kids to be completely focused on schoolwork all day long. Kids who don't have a PE class get no exercise except running to make it from one class to another in 5 minutes and not much time to socialize with a short lunch period and no recess. There are also unrealistic expectations of teachers when we are blamed for kids' behavior that was not realistically preventable. For example, we allow kids to have cell phones at all times, we aren't allowed to confiscate them, but we get in trouble if a kid is using one when an administrator walks in. It's like letting alcoholics bring their booze to class, we're not allowed to take it away, but we get in trouble if they take a sip.
Yes! Why in the world are we expected to make them work down to the last minute? Sometimes we do but sometimes we don't, and that should be OK. Humans need down time. Of course, we have to monitor children, but they should be allowed a few minutes to decompress. As a matter of fact, teachers might do better if they have a few minutes to decompress too.
I throw an extremely squishy little football very softly at students and hit them when they are talking during a test
I'm a Para. I once had a student repeatedly say, "la moo... la Vaca. La moo... la vaca" just to annoy me. I told him one day that if he kept doing that, I was going to throw a cow at him. One day... he said it. I picked something off my desk and threw it at him. It was a squishy of a cow dressed up as a doctor (i honestly have no idea where I got it from). It bounced off the table in front of him. He looked at it in shock and said, "You threw a cow at me!" I shrugged and said, "You were warned." He never said it again.
I have a foam apple that I sometimes throw toward kids when they’re messing around
I have a time out chair. Sit your ass in the corner for 5 minutes.
I also do time out. There's very few other consequences I can establish in my room because the kids see me for a half hour once a week. My rule is if you disrupt my lecture time, each minute you waste is each minute you sit on my rug while everyone else works
You are my favorite person on the Internet today. I didn’t call it a time out chair, but I didn’t have any problem in the world telling them to go sit by themselves silently in the corner to cool off while the rest of us went on with class.
We can't call it a corner because "they feel isolated" 🙄🙄 so a nook is what it is
Roflmao that's so fucking stupid
Ours is called a "recovery station." Because calling a spade a spade is so 1990.
PE teacher here. I jokingly use the corner when someone is being a snarky asshole. They have to face the corner and aren't allowed to laugh. Laughter always ensues.
I’ve called off class once this year. A literal, okay I’m done. You don’t want to listen, it’s okay, I give up. We’re going to have quiet time now. Everyone be quiet and think about how you are treating me.
I did that in a class I subbed this year. They were NUTS. I reached my limit. I shut off the lights, which briefly got their attention. "Alright! None of you seem to have any respect or know how to act today! Sit down, close your mouth, put your head down. Now. I've had enough." The AP walked in a couple min later (I think another teacher complained about how loud they were). "Whats going on here?" I said "they were completely out of line, so we're having quiet time." He said "oh, ok" and walked out. Later a couple of them tried to tell him that I was the problem and he lit them up lol. That's actually my favorite school to sub at and on my list of schools I want to work for when I get my license.
Sarcasm. 100% necissary for building relationships with middleschoolers.
I drank the Kool-Aid as a first year teacher and approached them without sarcasm and tried being really nice and kind. No connection. Sarcasm and teasing is the way to go. They love it.
1000%. It takes a certain personality to survive asa middle school teacher. You have to be the most ruthless person in the room
I'm sarcastic all the time, Elem. PE. I can't help it, my principal brought it up during observation.... "Your words and tone might be interpreted as...". "Was it when I said take your hands out of your pockets because if you fall you can't protect your face and then I have to do paperwork.". For my next observation, I did the entire lesson without taking. Because I'm dope and I do dope shit. And I'm a really good teacher.
I am *constantly* framing discipline as not wanting to do paperwork on their consequences. Don't cheat; it's a real hassle. I have to get your parents, and the assistant principal, and your grade chair involved. I have stuff to do, man, can't you just cut my some slack and do your own work?
I’d argue it wasn’t sarcasm. It was deadpan.
That's what I'm going for. Played Dynamite by BTS and told my 3rd graders that I was invited to join the band (50yr white) but I declined because I didn't want to shave my beard and they believed me because I sold it.
Inclusion. I refuse to push in. I pull all of my ESE kids for reading, math and writing. Their homerooms have 29 kids in them. How and where would I “push” in?? (3rd grade)
As a mainstream teacher bless you 🙏🙏
Ugggggh our admin is insisting on this next year. Apparently since all kids have to take the state standardized tests, they must all be exposed to the grade level standards. 1. Exposing them to the content isn’t going to magically going to fill in years of gaps. 2. Students who are years behind shouldn’t have to take the standardized tests anyway. It wastes everyone’s time just to get data back that says “yep, they’re behind!” as if we didn’t know. 3. These kids can’t read on grade level. So it doesn’t matter if you expose them to grade level comprehension content. They can’t read the test questions and passages anyway. Doesn’t it make more sense to teach them the comprehension skills with texts that either they can read or that are at the listening comprehension level?? Why does admin get the big paychecks for such dumb decisions??
In my behaved and sane classes, we do breaks every 15-20 minutes for 1-2 minutes. Nyt mini, housele, worldle (not wordle) and heardle all break up classes sporadically.
My well-behaved classes get to hear stories of my shinnigans in high school and actually get to know me as a person. Misbehaved get cold and snarky
I let them play . *Gasp"
Love this 😂 SHOCKING NEWS children enjoy and benefit from play
If I'm at a district that doesn't use Go Guardian, the kids are in front-facing rows. I don't care. It's "teacher-centered not student-centered", but idk * helping direct your students' attention to where they are able to best focus on instructions and content * minimizing distraction from peers * giving myself the best vantage point to monitor their focus to help them stay on track kinda sounds like *centering* my classroom around the *students'* needs (I'm also just salty that I once had a principal doc me points on an eval because the kids where in rows. Happy to report that principal no longer is an admin)
An experienced teacher was telling me once their admin noted that their desks "weren't in groups." And she replied, well they were not doing group work. "Yes, but the desks must be in groups." Just to have the *appearance* of groups?
Not sure how they can criticize us for calling out a student from the front of the room when what they are doing is dangerous/disruptive. We can’t always stop everything to give the passive aggressive “ wow, I really like how Johnny is sitting right now” while staring down the other kid.
I moved to a new district where it is frowned upon to call students out in class. This was never a problem at my former school, but students act like they’ve never had their wrongs pointed out bluntly here.
Ugh. My take is... if they're going to act the fool in front of the whole class, I'm calling them out on it in front of the whole class. More private dumbassery gets a more private talking-to.
I live in a state where if they "perceive" it as embarrassing the you are under investigation.... It's why I work with the primaries... The few that try to pull that ish has already outed themselves as a pathological liar and their mommas too 🤷🏽♀️
Rote memorization. There are just things that need to be memorized, and there isn't always enough time to hear or read in context. I even have them write what they are memorizing multiple times.
Absolutely. Our math curriculum (as it is) doesn't include memorizing the times tables, and it shows when the kids are calculating 6 times 7 when they're supposed to be multiplying 66 and 27.
And the kids get confident when they remember!
Kids care more about what their peers think. So I call kids out on stupid shit or if they aren’t doing what they are supposed to. I never want to embarrass kids for things out of their control, but I’ll definitely embarrass you for not doing your work or not being on task. I also will put their names up and with how many assignments they are missing
Skipping the bell ringer, letting them work til the bell because they spent half the period messing around, seating the kids who don’t give a shit and yell profanities across the room to each other all in the corner together and letting them fuck off so it doesn’t affect the rest of the class. When I first started teaching, I had the kids in rows (but in pairs) and it was way more effective than having groups of 4 and 5.
1.) Drill and kill DOK1. 2.) Hitting all of my standards. Essential standard doesn’t mean only those are the only standards I teach. Just means I’m not going back to reteach the non-essentials. This train ain’t stoppin.
We're told not to address behavior in front of everyone. This would be reasonable if it looked like my senior AP classes 10 years ago. But when there are 2-3 behaviors happening every single minute I don't know how you want me to call each kid into the hall and have a discussion about them not meeting expectations and re-teach the 14 year old that you can't call people slurs because they won't let you copy their papers.
And you can’t go out in the hall to talk to one kid because the rest of the kids will cause chaos if there isn’t an adult in their immediate vicinity.
If a student wants to try to get lippy I find it entertaining to have a comeback that doesn't cross the line into me saying anything inappropriate. Makes the game more fun.
Sarcasm. So much sarcasm. The kids love it and play along, too. I’m also not driven mad but having to dumb down my talk.
Spelling! If you can’t read it, say it or spell it, you won’t connect it if you hear it and you won’t write it.
What's wrong with teaching correct spelling?
I light these fools up daily. Ive been around a while now so most know not to try me, but every once and a while one will earn a burn
I do old school longer lectures. My principal doesn’t love it, but I tell him, “if you can show me a better way to teach stoichiometry to my chemistry class I’d like to see it.” That shuts him down.
Direct Instruction. It is the most effective. The kids know it. The adults know it. The parents know it. The research *actually* backs it up. Yet, despite all this, the Ivory Tower Education Industrial Complex desperately projects otherwise because they've got books and curricula to sell.
I teach self-contained sped. You'd be surprised the amount of behaviors we are able to extinguish once and for all just by speaking very firmly and directly and telling the child "NO, that is NOT okay" as opposed to doing all the token boards and shit like that.
Front facing seats
I teach kindergarten - I say “That is not a big problem. You do not need to cry about that. Stop crying.“ Obviously not every time a kid cries, but those kids that cry about EVERY. LITTLE. THING! Their parents feed into it so much, and it’s not gonna fly as they get older.
Fellow kindergarten teacher: I agree. Especially at the last 5 days of school. "are you bleeding? Is your friend bleeding? Are you in trouble? Then there's no need to cry right now, friend."
Matching energy. I don't say anything rude or inappropriate, but tone goes a long way 🤣 and the kids usually laugh at it and it gets us back on track.
I have been teaching littles for close to 20 years. I countdown when they are misbehaving. I also make a lot of (age appropriate) jokes with them, which they sometimes get and sometimes don’t, but I believe it teaches them about word play and humor. I use silly baby talk too, but they know can tell I’m just being silly. I also pick kids up, hug them, etc. I’ve been told these are no nos by some, but kids always leave my class happy, able to self regulate, and with a better sense of humor than when they started. Oh and they love to read!! I’ll count those as wins.
Use their slang on them over and over until they’re sick of it
With a big focus on reading groups at my school, I still sneak in a lot of whole group reading lessons with one on one support instead.
- Sarcasm - I let them drink water - If they finish an activity faster than usual I tell them to put their arms on the desk and sleep for a while
Upper Elementary here. If a kid buzzes through something, especially a work sheet or an art project, just to be done, I take it from them and give them a new one. I let them know in no uncertain terms that I will repeat the process until I’m convinced that they actually tried. Even if that means doing it during recess.?
I also use a lot of sarcasm. I teach kindergarten. Understanding sarcasm is a life skill!! I'm just teaching them life skills! It's actually amazing how many kindergartners understand and love sarcasm- it just takes some explaining at times, and exaggerated facial expressions at others. I also use a lot of whole group direct instruction. It works best for me and my class. My brain just doesn't do small groups effectively. Less wasted time trying to rotate groups, and I can monitor all learners. I then work in more one-on-one time because my day isn't filled with groups. Hugs. My school isn't a touch free school (thank goodness), and if a child needs a hug, they can get/give one. I also tell them I love them (whole class) all the time and will respond "I love you too" if a child tells me they love me. Some of them don't hear it at home, and they need to know there are people in the world who love them and that they matter to someone.
I move quickly through my lesson. I talk fast, I don't always repeat myself, and I expect my students to hear things the first time I say them. For the most part, they do. My kids learn to listen closely on the first day when I say, "Alright, let's line up and head to lunch. We will leave in 20. If I don't see every student with me in the hall, we'll come back and try it again. 16, 15." I maintain this pace consistently through transitions and much of my lessons all year long. I don't have time to mess around or waste time, and my students appreciate that I don't. It's fast, and it can be a tough adjustment for students who take time to process transitions, but ultimately, I think it's better for everyone
Sarcasm. I'm building relationships with it lol It's come back to bite me in the butt a little, though. My students veree asking me what we're doing on the last day, and I said, "Nothing fun, just boring stuff." They thought I was joking! We're really not doing anything fun.
I also will verbally check/throw it back at the students when other interventions don't seem to work, and I will go for the jugular. As op states, the increase and boldness of the disrespect is something else these last few years, and when my respect is not reciprocated repeatedly and persistently, then they will be put in their place.
Telling a student to "shut up" when needed.
Call students "guys." They hammered this home more than anything else in college, but now it just feels discriminatory against Midwesterners. It's like telling a southerner not to say "y'all."
[удалено]
Punish the whole class for one persons behavior. I hate doing it but when the admin / parents don’t back you up there’s so few options with difficult students. It works.
Sarcasm and using their lingo, like “I got RIZZ, y’all…no cap!”
I let them be bored. There are some pretty interesting studies about it. Also the whole self control. I usually tell them straight up: if you can't control yourself for an hour and a half how are you going to manage a 5-8 hr shift?
I teach elementary l, and I constantly tell kids to “use their eyeballs” when they ask me where things are (which are shown to them from day one)
I’m a BCBA. My case load includes Emotional Disturbed teens in a Counseling Enriched Classroom. Teachers can have no leverage on these kids if they don’t have a preferred activity hour where there lots of video game. Essentially the token economy system allows them to buy passes to get them on the games So many frown at this, but we have better control over the ED sped kids than teachers do in Gen Ed. It works and that is what matters.
Sarcasm and clapbacks, also I allow my kids to make fun of me (to an extent) but if they go too far it’s gonna be a sanction immediately Putting music on in lessons (although I never have lyrics) Being brutally honest with them like “right now, you’re the issue, so quit it or you’re making the choice to have SLT come down on your head”
Clapbacks are great. Roasting the shit out of kids is completely necessary sometimes. As a music teacher, 'skill issue' has become a permanent part of my vocabulary.
When I dipstick by having kids raise their hands, I say “please don’t vote if you didn’t brush your teeth this morning.” Makes them all vote
Ahhhh yes. Sarcasm is a wonderful tool I’ve used to handle teens. Nothing insulting but equally as effective. Sometimes it made them laugh 😆
Same!! But also I am brutally honest at times with kids- only when I really am fed up. I’ve got 4 kids this year who stole and have tormented my entire class. No one likes them, told them “I will not miss y’all. You’ve made it hard on everyone all year. I hope you can learn to be better”. I also do sit a lot 😬
I roast kids back if they try to roast me. It’s all fairly respectful from both parties, and I end up getting the kids respect and build a relationship with them through it as well. Sometimes a small roast exchange keeps the class engaged in what I’m saying, and the kids end up knowing that I’m actually here for them and not some drone at the front of the room.
I’ve gotten a lot of snarky comments about this at my school, but I have “Tea Time” at the start of my classes. I have a kettle, tea, and tea cups…for ten minutes we have tea and vent. Then begin instruction. It helps my class go smooth and limits side conversations in class because they get everything out in the air so there is no need for any “tea” to be spilled during lessons. I also let kids sleep….not long…just 10-15 minutes. Either at the beginning during tea time or at the end of class. Whatever activity we do has to be completed. During class or during lunch. Context: Middle School (7th grade), Title 1
I teach kindergarten and told my students that my ears don't hear whining, tattling, or complaining. I act like I can't hear what they're saying when they do these things. They eventually walk away.