I have a particular challenge with my second period. We are on a block schedule so we are in our class for 1.5 hours. On my second block is when we have lunch, and unfortunately, lunch cuts into the middle of this period. It is not an issue getting the kids focused at the beginning of class, but after lunch it’s a different matter. Currently our bells don’t work, as it was damaged by a thunderstorm. Because we have no bell, my students will roll in at different times and the last ones to come in from lunch are the ones that tend to be most disruptive. What ever conversation they were having at lunch, it spills over to the classroom, especially if it is full of drama. It may take me between 10-15 minutes to get everyone to refocus on any task.
This second period class is the class that I have the ring leaders of behavioral issues. You know how you have 1 student where they do just enough mischief and to you it doesn’t seem enough to refer them to any kind of worthy discipline, I have 5 of those kids in the 2nd period. Three of these kids have an IEP, and I can honestly say that only 1 requires it and the other 2 are using it as an excuse. Talk to me my fellow teachers! What can I do, what can I do?
Well, I don't know what exactly you teach, but I have one class where three days a week lunch is in the middle. I started noticing that my class was coming back from lunch really "chatty" and not wanting to do work. Something that I've done recently, is tell them before they go to lunch what they will be doing after lunch. Whether it is an assignment/review/powerpoint, I let them know some is going to be due. Another thing I started doing was introducing my lab with a short review, then they go to lunch, and when they come back the students know there is a car in the shop ready for them to work on. They actually started almost running back to my class a few times. I think the "hands-on" after lunch helps the most. But, I don't give them the "hands-on" before lunch because that is the intruduction or review part. Something else I started was going up to the lunch room, and all of my automotive students sit together. I sit with them and chat for a few minutes, then I go back. We sit and talk about car shows, racing events, which show is coming up this weekend, etc. Now, their "chatting" time about cars got used up in lunch instead of my class! I don't know if you have the same situation as I do, but my period over lunch are my advanced students and they love automotive.
ReplyDeleteI have another really talkative class, with several ESEP students. I suppose if you can't do some type of lab after lunch, maybe have a "silent" assignment. On a day I'm really worn out, I write on my whiteboard "silent assignment" due in 30 minutes. The students either assume I'm sick, in a bad mood, or I have a headache. I take role silently, and I don't say a word to them, but just motion for them to sit and be quiet, or I nod. It never failed though. I would literally get 20 minutes of silence, and they would complete their assignment! Make it a competition. Some of my really bad behavioral problem students I started telling them "It's not your turn to talk right now". or "I know you have something to say, but it's really not your time right now. Let me finish then I'll let you talk" I got those line from a mom of one of my other students last year. It worked great for me. I've noticed that if I talk really quietly to a student that is disrupting my class it goes a lot further than to tell him over the whole class. Good Luck.