My second period class talked through Channel One News and got quizzed on it (which they usually don't). Then they talked through my warning that they will have to write summaries about it next time they talk through it, so I'm having them WRITE the short story they are supposed to be reading today, all 31 of the students, all 7 pages of "The Interlopers". They kept talking, so now they have to write it twice...and for a test grade... When are thy going to learn.
That's horrible! I would go mad if I had a class like that. But I think your approach to correcting the situation is a good one. Maybe one day you should casually mention "pop-quiz" and see how they do on that...
I had a professor who did something to a class once. He had a class that would not stop talking so he came in and quietly mumbled that they would have a test the next day, over a certain chapter, then he dismissed class(You could do it at the end of class). The next day they came in and he passed out the test. When they began to complain he simply said he announed it yesterday. HE said that kept them quiet for a few weeks because they never knew when they were going to have a test or not.
Kids were already coming in to class and asking if it really happened...and the last class was the quietest I;ve ever heard them. We had a little discussion at the end of class as to how this can be avoided in the future as well.
She also made the enitre class write sentences for being loud earlier this year. She then got four phone calls from parents comlaining that "it wasn't my kid". She is quitting after this year.
Is this her first year teaching? You see, when I "modified" the assignment, they still read the story, just like in my lesson plans. They just happened to read it while they were writing it.
No, it's her 8th. She teaches art. Not much reading material there. The principal complained to her too. She told her that art "has to be fun."
Just a suggestion...Have her throw in an "interdisciplinary lesson" and have them write research papers on artists!!! Oh, and thell her principal to kiss MY ass!
I don't get parents these day's, they are definatly teaching the whole pass the buck routine. It couldn't be MY child, it must be the way you teach. I can tell it is really starting to effect teachers too because when I called my daughters teacher to discuss a subject that she was having trouble with, the teacher just wouldn't stop about how happy she was that was so involved in my childs education and how most parents ignore the problems their kids have in school. I don't even work in the same state that my child goes to school in and I can show more interest than most local parents. They really need to start making people get a license before they can procreate.
I really think that we need to bring back corporal(sp?) punishment. I know that sometimes it gets taken too far, but all I know is that I have only had to spank each of my kids once. Now all it takes is the threat and they get back in line.
I agree with PEF. Both of my parents are teachers (dad is retired and mom teaches at a junior college) and my sister is a high school French teacher - which means I am the only one in the family, who is not a teacher. The discipline part would be the hardest for me. Now a days, you can't discipline kids like you could when I was going through school. The 2 worst things you could do would be to paddle them or call their parents. But paddling them now can get you sued , and calling their parents don't help either because as PEF said, the parents want to pass the buck and not take any responsibility. Teaching is easily the most underpaid and underappreciated profession out there. Takes a very special person to do it - and I know I am not that person, heh.
I lived in Saudi Arabia for like 5 years, and also went to an Indian School for 2 years. Kids got spanked, beat, abused left and right. Many times it would be a scrawny ass lady taking a ruler and hitting a 6-3 buff guy. I mean I always thought that if that was me I would jsut hit her back and step on her face, because many teachers do abuse the power to use corporal punishment, and you know damn well that would happen here too. And the Ironic thing is that Corporal punishment was banned by both the schools and the gov's, but everyone turned their heads. Even when kids went and told their parents It was like"it was probably your fault". I do agree that parents need to stop backing their kids on even the most obvious of crimes. For example, the valedictorian of our class got caught cheating with 5 others on an exam, and her parents called the school, and warned em from punishing her or esle they would slap a lawsuit, well she is the only one off the punishment, while the others, whose parents knew they cheated, got Zero's for that assignment and also got suspended from any after school activities.
It's not even that. There is all kinds of bureaucracy when it comes to controlling a classroom. Detention Hall (or whatever you call it) is not even a threat anymore. Where my wife works, she is discouraged to send kinds to the principal's office. They want the teacher to handle everything. If you do send them down, you don't even know if the office will even do anything to punish the kid. Also, each time you correct a kid you have to write it down to show proof. And don't forget that kids these days are just plain stupid. Your Tylers, Taylors, and Katelyns are a bunch of morons. Teachers don't teach, they baby sit.
That is one of the main problems. In our society the parents would be saying "it is the teachers fault you didn't behave, now let me call the Texas Hammer and sue the hell out of the district."
