Going into my job as a newbie teacher, I already had a lot of my teaching skills down. Interning for only a single semester allows you to at least get a feel for things and learn the ropes. However, as an intern, there is one thing you don’t really get a good feel for, and that is classroom management. The truth of the matter is that, no matter how much experience you think you’re gaining as an intern, that is not your classroom. The basic rules, procedures, and expectations have already been set before your arrival, not to mention that you have a supervisor as backup if the occasion calls for it. Starting from scratch with your own classroom is somewhat of a daunting experience. There’s a lot of trial and error involved. Because of all of this, I came into my job knowing that classroom management would be my biggest professional area of growth this year. As this school year nears its close, I figure it’s time to reflect on some of these experiences.
I think the real reason that I started to reflect on this is because I finally had a major success in my 8th period class. I’ve mentioned this class before. So many of the kids in that class don’t care, and there is an extreme lack of respect. They don’t really take anything seriously, even some of the brighter kids. To illustrate, the other day, I had my students in all classes work together on a test review. This means that they could move around and get in groups. This went pretty well most of the day, but then 8th period rolled around… I think I had a grand total of 4 students out of 24 actually on-task and working that hour. I was trying to circulate around the room and help kids when I got that feeling…the feeling when you look around you and see the chaos, the kind of chaos that isn’t a result of kids working together and being argumentative about the subject matter. Even in a PBL setting, this kind of chaos is surely the bane of any teacher’s sanity. One big problem is that by 8th period, I’m often so tired that I just try my best to get through the rest of the day, which leads to me just kinda doing my best in the moment to suppress any issues and eagerly await the end of school.
I think the absurd idiocy that comprised the chaos that day caused something to snap inside of me. I was angry. Truly angry. I’ve gotten worked up and pissed off at my kids before (usually while grading tests at home), but I usually cool off before I get an opportunity to let them have it. I decided that I was just going to have to treat this class differently. They would always be in assigned seating until the end of the year unless working on a project, in which case I would choose their groups for them. No flexibility, no negotiations, no exceptions. There is always so much unnecessary commentary when I try to give lessons to that class, and if I loosen up for a mere 2 seconds, they start acting up. So, I decided that I would also have to turn into a complete tyrant during lectures for their own sakes as well as mine. They forced my hand. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve come to this conclusion before, and I’ve tried to attain Tyrant Form on numerous occasions with minor successes here and there, but this time, there was something that took it to the next level.
So the next day, I started off the class period with a harsh lecture, informing them of their punishment for being impish turds. I somehow managed to get almost every kid in there to get out their test review and follow along with me as we went over problems. This is unprecedented in that class. Even kids that never participate were being active. So, what was it that I did differently? I don’t really think it was entirely my actions that gave me control of that rowdy bunch. I do think that part of it was staying on top of them the entire time. I would address every minor transgression that occurred, letting absolutely nothing slide. I usually tended to avoid doing this, because with all of the sneaky whispers (and occasional text) and inappropriate behavior, we’d never get anything done if I had to stop to correct all of the non-disruptive kids that were at least quiet about being off-task. With other classes, I can just use simple techniques like proximity control or even eye contact. No words are necessary when you give students the look, and moving closer in proximity to students who are trying to be sneaky about something usually causes them to abort whatever they were up to. Unfortunately, proximity control never really worked on 8th period. I could stand right behind two talking girls, and they would just keep going, ignoring the fact that not only was I lecturing, but that they were under my close scrutiny for being disruptive and off-task. The look is actually mildly amusing to them. After all, this is the legendary terrible group of kids that made their 5th grade teacher retire, and they tend to make every teacher that has taught them shudder when they recall their experiences with this bunch.
Anyway, it seems like it isn’t entirely my actions and words that gave me control that day. I’ve been harsh and unrelenting with them before, to varying degrees of success. I think what sealed the deal was my presence. Somehow I was able to project to them that I meant business, and my presence gave weight to my actions and words, a gravity that pulled them in and kept them under my control for the duration of class. What’s the secret to summoning this powerful aura of command? Now that I’ve learned of its existence, can I summon it at will? Is it like turning Super Saiyan? The first time is really rough and intense, but after that, you can just kinda gather that power? That remains to be seen, I suppose.
Managing the environment to prevent and discourage misbehavior is a good first step to classroom management, and there are a variety of techniques that teachers employ to maintain their control over the classroom. For instance, you can arrange seating for minimal individual distractions. However, I’ve learned that gaining and maintaining control over a rough crowd requires much more than that. So much relies on how you convey your will, and keeping a powerful, confident, and unrelenting presence can go a long way. I also learned that there was a fundamental flaw in my approach to picking and choosing which student behaviors to correct based on how disruptive it is. Making an example out of one kid can often make the rest fall in line. Lord knows they don’t want their phones taken away or to spend time having a talk with the asst. principal. I’m not saying that teachers need to be tyrants all the time. After all, I’m pretty laid back in most of my classes, but sometimes, you’ll run into a rough individual or group of kids that don’t tend toward giving attention and respect to authority figures, and being tough yourself can be helpful in those situations. Even if this seems like common sense, it takes practice to make it actually work, especially if you’re not one of those tough-guy coach types. I wish that I had been able to find this success sooner, but next year, I will be able to start things off on the right foot. Until then, let’s hope that I can transform into Tyrant Form again if I need it.
Secondary Rider 