My classroom is quiet
I complain about my seventh grade alot. I complain about the talking, the disrespect, the laziness. I am done complaining because I am done teaching them.
Yesterday, I planned to prep a Socratic Seminar on conflict diamonds with this class. We are studying Africa, this group of kids is really interested in jewelry (especially hip hop culture), so it seemed like a great fit. We could use it to practice our reading strategies, oral participation is a language arts grade and it covers our social studies content. A perfect research project for a short week.
Also, because it is Chinese New Year, I went out and bought my classes some Chinese candy. I also bought 7th grade a yali pear that I cut up for them to taste.
So the stage is set, right? Fun research project on a topic they're interested in, a special treat for a holiday, all the makings of a really great day. They completely crapped all over it.
They wouldn't listen to directions. They argued with me. One girl had to take her work out in the hall, because she couldn't stop talking to her neighbor and arguing with me. Last year, I NEVER sent a student out of the room. This year, I have kids who live out there. They keep taking out my scratch paper and markers, and use them up writing their names and their friends names over and over. To top things off, someone writes "Hey Mrs Liang" in red marker on the wall.
I went to bed last night still so angry that I couldn't sleep. I woke up angry. I spent all of my morning class thinking about how angry I was with 7th grade. I cannot spend the rest of the semester being angry with them, especially since I will be teaching these students again for eighth grade.
So I am done with them. They are completing a packet of the most boring worksheets I could find this morning. They have to do it in absolute silence, sitting on the floor. My class is two and a half hours long. They've lost all priviledges with me, including tables and chairs. I will gradually re-introduce these things over the next few weeks.
We will start with entering and leaving my classroom. That is where they at. Once everyone can walk in quietly and put their things down, we'll work on sitting at the tables in chairs. That is how basic we have to get and how far gone they are.
Yesterday, I planned to prep a Socratic Seminar on conflict diamonds with this class. We are studying Africa, this group of kids is really interested in jewelry (especially hip hop culture), so it seemed like a great fit. We could use it to practice our reading strategies, oral participation is a language arts grade and it covers our social studies content. A perfect research project for a short week.
Also, because it is Chinese New Year, I went out and bought my classes some Chinese candy. I also bought 7th grade a yali pear that I cut up for them to taste.
So the stage is set, right? Fun research project on a topic they're interested in, a special treat for a holiday, all the makings of a really great day. They completely crapped all over it.
They wouldn't listen to directions. They argued with me. One girl had to take her work out in the hall, because she couldn't stop talking to her neighbor and arguing with me. Last year, I NEVER sent a student out of the room. This year, I have kids who live out there. They keep taking out my scratch paper and markers, and use them up writing their names and their friends names over and over. To top things off, someone writes "Hey Mrs Liang" in red marker on the wall.
I went to bed last night still so angry that I couldn't sleep. I woke up angry. I spent all of my morning class thinking about how angry I was with 7th grade. I cannot spend the rest of the semester being angry with them, especially since I will be teaching these students again for eighth grade.
So I am done with them. They are completing a packet of the most boring worksheets I could find this morning. They have to do it in absolute silence, sitting on the floor. My class is two and a half hours long. They've lost all priviledges with me, including tables and chairs. I will gradually re-introduce these things over the next few weeks.
We will start with entering and leaving my classroom. That is where they at. Once everyone can walk in quietly and put their things down, we'll work on sitting at the tables in chairs. That is how basic we have to get and how far gone they are.