Between Tom and the Wongs, managing the students is pretty much
covered (as a beginning). I'll take on managing instruction to
reduce student problems.
In the beginning of the school year, probably 95% of students
want to be good students. They want to have a good year. They
don't want to be in trouble, nor make bad grades, nor have a
confrontational relationship with the instructor.
You, as the instructor, must set up the relationship from the
very first moment the students walk in. It has nothing to do
with your appearance; it has everything to do with your own
position of authority. Even more, it has to do with being a
leader they can believe in!
That's the most important part of this posting - being a leader
the followers can trust.
So, set up your first few classes as about making the trust.
This means the activities must be full class (no one is
abandoned or excluded). The activities must be very directive
(everyone doing the same thing and being checked by you and the
fellow students). The activities must be worthwhile - a REAL
grade hangs on this, and you expect every single student to
achieve a GOOD grade (for me, that's a B). Teach one objective
at a time, and give that one objective the sole priority until
the students have it hammered.
Your role is to teach the skills and to set up practice and to
remediate, cheer, redirect.
Then, test. Grade, if possible, the same day. Report the
results, and celebrate or go directly back into remediation -
again, the WHOLE class.
When the students realize that you are totally unwilling to
abandon anyone, that you will provide adequate instruction and
practice, that you encourage them to learn from each other, and
that you want mastery of the material over rushing through a
unit, then the lights start to turn on.
You aren't being disrespectful. You aren't going too fast. You
aren't playing favorites. You aren't wasting their time. You
are allowing them to help each other.
Students who are part of the pack (reference to Cesar Milan's
dog pack theory), who are successful, just don't have the same
level of issues. When the students don't have issues, then you
as an instructor are in a better place.
The whole year doesn't have to go this way, but employing it
frequently means virtually the whole class is learning and
succeeding.
What I've taught by this method: MLA format for papers, working
thesis statements, compound sentences, writing a simple summary,
simple MLA format quotations, diagramming sentences, and
subject-verb agreement.
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