Carolyn

Posted on 10/25/09

Madison,

It sounds like your lesson strategies and materials work better for
the girls. According to Michael Gurian's book "Boys and girls Learn
Differently" boys become bored very easily,their thinking is
abstract, and they need more movement among other things. Perhaps
you can still stick to your materials and strategies but with a few
new twists. Have the boys answer by using motion, give very clear
and step by step directions that are displayed. If you have
student white boards, use a game called Show Down where students
write the answer on their white boards and then you say show so
that they show their answers. There actually is a section in the
book that is specifically for high school classrooms. I hope this
helps. By the way, some curriculums have differentiated instruction
that might allow you to do this so you can justify it.

Carolyn

On 10/25/09, Madison wrote:
> The disruptive group is mainly boys, with a few girls. The
> lecture is typically 5-10 minutes - enough time to explain and
> demonstrate the day's activity. The course is Xtreme Reading and
> is a highly scripted course. I have basically been told I'm
> married to the material and the strategies. A big part of the
> problem is the students who are disruptive, had this exact same
> course last year. So, they remember most of the material or
> know how to do it. The reason they are in the class again is
> because they did score high enough on a test to get out and move
> on.
>
> On 10/25/09, Carolyn wrote:
>> On 10/24/09, Madison wrote:
>>> Is the disruptive group mostly boys or girls? What are their
interests? How
>> much movement do you allow as part of your lesson? How much
>> talking do you allow? What is the length of your lecture?
Do
>> you have a designated time and perimeters for movement? Are
>> these students artistic? Use of videos, pics, slide shows, or
>> art work might help. Keep trying new seat arrangements. Give
>> one redirect. Be consistent. Use a buddy room but make
them
>> accountable. Learn about the students' biographies. You might
>> find that there is something in the students home environment
>> or health that is a contributing factor. Have a class
>> meeting at the beginning. You can curtail many problems at
>> the start. How is your lesson paced? Is the instruction a
>> good match for these students? Get a second person to observe
>> to help you make classroom adjustments. Interview the
>> students or lead a class discussion and find out if there is a
>> subject that they didn't like in school but now they enjoy.
>> Visit that class to observe seating arrangements, lesson
>> delivery (lecture length, pace, difficulty) amount of
>> movement, class structure, discipline, classroom management,
>> and teaching techniques.
>>
>> Good Luck,
>>
>> Carolyn
>>
>> Hello,
>>>
>>> I am a new high school English teacher, and I am failing
>>> miserably with one of my classes. I have a group of
>>> students for two periods in row. There are only 25 of them
>>> since they are lower level. However, they are my worst
>>> behaved class. Out of the 25, maybe half of them are on
>>> always on task and paying attention. The other half is
>>> constantly talking out of turn, interrupting lecture, up
>>> out of their seats and making rude comments to others.
>>> There is one student who is particularly worse. He is not a
>>> bad kid, but he can not sit still or stay quiet. I have
>>> called home, and I have sent him out twice for bad
>>> behavior. However, he is not the only one. I can not get
>>> anything done in that class and the other students learning
>>> is suffering. I just do not know what to do when it is so
>>> many of them. I don't want to punish the whole class,
>>> because I have some really cooperative, hard working
>>> students. I have also committed the cardinal sin of
>>> threatening and not following through. ANy advice would be
>>> greatly appreciated.
>>>
>>> Thank you, Madison
>

Share This Post | Report This Post

Next Post >>

Posts on this thread, including this one