I too have found the info below incredibly effective. I don't put it
in quite the same words though. I simply tell the kids "the law says
you will learn the state standards. It does not say how you will
learn them. If you aren't happy with doing it my way there's a whole
row of textbooks there that can do it and save me the trouble."

It is amazing how quickly a class can turn around when they realize
that their attitude determines how much they can get from a class. By
phrasing it in this way it makes that very, very clear.

On 10/29/09, A different approach wrote:
> I've recently had to remind my students of what it's like when
> the teacher doesn't try so hard. Last week, I got fed up with
> whining & complaints from students who don't spend the 5-10
> minutes to do a minimal homework assignment & then are rude to me
> after I've stayed til 5:30 at school to make an interesting
> lesson for them. (While all my coworkers went home by 4pm, which
> made the kids' snotty comments even more aggravating!)
>
> So, in a very calm, level voice, I told my class that when they
> disrespect me when I'm trying hard, that it reminds me that my
> work day officially ends at 3:30, that I do not get paid extra
> for working late, & that my job description only says that I have
> to teach the standards, but not how I do it.
>
> So, today we will have a lesson that meets the standards, but
> doesn't have my extra time & hard work put into it. "Read the
> textbook p.106-113 & answer the questions on binder paper. Yes,
> you have to copy the questions & yes, you have to write in
> complete sentences." And I didn't help them much with it, left
> them pretty much to work in silence. They really did not like
> that day & now if anyone complains, they usually tell that kid to
> be quiet & how they would really like to do what I'm teaching.
>
> Obviously, you can't do this all the time, but if you've tried
> the other suggestions about mixing it up in your lessons & it
> hasn't worked, maybe they're just being bratty & need limit
> setting.

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