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Classroom Discipline Chatboard

Middle Schools...what's the secret?

by lostsubteacher

Jun 1, 2012

First of all,

I know that I have complained a lot about middle school students and their immaturity in the past, but before you write me off as a "troll" just trying to start a commotion, please listen to what I have to say, because I really do want to do well wherever I am employed, whether it is a high school or middle school, assuming I get a job teaching at all in this city.

Last year, I graduated from a teacher education program in my city and got my teaching license. I was understandably very excited and went and applied to almost every school I could think of. I got plenty of interviews but no call- backs. I signed up as a substitute teacher in interim to hopefully get more experience with the students. At first, I took mostly high school assignments and, although I was pretty naive and the students took advantage of me, kind of enjoyed it.

Later, I started taking middle school assignments. Needless to say, things did not go very smoothly. Most of t...See MoreFirst of all,

I know that I have complained a lot about middle school students and their immaturity in the past, but before you write me off as a "troll" just trying to start a commotion, please listen to what I have to say, because I really do want to do well wherever I am employed, whether it is a high school or middle school, assuming I get a job teaching at all in this city.

Last year, I graduated from a teacher education program in my city and got my teaching license. I was understandably very excited and went and applied to almost every school I could think of. I got plenty of interviews but no call- backs. I signed up as a substitute teacher in interim to hopefully get more experience with the students. At first, I took mostly high school assignments and, although I was pretty naive and the students took advantage of me, kind of enjoyed it.

Later, I started taking middle school assignments. Needless to say, things did not go very smoothly. Most of the middle schools were inner-city schools, and the students literally seemed to think they could do whatever they desired when there was a sub; I had no control over them. My first few days doing middle school, I kind of dismissed their childish and rude behavior, but, as time went on, and I started accepting more middle school assignments, things got worse.

My seating charts didn't work, because they would get up and move around while I was calling roll. They also got angry with me when I identified them by name or called them out for bad behavior. Instead of the students accepting that they did wrong, the students would frequently argue with me, or worse, ignore me like they did nothing wrong at all. They seemed to enjoy causing chaos and making me anxious and would sometimes find pranks to play in protest of me being in the classroom. I had no idea how to respond to all of this, and sometimes ignoring it would only cause them to make more noise and try to get me into trouble. As

I tried everything that I could, but nothing really ever worked well. I brought candy to give to the good kids, but sometimes the kids would fight over it or misbehave anyway and then beg for candy. I found nothing but chaos and disruption at almost every middle school in the area. There was loud talking, rude things said to me and their classmates, and an unbelievable level of immaturity; the elementary school students were better behaved!

Now, it's the end of the school year and I'm still without a teaching job. Why did those students react to me the way they did? I have a teaching credential, and I'm in grad school. I know my subject very well and can teach pretty well provided attention is paid to what I'm saying. I feel very insulted, and I kind of feel like I earned a college degree in Education for nothing.

I haven't hsd a lot of trouble with the high school students while subbing, but I wonder if that means anything. I feel like I need to be competent with middle school and high school students to be ready. What do I do if they completely ignore me, though?

Laura Lostsubteacher - First of all, what is a troll? I'm new to this forum. Anyway, I believe you already read my post of 5/28 in which I lamented about the apathy of kids and their terrible behavior. I am a veteran teacher , recently retired, with over 30 years experience and never had a problem with classroom management. Now, as a substitute teacher, ...See MoreLostsubteacher - First of all, what is a troll? I'm new to this forum. Anyway, I believe you already read my post of 5/28 in which I lamented about the apathy of kids and their terrible behavior. I am a veteran teacher , recently retired, with over 30 years experience and never had a problem with classroom management. Now, as a substitute teacher, I do. However, I am not taking it personally. I wonder why the kids are so apathetic and wish I knew what to do to turn things around but I do not blame myself or wonder what's wrong with me. I realize that kids don't respect subs and just view the day as a "day off" from their usual rules, so to speak. If I were you I would take jobs in the high school or elementary schools where at least you have some control over the classes and, as you said, you enjoy the work there. Why torture yourself in a chaotic classroom and then torture yourself at home wondering why you can't control them? Just sub somewhere else and forget about the Middle School kids. That is an awful age group, even for their own parents to handle. As Tony Soprano would say..."Fugedaboudit!

On 6/01/12, lostsubteacher wrote: > First of all, > > I know that I have complained a lot about middle school > students and their immaturity in the past, but before you > write me off as a "troll" just trying to start a commotion, > please listen to what I have to say, because I really do > want to do well wherever I am employed, whether it is a > high school or middle school, assuming I get a job teaching > at all in this city. > > Last year, I graduated from a teacher education program in > my city and got my teaching license. I was understandably > very excited and went and applied to almost every school I > could think of. I got plenty of interviews but no call- > backs. I signed up as a substitute teacher in interim to > hopefully get more experience with the students. At first, > I took mostly high school assignments and, although I was > pretty naive and the students took advantage of me, kind of > enjoyed it. > > Later, I started taking middle school assignments. Needless > to say, things did not go very smoothly. Most of the middle > schools were inner-city schools, and the students literally > seemed to think they could do whatever they desired when > there was a sub; I had no control over them. My first few > days doing middle school, I kind of dismissed their > childish and rude behavior, but, as time went on, and I > started accepting more middle school assignments, things > got worse. > > My seating charts didn't work, because they would get up > and move around while I was calling roll. They also got > angry with me when I identified them by name or called them > out for bad behavior. Instead of the students accepting > that they did wrong, the students would frequently argue > with me, or worse, ignore me like they did nothing wrong at > all. They seemed to enjoy causing chaos and making me > anxious and would sometimes find pranks to play in protest > of me being in the classroom. I had no idea how to respond > to all of this, and sometimes ignoring it would only cause > them to make more noise and try to get me into trouble. As > > I tried everything that I could, but nothing really ever > worked well. I brought candy to give to the good kids, but > sometimes the kids would fight over it or misbehave anyway > and then beg for candy. I found nothing but chaos and > disruption at almost every middle school in the area. There > was loud talking, rude things said to me and their > classmates, and an unbelievable level of immaturity; the > elementary school students were better behaved! > > Now, it's the end of the school year and I'm still without > a teaching job. Why did those students react to me the way > they did? I have a teaching credential, and I'm in grad > school. I know my subject very well and can teach pretty > well provided attention is paid to what I'm saying. I feel > very insulted, and I kind of feel like I earned a college > degree in Education for nothing. > > I haven't hsd a lot of trouble with the high school > students while subbing, but I wonder if that means > anything. I feel like I need to be competent with middle > school and high school students to be ready. What do I do > if they completely ignore me, though?

Jun 3, 2012

not a troll On 6/03/12, Laura wrote: > Lostsubteacher - First of all, what is a troll?

A troll in the case of a chatboard is a person whose posts aren't real - they post just to post and often their questions don't quite make sense because they're not really who they pretend to be. They post repeatedly and there's a kind of badgering to their post...See More

Jun 6, 2012

Laura Thank you for taking the time to explain.

On 6/06/12, not a troll wrote: > On 6/03/12, Laura wrote: >> Lostsubteacher - First of all, what is a troll? > > A troll in the case of a chatboard is a person whose posts aren't > real - they post just to post and often their questions don't > quite make sense because they're ...See More

Jun 7, 2012

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