Sunday, October 26, 2008

Subbing Adventure

I wanted to post something I retrieved from my "computer journal" from back when I was a substitute teacher. Interesting tidbit:

I subbed today for a 5th grade class. Ms. D's class. Ms. D has such a powerful demeanor. She has a low booming voice that makes her students freeze. I see her class in line going to lunch completely quiet and in a straight line. Ms. D leads her class on the basis of respect. She does not use fear to get them to listen. I always hear her refer to respect. Respect for each other. Respect for authority figures. She has built such a community in her class. Any outsider would think that Ms. D’s class is such a good class. But take away Ms. D- and they go WILD.
So I had them for the whole day. I had subbed for them before- 2 periods. They gave me a hard time. But I talked to them about respect and that if they respected me they would earn another letter of the word RESPECT on the board and if they got the whole word up there- I would teach them some hip hop. I ended up teaching them a little bit and they were so excited. I felt like I gained their respect by the end of the period. They saw that I could relate to them on a different level. I felt a little nervous but also kind of confident taking that class today since I knew they knew about my hip hop background.
I went to pick them up in the auditorium. There were about 8 of them there. I said hi and that I would be their sub today. Some of them cheered. That’s not a good sign. That tells me that they’re happy because they’re looking forward to a day of freedom and playing games with the sub. I did not smile. I asked them to stand up and get in line. As soon as we left the auditorium, I told them, “I expect a straight and quiet line.” They got in line and were pretty quiet. A few whispers here and there, but for the most part good. By the time we got up to the classroom, I had gained about another 9 students who had come late. I had them line up outside the classroom and told them again my expectations. “You will enter the classroom quietly, unpack, and get out a reading book to read for about 15 minutes.” I waited a minute until the chatting ceased and then allowed them to enter. Ms. D had left a schedule on the board. Language Arts pages for the first half hour. I asked the kids to refer to the board for the schedule and to note that they had a Language Arts assignment first. I told them that they had to be in their seats and quietly working. I already saw that "Notorious" could be a huge problem and wise ass. He is actually notorious in the school for being extremely disrespectful to all authority figures (principal and vice principals included) and for fighting. But I spoke to him privately about respecting each other and he began to behave for me. The class for the most part was behaving really well. I was excited and thought, “This is going to be a good day.” Unfortunately, I spoke too soon.
At around 9:10am, two more students (boys) entered the classroom. JJ and B. “Heeeeyyyy!!! Was up my brothuuuuusss!” The class’ tone immediately changed. They laughed and started talking. Many of them responded to the two newcomers by getting up from their seats and greeting them with a high five. I should have immediately sent them outside, spoken to them, and asked them to come in again correctly. But I didn’t. First, I focused on calming the class down. Whenever I get really firm and strict, I am still always respectful as well. “Sit down please.” “I need you quiet please.” “Thank you.” That is the basis that I try to gain their respect. I am the authority figure in the room. You need to listen to me, but in return I will always be respectful in what I ask of you.
JJ and B entered the room loud and obnoxious. They went to put their lunches away in a bin in the corner and on their way, turned on the stereo. Again, they received laughs. They were obviously “too cool for school” and wanted to rile up their class and give me a hard time. Notorious, who had actually been behaving, stood up and joined them. It was a show. In a matter of seconds, I had lost the class and I had no idea what to do.
I went straight to the three musketeers of trouble and again gave them a talk about respect. They gave me a distant “okay” and then went to their seats (which of course were not their real seats but I didn’t know). I then addressed the class and told them that they had a great start to the day and that they needed to return to that. The class quieted down a little- but I knew I was in for a loooong, tough day.

My hellish first year: the first day

My first year was one of the most difficult things I have had to endure in my entire life. People don't give teachers enough credit.
I think I've managed to block the majority of it out of my mind; I'll try to remember as much as I can.

My first day. I had no idea what to expect. I had spent so many hours in the classroom setting it up, cleaning it, and organizing it. Setting up my classroom library took about 10 hours alone. I remember walking into that classroom and being so overwhelmed and scared. How the heck am I going to get all this done by myself!?! There were boxes stacked high and they took up half of the classroom. The classroom had such a thick layer of dust. I had two tables, maybe 4 chairs, one shelf for books and a rug. The boxes were huge and had English and Spanish books all mixed up. The levels were all mixed and the genres were all mixed as well. And did I mention the boxes with the books were huge? They were up on this shelf and impossible to move. It was my first year. I had no idea how to set up my classroom, what bins I needed, what labels I needed. I had NO CLUE.
On the last day of setting up my classroom, this lady walks by (I didn't know who she was) and tells me, "Oh no, your word wall is not in the right spot. It's too small. You should move it over there. When I was a teacher, I had MY word wall..." Thanks lady for telling me this on the last day of set up and after I've labored so many hours on this classroom.

So finally, we come to my first day.
I go down to the auditorium to pick them up. The auditorium is chaotic. Kids yelling, out of their seats, throwing crumbled up papers, teachers sitting at the front of the auditorium talking. Hmmm, I guess this is what they're used to. It was out of a movie scene. I scan the walls looking for my name and then I look at the rows that are supposed to hold my kids. They're huge! They're about as big as I am! And only in 2nd grade...
I go to them and smile (mistake #1). "Hello, I am your new teacher. Please stand up and get in line."
(mistake #2: I assumed they knew how to line up. I was very wrong) The students stood up, grabbed their backpacks and pushed each other to get out of their rows. Then they became a clump in the front of the auditorium talking and laughing and pushing. I had to yell to make myself heard. "Two lines!" Maybe 5 out of the 23 kids got in two lines in front of me. The rest, kept on yelling and laughing. A teacher with a blow horn in the front of the auditorium yelled "Ms. T's class! Line up! Go to class!" (I have changed names and other things to maintain anonymity)
I dont know how to calm the class down- I just turn around and walk and hope that they follow. They did, but in a clump and still talking and pushing and yelling (Mistake #3: allow them to walk in line talking, pushing, and yelling as my first impression). We got out of the auditorium and into the gymnasium. I remember thinking, "My gosh, they can't walk like this. But I can't make myself heard in here either. I'll wait until we get into the classroom." So we went all the way up the stairs to the third floor, loud as ever.
Outside in the hallway, I introduced myself again to the kids and told them, "Go inside, unpack, and sit at your desks. I will tell you what to do next." (Mistake #4: not going over the routine of unpacking) I planned on talking about the rules with them as soon as they were ready. But what I got was kids running into the room and a mob of students heading straight for the closets. This is where the kids started getting hurt. Kids were pushed down and stepped on to get to the closets. What a mess! I didn't know how to stop it. I tried to tell them all to stop and go to their seats (I had put nametags on their seats) but I couldn't be heard. The kids were too loud. I started picking up the poor kids who had been trampled on and making sure they were okay. Then I went and turned off the lights. Most of the kids stopped and looked to see who had done it. I told them all to go to their desks. They went. The closet was a mess. Jackets strewn everywhere, backpacks torn open with notebooks and pencils spilling out. But I left it. (Mistake #6: Not correcting the unpacking behavior) I asked everyone if they were okay and told them briefly, we can't push and shove. Be careful with your classmates.
I don't remember what happened during the rest of that day, but what I do remember is that I didn't teach anything. I broke up fights between the kids, I yelled to be heard, I tried to teach.
I am so passionate about teaching and to go into that type of first day was horrific for me. THIS is what it's like? All of the behavior management strategies that I had learned in class weren't working! Positive reinforcement wasn't working! What do I do? I was exhausted after that first day. The kids were bad the entire day. Fighting, yelling, pushing, being rude. I couldn't be heard.

As my reflection after that first day: I didn't realize all that I needed to plan for the first day- the first weeks. I didn't realize that I had to plan a routine for everything and teach it to them. I didn't realize I had to have something for them to do every second or else they'd try to kill each other. I didn't have the transition mintues planned. I planned for things that were way above their heads. I thought they were supposed to be at a certain level and they weren't. I also wasn't prepared to handle such outstanding behavior issues. Punching and kicking? I didn't know that was what I was getting myself into. And it was ONLY THE BEGINNING.....

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Nanny 911

I'm watching a marathon of Nanny 911. It's crazy to see how clueless some parents are! I feel so lucky to have a job that prepares me to be a successful parent. Nanny 911 shows some pretty extreme behavior management scenarios. The kids on that show range from not sitting in time out to spitting in their mother's face. How do these parents put up with that disrespect? Probably because they don't know what to do. Most parents' anger and frustration takes over. They scream, their faces get red, they lose it. Yet, dont' they know that THAT is what the misbehaving kids are looking for? They're waiting for the furious response. With those kids, there need to be clear consequences set out and the parent needs to calmly give the consequence, whether it be time out, no tv, etc. And there also needs to be positive consequences when the rules are followed.
I strongly believe in positive reinforcement in my classroom. I've learned how to create various behavior plans for different behavior issues, for different classes, and different kids. I feel like being a teacher is like being the mom of 20+ kids all at once (although I do get to send them home :)). Yet, for the time that they're with me, I'm their mom. I'm their caregiver, their authority figure. This career gives me years of practice so that when I raise my own kids, I'll know how. I'll know what to do when they fight with each other. I'll know what to do when they don't share or throw things. I can teach them to read at home too. It's the same thing I do with my kids in the classroom.
In my classroom, I'm all about building a sense of community. We're a family in the classroom. My kids always remind each other (which I love)- when one of them misbehaves, another tells them, "Hey. We're a family. We don't pinch each other. We love each other." Can you believe that!?! 5 and 6 year olds after only one month together understand what I've been repeating for a month now. I also like to reward them for positive behavior. Now everything is not prizes (material things). Rewards range from a high five to getting to go to Choice Time first. Stickers are every once in a while. Those are huge when kids get them.
I still feel like I have so much to learn, but I feel like I will have a step up in raising children when I'm ready to do that.
Now my first year of teaching, I feel like I was one of the parents on Nanny 911. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. My first year of teaching was a stressful one to say the least. The kids were already notorious because of their behavior before I even got them in my class. It being my first year, I was not equipped to handle that kind of chaos. I was a screaming red-faced mess! And those kids loved it and fed on it. I will write about that year later, but I think that year was so important for me to experience so that I know what NOT to do :).
I am loving my current year. I see that it takes years to be a good teacher. MANY years. Not just anyone can be a teacher. Your heart has to really be in it and you have to be able to endure those tough years and know how to grow from that.
I don't think that those parents on Nanny 911 really know that they're making bad choices. I guess you can only grow from experience. And my experience can come from teaching so that when I have my own kids I'll be more ready to tackle the craziness that comes with parenting :).

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Bathroom

Bathroom times are hard to regulate with young children. In Kindergarten, they were required to bring in an extra set of clothes just in case there was an accident. And there were many accidents. Then in their next year of schooling, they should all be able to hold it until they reach the bathroom. But the problem now in first grade is that they feel a tiny impulse to pee and they have to go. As a teacher, you have to know when kids just want to get out of class and when they really can't hold it anymore.

It's difficult to teach when one student raises their hand and says they need to use the restroom and then 20 other hands immediately jet up because they also need to use the restroom. So, in my classroom, I have designated times that I send children to the bathroom. Once in the morning and then once in the afternoon. Other than that, they must use their lunch/recess time to go.

I have one student who always needs to use the restroom during reading and writing time. Speaking to the parents, they tell me she does not have a bladder problem. Yet, I am always scared that a student will have an accident in the classroom after I tell them they can't use the restroom. Then the parent will definitely have it in for me. But I dont' want the students to miss instruction either. Now, in our school, the girls' bathroom is far from my classroom. It takes about 5 minutes to get there, which equals in about 13-15 minutes the girls being gone from my classroom. If the girls decide to stroll there and look at every bulletin board on the way, that's about half an hour gone by.

So back to the girl. Everytime she goes to the bathroom she strolls and take a long time. Whoever is her partner also says she plays in the bathroom. Her teacher from last year says she always did the same thing but she's actually peed her pants in the classroom. Uuughhhh. I can't not let her go.

So one day, I let her go in the morning. I let her go after lunch. Then, one hour before dismissal, one hour after I let her go to the bathroom, she needs to go again. We are in the middle of a test and she needs to go. The worst part is that everytime she asks, she says it's an EMERGENCY. And after I give her permission to go, she strolls over to the bathroom pass and strolls out the door- definitely NOT acting like it's an emergency. It's like the boy who cried wolf.

So this time, she says it's an emergency and I tell her no. She cannot go because we are taking a test and she went an hour ago. She keeps asking me for the next 15 minutes. I have another teacher in the room at this point. I am quite annoyed because I completely believe that she just wants to get out of the test. I do not believe that she needs to really go. 5 minutes later, she is still asking me and this time, I see her desperate face. Ahhhh that's the face of an emergency. I see tears that are filling in her eyes. I finally say okay, but I want to make sure she's telling the truth. I have the other teacher stay with the class and I take the girl to the bathroom. I tell her that she needs to walk very fast. This is how she needs to go to the bathroom all the time. We get to the bathroom. She does no more than shut the door of the stall that I hear the stream of urine jetting into the toilet. Oops. I guess I was wrong this time. Poor thing. She really needed to go.
Ahhhh the trials and tribulations of a teacher.

Really???

So I'm starting to blog because being a teacher brings about such awesome stories that really need to be shared.
I teach first grade. As a teacher, you always need to be on alert. Is that child chewing gum? Not allowed. Put it in the trash. Did he just pinch her? Is that chapstick they're passing around? Uh, the label says, Vagisil!?! (True story. It's a goodie but from another teacher) Are you actually writing? How long has she been in the bathroom? As a teacher, you're not just teaching. While you're teaching, there are a million other things going on in your mind and you need to look like the only thing you're thinking about is the lesson at hand.
During a read aloud last week, all students are at attention. In between pages, I scan the class to make sure they ARE all in attention. I see one kid chewing. Gum? "Johnny, gum in the trash please." Johnny scrunches up his face and shakes his head.
"I'm not chewing gum." As he speaks I see something blue inside his mouth.
"Johnny, open your mouth please." He takes a bit of time to shuffle some things around in his mouth. He opens his mouth. His tongue is a deep shade of blue. "Johnny what were you eating?"
Johnny furiously shakes his head with his mouth clamped shut, "Nothing."
"Johnny, your tongue is blue. You have something underneath your tongue. What is it?"
Johnny looks down at the rug. Slowly, he again shifts things around in his mouth. Then one by one, a small blue piece of a crayon is spit out of his mouth onto the rug. Really??? A crayon? We just got back from lunch. They give you lunch if you don't have it. A crayon????
Melissa then blurts out, "I saw him chewing on a colored pencil!"
Dillan says, "I saw him bite a crayon!"
"Okay Johnny, eating a crayon is not okay. That can hurt your stomach. Are we going to eat crayons or colored pencils anymore?"
Johnny and the class say in unison, "Nooooo."