I’m going to say this now, and I’m probably going to say it again and again over the next two years, but I suddenly have so much respect for teachers.
My best friend from home also unexpectedly accepted a position teaching Chinese at two local high schools in Colorado, so we’re going through this journey together. It’s funny, reflecting with her (and complaining), because we went through school attached at the hip and remember how we used to act in high school. I suddenly want to go back to my teachers and apologize for every time I disrespected them, rolled my eyes, didn’t participate, and played Mario on my graphing calculator–or worse, an intense game of Egyptian rummy–in the middle of math class because I was bored. (Yes, I am a nerd). It takes so much effort to command the attention of high school students.
Anyhow, the first day was probably the roughest. I spent way too much time talking at my students (I couldn’t find a way around it, considering I had to go over the rules and the syllabus) and by the end of the day was hoarse. I have four classes of chemistry, each 78 minutes long. I also have another “class” called Advisory, which is about twenty to forty minutes long each day–time for students to get their homework organized and ask any questions. On the first day my advisory group got off to a terrible start. There are supposed to be two other staff members helping me out in my advisory, but the first two days I happened to be alone. And it was rough. I had fourteen students I didn’t recognize in my small, awkwardly shaped room, and they didn’t want to listen to someone they had never met. That’s a problem I face at every turn: since my school is really small, an unfamiliar face is someone the students know they can provoke.
The only good thing about having the same class four times is that I have the chance to practice different strategies with the same lesson plan. So far, two of my classes are really small–3 to 5 students in one class–and it’s been amazing. Manageable, intimate, easy for me to connect with my kids. Just like tutoring. My two larger classes are no bigger than 12, but they are the hardest to manage. I co-teach one with the former chemistry teacher at my school, and that one tends to run really smoothly since there are two of us (and his presence certainly helps, since he’s already established a rapport with the students). The other one is quickly becoming a problem.
Today I taught about the theory of Malleable Intelligence (for TFAers, we get an article in our TAL curriculum book that I just photocopied and turned into a lesson plan. Hooray instant lesson plan!), and I started out with a controversial quote from DNA discoverer James Watson, who said something about blacks having inferior intelligence to that of whites. It was meant to be a conversation starter, and with my other classes it worked out well. With this one class, I’ve got six students who love to speak out, and argue, and protest that I’m being unfair (stop whiiiiining), and another six who I haven’t heard a peep from. They worry me. I feel like I don’t have the time or energy to help the silent half of my room–who I know are having trouble–because I’m so busy keeping the other half in check. In short, differentiation is hard. It’s harder when you’re not very good at classroom management.
Right now, I’m feeling okay about my first week. And “okay” is fantastic for me–at least I didn’t collapse from exhaustion (though I wanted to), cry in front of my principal (again, I wanted to), or lose complete control of any class (nearly, though). I think I owe it all to the amazing staff at my school. The veteran teachers are supportive, always asking me how I’m doing, and my principal & asst. principal are incredibly helpful. I am so lucky to be at my school.
My “big goal” for the semester is to adjust to this demanding schedule without losing my sanity. I worry sometimes: in every waking moment in which I’m not actively doing something, I am constantly planning. Planning, planning. I even wake up at 3 am and find myself half asleep and planning.
Anyhow, that was long and disjointed. I have so much to say about my first week… For now, though, I have never been happier for a Friday. I am looking forward to sleeping and, hopefully, not dreaming about planning.
garyrubinstein
Hi There,
I’m an old-timer TFA alum, and your blog caught my attention. You remind me a little of how I was in my first year, so I thought I’d give you some advice. I hope you’re willing to consider it.
Your problem isn’t so much about classroom management, but about what you’re teaching. “Malleable Intelligence”? That’s not a topic for the first friday of your first year. If you’re teaching Chemistry, it’s best to do something less ambitious, like the Periodic Table or something. As far as using a controversial quote to get the kids motivated, that’s pretty risky. You don’t know them yet and they don’t know you. I think that article was intended for TFA CMs and is probably written at a college level, so it will be pretty tough. Still, I don’t see where it fits into the course. Kids get uncomfortable when their teacher teaches something outrageous. It makes them feel like their teacher doesn’t know what he’s doing.
My prediction is that you will soon have two bad classes and then three, until they’re all bad, unless you go back to the basics. Teach them something ‘normal’, stay away from controversy.
The kids won’t behave if they think they’re not learning the ‘official’ curriculum from you.
If you’re as much like me in my first year, as you might be, you probably won’t listen to my advice. But I hope you do. I know what I’m talking about. You can check out my blog here on teachfor.us
Good Luck,
Gary