teaching wears you down!

[teachsc]

do ya'll ever feel like teaching is the last thing you want to do? I love kids and teaching, but sometimes I think why on earth did I pick this job! I teach eighth grade math and this is my first year teaching! all teachers know there are some classes that are more well behaved than others but I just seem to get worn down from explaining the same thing over and over and over to those students who are too busy chit chatting to listen the first time! do any of you ever feel like this?

 

[Miss C]

Oh, yeah!

Teaching is frustrating and tiring and stressful and, yes, even annoying sometimes. You get tired of explaining things over and over and tired of being treated with no respect. But it makes it all worthwhile when the light finally goes on and a student that you used to think was hopeless finally "gets" that one concept. Those moments make it all worthwhile. Keep your chin up! Your first year is definitely the hardest!

 

[Miller]

I teach 3rd grade, so I'm not even going to try to tell you which behav. management strategies work for me. I suggest to talk to some more experienced teachers to see what they do. I guarantee you could be more of a "harda$$" and you'll see the kids pay more attention. I have a 1st year 1st grade teacher across from me and those kids are so loud and unruly. She just didn't want to be mean to them, and now they walk all over her.

If you don't want to talk to your co-workers, post in the 8th grade board (if they have one here).

 

[Mishellee99]

I Totally Agree

I will definitely agree with teachsc's message. I am also a 1st year teacher, teaching high school math and also elementary gifted. I definitely come home tired everyday. I will definitely agree about the whole thing explaining the same thing over and over again. It is definitely very frustrating because I have plenty of students that would rather talk than listen and then they are the ones come quiz and test time when they are like I really don't understand. It's like well you should have not been talking when I was covering the lesson and also during the review. I'm glad I'm not the only first year teacher that is wore out at times.

 

[trailpaint]

Read This Book!!!

Setting Limits in the Classroom (Revised) by Robert J. MacKenzie, Ed. D.

I had problems like these in a lot of the classrooms that I sub in--just going by the teacher's posted rules never seem to work. I implement the suggestions in this book and they really work!

I make clear expectations and consequences before beginning a lesson; I take note of those not paying attention. Then, you check in with student and ask them to please pay attention because instruction will not be repeated. Then, if they still keep talking, initiate the consequence. A logical consequence for chit-chatting during instruction is not having the instruction repeated and not letting another student help them. Have the student make up the time during recess or free time so you can re-explain instructions ON THEIR TIME. Another option would be to write the instruction down or give the instructions before the bell rings so they have to do the assignment for homework.

Of course, if a student is struggling because they don't understand is different, but for not paying attention, I stick to my guns on this. Let them sweat it out!

I really like this book because it shifts responsibility for behavior to the student without making them feel less of a person or stressing the teacher out.