Every year starts out the same way... one class period I love. For some reason, we just click immediately. I'm excited to see them and I'm sure that we're all going to have a wonderful learning experience. It's wonderful!
Then about three or four weeks into the semester, the class turns the behavior corner and because I'm "such a cool teacher", they go hog wild. No one turns in any work, assignments sit on tables or are used for paper airplanes and spitwads. They are directionless and only motivated to here the latest gossip. Every activity is like walking through a mud flat... I can hear my soul being slowly ripped out of my body as they manage to dampen any hope I had of having one of those wonderful classes. They drive me to drink.
This year, I've been trying to avoid it. It happened anyways. But! Instead of drinking, we had a class meeting. I told them my sad dream class story. (they love to hear stories) They apologize and ask for more intesting activities that require work, but are "fun"... they even promise to read or at least to listen to the audio at home. They also promise not to ask me to make assignments easier or that I read to them all the time or if we can "just watch the movie".
Tomorrow, they will be presenting their "fun" assignment to the entire class. The proof of the pudding is in the eatin'.
Then about three or four weeks into the semester, the class turns the behavior corner and because I'm "such a cool teacher", they go hog wild. No one turns in any work, assignments sit on tables or are used for paper airplanes and spitwads. They are directionless and only motivated to here the latest gossip. Every activity is like walking through a mud flat... I can hear my soul being slowly ripped out of my body as they manage to dampen any hope I had of having one of those wonderful classes. They drive me to drink.
This year, I've been trying to avoid it. It happened anyways. But! Instead of drinking, we had a class meeting. I told them my sad dream class story. (they love to hear stories) They apologize and ask for more intesting activities that require work, but are "fun"... they even promise to read or at least to listen to the audio at home. They also promise not to ask me to make assignments easier or that I read to them all the time or if we can "just watch the movie".
Tomorrow, they will be presenting their "fun" assignment to the entire class. The proof of the pudding is in the eatin'.
Comments
Not sure I would be brave enough to tach in a high school, I either teach adults or very little kids.
Good luck for tomorrow!