You can do it!

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2003 : September : 11

You can do it!
By Questioner

It can be frustrating to deal with this type of situation. Remember however that YOU are the teacher. Be firm, but fair (more on this later).
What are your class rules? Isn't this kid breaking them or interrupting the
learning process? What is your consequence for not following directions, disrespecting the teacher, etc. That kid made a choice to not follow directions and thus to receive your consequence (detention, removal, whatever it may be in your room).
ACT don't ASK. This clown is playing you for the whole class. You cannot allow that insubordination or you will not teach one sucessful lesson

this year.

Please, do not allow him to sit in your room for one more second. It is not fair to you or the other students who want to learn.

Fair has nothing to do with logical explanations about why he should do it. The only kids who can accept reasoning and change their behavior usually don't misbehave anyway. He doesn't need a lecture or line of reasoning from you. He KNOWS exactly what he did and is doing. Don't fall into the trap that many teachers today do: that we need to make them understand why (they don't care and you cannot outlast them in the argument game if they did).

If you want to learn more about becoming more assertive, see Harry Wong. His work encompasses many professionals and their research and is very helpful. He has a column on Teachers Net (check out the Sept. 2000 column) and wrote "The First Days of School." It is a must read.

Keep us posted about what happens. You CAN do it!