ToxTeaching

Privacy vs. "I'm the only one she yells at"

ToxGalena — Fri, 16 May 2008 15:05:00 GMT

As a new teacher, I depend on the methods I learned in college. For discipline, I was told it is essential to keep disciplining absolutely private. When a child is misbehaving, I go ove rto them and quietly tell them to change their behavior. I do not argue. If kids try to argue, I stay quiet and repeat the same thing over.

This year, I have had many parents call and tell my principal the same thing. "My child says he/she is the only one to ever get bounced. I am able to control behaviors so discreetly, no one notices. That means the kids don't see anyone else getting in trouble. Because of this, I now have a lot of kids who really hate me because they think they are the only ones I pay attention to. My Angry Child (discussed in a previous post) was an example of this. He thinks I sit and stare at him all class because he is the only one to get in trouble.

This misinterpretation of my discipline style is affecting my kids attitude in class. My question now is, should I make discipline more public? Should I be yelling across the room when someone puts their head down? Should I make them stand when I redirect them? I don't know what to do!!!

My current challenge: The Angry Child Update

ToxGalena — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:23:00 GMT

After posting about my angry student, I decided to call home. His mother gave me some interesting information. It seems he felt I was picking on him because I laughed when another student called him a name. Now, if you have read any of my posts, you will hopefully see that I could never ever do something like this.

I tried to explain to his mother that I would never want to hurt a child like that. If I ever laughed at a mean comments toward a child, it was unintentional and probably misunderstood. Her response was that she was glad her husband came out here to deal with it, because she would not have been able to keep her cool. I am at a loss. I apologized a million times and told her I would like to meet with him one-on-one to apologize. She demanded his step dad be there when I do it.

So now I look forward to this afternoon's meeting when I anticipate getting yelled at and berated for doing something I didn't do, even though I am trying to make it right.

By the way, my principal's solution is to have him go to ISS instead of sitting in my class after our state testing is over. On one hand, I feel like that will give him the space he wants. On the other hand, is that acknowledging that ISS is a better place than my class?

My current challenge: The Angry Child

ToxGalena — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:34:00 GMT

A child so angry, so frustrated with me. He can barely look at me without cussing, which I have to write him up for, which just makes it worse. I really don't know what I did, and I can't seem to get back on his good side. The anger in this child is not healthy. I once had to report him for sraping into his arm with a pencil, so hard it almost drew blood. His mom is completely clueless. She shrugs off what she can't excuse away. I don't know how to help him.

I am not the kind of teacher that needs to be friends with the kids. I don't even care if they don't like me. But when I see a child so angry he is hurting himself, I have a problem. I plan on talking to my administrators about it today, but I'm not sure they can do a lot to help. He has already shown us he won't talk to the school counselor. I am lost. I feel terrible that I am causing this level of pain in a child's life.

Fever, 1793 and the ability to remember anything

ToxGalena — Mon, 05 May 2008 18:17:00 GMT

I posted all the test questions when we began the novel. I give the test today (after reading for 2 weeks), and half my students suddenly want to get clarification on the questions. I literally gave them the answers. I let them use their notes and the book.

My favorite question of the day...

"What do you mean 'Identify the main idea of the novel'? I don't get it!"

These are 8th graders. They will take the state test in two weeks. Is this question really that outlandish? How do you make kids get it? How do you make them understand how to use their own brains? If they have to think about it at all, they give up and act like the question is complex Calculus.

I still consider myself a new teacher, just now finishing my 3rd year. Is there some magic way to help them engage their brains and think for themselves? This is a skill I simply do not know how to teach.

Fever, 1793

ToxGalena — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:04:00 GMT

My class is almost finished with the novel we are reading, Fever, 1793. If you are teaching American History and/or Language Arts, I hgihly recommend this book. Out of 70 students only 3 or 4 really aren't into the book, and those are the ones that aren't into anything and brag about how soon they can drop out. I love this book. Though it has 250 pages, it reads fast. We will be done reading the entire novel in 9 days. The book has death, sickness, disease, and even a little swordplay for the boys, and a love story for the girls. All the students get into the major theme of survival.

I only stop at chapter breaks when we read. I used to hate when teachers stopped at every paragraph. They get more meaning out of the text as a whole if they read it as a whole. I will go back and analyze if I need to.

I talk a lot about character development, and I had them make a timeline as they read. I am wondering what other teachers do when they teach novels...

Kids make me laugh!

ToxGalena — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:20:00 GMT

A boy in my 8th grade class who is usually very upbeat comes into my class one day upset. He slams his bookbag down on his desk. He is huffing and puffing, not talking and making jokes like usual. I found out later some girl told his girlfriend a mean rumor. When I asked him what was wrong, he replied simply, "Girls are stupid." Trying to get his mind off it, I pretended to be offended and questioned, "What about me?" He looked at me with honest eyes, and without thinking about it said, "You are a lady, you don't count."

Testing Time

ToxGalena — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:07:00 GMT

Why do we waste our time during testing? Why are schools so inefficient? Are we scared of a mis-administration? Do we not trust ourselves enough to be able to handle testing and teaching at once?

This morning my school is shut down for two hours and my students blankly watch a movie. Does it fit into what anyone is teaching right now? Of course not. Does it fill time? Yep. That is the point, right?

This is a great time to sneak in some learning. My colleagues, many in their 20 year slump, are all satisfied with babysitting. (I'll post about that one later.) When I suggest we teach during this time, they look at me like I am mad. With good planning, IT IS possible to teach during a 2 hour block. However, that will take time and energy.

Am I really asking that much of teachers when I say we should teach? Isn't that our jobs?

Why Toxic Teaching?

ToxGalena — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:05:00 GMT

Friday, April 25, 2008

3:24:54 PM

Students come to my class with things on their minds other than Language Arts. Even the most engaging lesson cannot compete with the loss of a boyfriend or that girl who said something to that boy and now the whole school knows. Students come to class expecting a boring lesson and a dumb assignment with no relevance. All they really want is for class to be short and get lots of free time to talk about their lives to their friends.

What I want is to be to be a teacher that can cause unwanted side effects.

I want to sneak up on unsuspecting young adolescents, and out of nowhere give them an addiction to learning. As the students read about Anne Frank and write letters, they should also learn a little about life. My job is to teach them about reading, writing, and living in the real world.

They are too old to be treated as children and to young to be treated as adults. Middle schoolers are unique, and deserve a unique approach to teaching. You have to make them learn without letting on that you are actually helping them. And whatever you do, do not let them know what you are doing when they are doing it. The best lessons end with, "Hey Miss, all this we did today - that is all inference isn't it?"

Some definitions of toxic I got on Google search:

Toxic substances usually cause unwanted side effects.
www.seniormag.com/conditions/cancer/cancerglossary/t.htm

a poisonous substance.
www.gla.ac.uk/seps/chemical_emergencies/090.html