How to Deal with a Difficult Class

Overall, my second year as a teacher has been ten times easier than my first year - I am feeling confident and in control, even when I allow the students to take the wheel for a bit. It feels great! But there is one class that I'm still having trouble with.

My largest class happens to also contain about 15 of the most difficult students in the grade. While this means that my other classes are wonderful, devoid of any trouble-makers, this class reduced me to tears yesterday for the first time this year (although I would never actually cry in front of them, I saved it for later). Standing in that room, watching every single student talk without giving me a second thought, I felt like a newbie all over again. What if, I thought, this is how it's always going to be.

Today, I got back out there and managed to get them somewhat under control. Here's how.

1. I let my feelings out the night before.

By airing out my frustrations with this class, I was able to look past just how hurt I was and think about what the fundamental problems were. The current topic of topographic maps is not the most thrilling thing in the world, so for already-rowdy kids to have to sit and listen to me talk about contour lines would take a miracle. I don't blame them for talking over me. At the same time, they need to learn this and I can't even get through the explanation of a lab, let alone the lab itself. It seemed like nothing would ever work and I needed to get those feelings out.

2. Give the students more power, not less.

When I created my lesson plan for today, I incorporated a 10-20 minute discussion with my students about what was going on. I opened up the discussion for them to share with me how they felt the class could be better. Many students frankly admitted that they found the class boring and I was able to convince them that the faster we got through the boring stuff, the faster we could move on to more exciting topics. I also asked them to consider the fact that the less they listened to me, the longer I had to stand up there talking and the less time they had for group work. Overall, I think they respected me for asking their opinion. I even pulled one of the most difficult students aside after class and asked her if she would be willing to work with me to make the class more active. By giving her ownership of the class, it becomes more likely that she will value the class and respect me as her teacher.

3. Invite others to help you improve.

The last thing I did today to hopefully improve the situation is that I asked my AP to come observe me in that class. Many new teachers - especially those without tenure - shy away from having administrators in the classroom. However, they often have invaluable insight into improvements you can make and are less likely to sugar coat things for you than other teachers are. I personally enjoy getting feedback whenever I can, especially when it has the potential to drastically improve a class' performance. In fact, my AP called me a superstar later in the day, commending me for being so committed to student achievment. Rather than setting myself up for a failed observation, I showed my administration that getting students to learn is far more important to me than their opinion of my teaching.

My advice to all teachers is to put students first, always. Before your ego, before your pride, before your job even. If we can't do that, then public education stands to lose a lot. When times get tough and teachers are being judged on the performance of their students, who is going to take on the difficult classes?

Comments

[Kelvin Kao]

I actually found it pretty refreshing to hear someone say that the administrators have good insight! A lot more often I just hear people complain about how administrators are out of touch.

[Kate Bandos]

You might want to check out a new DVD for teachers entitled 1-2-3 Magic for Teachers DVD by Thomas W. Phelan PhD and Sarah Jane Schonour MA. The popular 1-2-3 Magic for Teachers: Effective Classroom Discipline Pre-K through Grade 8 program (book was published several years ago) comes to life on 3 hour DVD! Shot on location with real students and teachers as well as professional talent, this DVD takes the guesswork out of classroom discipline. This engaging, humorous presentation is guaranteed to make classroom discipline less exhausting. It explains in straightforward language exactly how teachers can establish and maintain reasonable control of their classrooms, focus on the academics, and enjoy their time with their students. Find out more at http://www.parentmagic.com.

[Teacher's Diary]

Thanks for the suggestions. To address Kelvin's point, my administration has been extremely supportive in this area, even thought they have been less supportive in other areas. I think the important thing is just to know your administration and what they do well.

To Kate, thank you for the DVD recommendations - I will definitely check them out.