Teen Wrangling

[ursangnome]

I am not a parent. I was once a teenager. So I remembered a few things going into substitute teaching, but that didn't make it all that much better when dealing with it.

There are points when dealing with 9th graders when you cannot win, and doing the best of all possible things simply isn't possible. When the girl's got a temper shorter than can be measured by any insturment found in an algebra classroom, and the boy's been quietly antagonizing her all period, the event can get out of your control before you're even aware that there's an event taking place.

There are a couple rules for substitute teachers that I've already learned:

1)When at all possible, don't raise your voice. This is an admission that you are not currently in control. You can cow an individual with volume, sometimes, but otherwise is not a useful tool.

2)If at all possible, do not come into physical contact with a student. The liability issues are just too big a problem.

Failed on both counts today. Tried to get between the students before fisticuffs began (subs don't stop fights once they've started, but before seemed reasonable), and she didn't stop moving. Then had to raise my voice to get her to pay attention to me instead of her intended target.

It worked out, insofar as I did get them to pay attention to me so that no fight happened before the teacher came in from next door. And that teacher said that for a first-time, I didn't do too badly. But I'm still not happy with this particular "conflict resolution". I'll just have to be more attentive and think better and faster next time.

Comments

[sdorn.livejournal.com]

My sympathies to you and all but two of your students—and even those two. Ninth-grade algebra is likely to be the roughest class you'll ever sub in, especially these days in Massachusetts (thanks to MCAS and No Child Left Behind). Add to that the usual sub curse that you don't know the class routine, and you've easily got today's situation on hand. You'll shortly be picking up some Sub Guts, also known as several One-Trick Ponies that you and only you will have coming in as a sub. In most cases this can easily be the following:

• Start writing down on the board the names of students who are doing at least one thing right and say that you want to let the regular teacher know who helped you and the rest of the class.
  
• Bring in one item of Really Cool Stuff to give out in a drawing each period, where only students in each period who help you out are eligible (and only if the class gets its assignment/routine done in time for the drawing to happen by the end of the period).
  
• Bring in something that's obviously a Really Cool Demonstration (for math/science classes) that will only be completed if the class gets its assignment/routine done in time for you to do it. Demonstrated puzzles are likely to be the best. Colloidal substances (aka cornstarch "ooblek") is likely to work really well as a puzzle item (the first time you go to a school) because you can show them the essence of the puzzle at the beginning—it jiggles on a student's desk, but when you pound down on it (and everyone shrieks expecting splattering), ... well, you know. (Practice this first!) Angular-momentum demonstrations (aka bicycle wheels) will also likely be cool puzzles.

Of course, you should also ask at the office for each school if there's a schoolwide discipline policy (especially if there are common rewards for appropriate and helpful behavior). And if you're foolish enough to follow my suggestions, awful things are likely to happen, just because I proclaimed this to be interesting. But this might be useful to get you a reputation as a creative teacher (whatever you're teaching), and it might be useful to accumulate a list of demonstrations you can use if you do get a regular gig.

And good luck!

[umbran.livejournal.com]

Ninth-grade algebra is likely to be the roughest class you'll ever sub in, especially these days in Massachusetts (thanks to MCAS and No Child Left Behind).

For most of the day, the algebra class was one of the best assignments I'd had so far. MCAS and NCLB don't seem to have too much impact on substitutes. Nobody seems to expect a sub to get a whole lot of teaching done, unless it's a multpile-day gig.

I'd already started with making lists of who's doing stuff right to report to the teacher. However, I'm not sure I want to make a point of who is getting the notice to the whole class. Might not be good for the social dynamic.

I have been thinking about putting together a "bag of tricks", though I hope that I come up with a long-term position before I have the chance to develop it. One thing I'm sure of, though - they do not pay me enough to spend money on Cool Stuff to give away. I'm getting $50 per day, *before* taxes and retirement plan with holdings.

Managed to make lemonade out of the whole thing - at an interview today with another district to do more sub work, I got to use it as an example of stuff I'm learning as a sub. The lady I interviewed with seemed to agree with about every point I made on where I went wrong, and what I should have done, demonstrating that I can, in fact, be taught :)

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

That's a tough one. If you become aware of a fight before it's too late, maybe you could stand right next to them with your arms crossed, look serious, and Loom? You've got the height for it...