Summer School 2019

Summer School 2019 - My Classroom Management Weakness

Grade 10 applied - 38 students - 33 failed the course previously - two already failed course twice.
Result - 2 failures, 36 passes - no drops.

Interestingly enough - I had students with numerous day school attendance issues.  Skipping over 15 classes was the norm for about 8 students.  Lates numbering in the 30s was the norm for a couple. However...

The structure of summer school and the shortness of the course (18 days) reduced the possibility for them to start skipping.  The threat of 2 absences and you're out of the course and 4 lates = to 1 absence was enough to keep most in line.  Minimal interventions needed - just a couple of reminders to the students themselves and they shaped up in no time.

Even more interesting - many of them showed up for exam review day even though they knew it wasn't necessary.

Relationships are key.  It is the only thing my TES teacher (SP7 - students at Risk at OISE) taught me - that's what he focused on.  Positive teacher relationships.

I had to fight off pneumonia.  It is difficult to do lecture based teaching with pneumonia and I don't recommend anyone try it.  As a result, some of my classroom management went to the wayside and the classroom was unruly.  It was embarrassing as I had one teacher ask me to keep my own class quiet.  I had another colleague friend come in multiple times and check in on me to see if I was ok given the ruckus that she could hear from her classroom.  It was a circus.

Looks like I was mixing up 'positive student teacher relationships' with letting the students do whatever they want.  Not positive at all.

There were some conflicts.  Two boys and homophobic slurs culminated in a slap to a face; I tried to do some brief conflict resolution but it failed as one week later, they were close to fighting again with lots of hurled insults between the two of them.  I noticed most students starting to back away; one little girl who was closest to them, looked up and then continued to work.  I found out later that she lived at Jane and Finch and this sort of altercation was considered 'light'.  Turns out her brother was taught by my wife.  I get to look at my wife with more newfound admiration.

I told my wife about the state of the classroom and the lack of classroom management.  She told me there is a fine line between classroom management and classroom community.  I still think my management needs work.  Hahaha - I'm 11 years in to the teaching profession...but I guess 38 students stuck in one room, with the same students, with the same subject for almost 6 hours a day will really test the limits of one's classroom management. Do I get a 'pass'? 

I had to get administration involved with this one after the latest altercation.  I decided to get them involved with some ring leaders of the misbehaviour in the class.  It certainly helped with the management of the classroom.  I'm not sure if I should have done it right away - as some of the 'roasting' I did back at them seemed to build some community.  Roasting your own students is a very dangerous exercise, as most of these students are here in summer school because of lack of self esteem and/or have math anxiety in class.  It also has the potential to turn my classroom into a routine bullying session and that isn't a safe place to learn - at all.

This was probably the most involved admin with my class that I have had in my history.  They were there to support and it was awesome.  I think I've always had a little fear with involving admin - as it may question my own effectiveness as a teacher.  But involving admin was awesome and a positive experience.