Ok, I am not a person who likes to shout, nor do I like confrontation, which is why I am finding it difficult to control the class. I am in control when I am talking to them, and getting them to copy down slides into their jotters- but at what level of noise is acceptable? In my class today, the teacher came in towards the end of the lesson and had to shout at them. I am not trying to be nice to them, but I am just feeling it challenging to tell them off and make them listen to my directions. They say that a teacher should really not need to raise her voice, but how can I get this to work for me. Part of the reason that I feel, is that it is not really my class. I kinda feel under pressure to be totally strict with them, because the class teacher is really firm with them.
Any suggestions to getting over the fear of being a voice of authority in the classroom? My 'crit' is coming up soon, and I don't want them to walk all over me.
Although my lesson did not go to plan, I still enjoyed the 'teaching' part of it.
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2 comments:
Oli is as helpful as ever! :-)
I think the positive classroom management stuff that Raymond was talking about is a good place to start. I would re-read some of the comments on FirstClass that followed his lectures, maybe even review the powerpoint slides or the video of his lecture. There is also some good stuff on the TeachersTV website. I like the Teaching with Bayley programmes. If your problem is with chatty pupils, the Girl Talk programme might be worth watching.
General advice however is not to try and be the class teacher. Although you are borrowing the class, you should still aim to impose your own style and your own standards. If you had the opportunity to shadow a class, you will have noticed how classes adapt to different teachers and different styles throughout the day. You should act with authority in the classroom - while you are teaching them they are your class, so try to get over the "not really my class" feeling, decide that you are in charge and act accordingly. A least part of being in control of a class is acting with confidence. One of the other Bayley videos shows a teacher who typically said things like, "Could you maybe start to settle down please." Bayley asked her if she was asking or telling? If you want them to be quiet, tell them to be quiet and expect them to obey.
Probably need to talk about this more than there is space to do here. Send an email if you want to discuss it further. Would you mind if I asked teachers reading my blog to come here and offer their advice too?
Thanks for the comments David, I am open to any offers of help and suggestions. I am enjoying this whole blogging thing because it allows me be reflective in my teaching. Please do allow other teachers to read my bloggs, the more the merrier.
I did feel that today (16th November) was a lot better. I was firm with them, and I achieved better results.
Thanks for the links, I shall check them out .
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