What crazy, interesting, confusing, strange, amazing experiences do I have on a weekly basis? Maybe my students made some off-the-wall comment. Some other time, I might have a story about a wonderful teaching moment. There may be some weeks that I reflect on my strengths/weaknesses as a teacher and others where I need advice. I'm dealing with the experience a day at a time.
What makes them think they can get away with that?
I will never forget my years of school. There are so many experiences that stand out in my mind. In relation to my current situation, I specifically remember things that happened with student teachers and substitutes. I would bet that everyone can recall at least one time when students tried to take advantage of a visiting teacher, be it a substitute or student teacher. I used to get so angry when this happened. I felt so powerless and sincerely ached for the teacher. Sometimes it was abusing the rules and other times it was ignoring the authority. This is exactly what I am stuggling with right now. Why do my students see me as an inferior to my teacher? I accept the fact that I am not the actual teacher and have no real control over the classroom. However, when I am teaching and especially when the teacher is not in the room, I am in charge. My students seem to forget this.
I am by no means implying that I have poor behaving students. I am very lucky for the school and community in which I am student teaching. The students, for the most part, are motivated and hard-working children. I have just started noticing that students think they can get away with more me. The saying is proving true - give them an inch, they take a mile. During my AA class today (kind of like homeroom), it was suppsoed to be homework help. My mentor requires silence during homework help. The students are instructed to bring something to work on, specifically a class assignment. My teacher left the room today and I wish I had counted the number of times I asked the students not to talk. Not only that, I noticed that many students had no school work. The main time teachers have behavior problems is when students are idle or without a task. That was the case today. The students without any work were distracting the others and causing a disruptive classroom. Is it just because I was the authority figure in the classroom and I'm a softy?
Maybe I need to make a statement. I want the students to like me but before that I need to feel respected.
I will admit, my mentor teacher also has problems with the AA students. It is the end of the day and they are chatty. Maybe I shouldn't take it so personally. I can't be that easy to take advantage of.
What makes them think they can get away with that?
ReplyDeleteI will never forget my years of school. There are so many experiences that stand out in my mind. In relation to my current situation, I specifically remember things that happened with student teachers and substitutes. I would bet that everyone can recall at least one time when students tried to take advantage of a visiting teacher, be it a substitute or student teacher. I used to get so angry when this happened. I felt so powerless and sincerely ached for the teacher. Sometimes it was abusing the rules and other times it was ignoring the authority. This is exactly what I am stuggling with right now. Why do my students see me as an inferior to my teacher? I accept the fact that I am not the actual teacher and have no real control over the classroom. However, when I am teaching and especially when the teacher is not in the room, I am in charge. My students seem to forget this.
I am by no means implying that I have poor behaving students. I am very lucky for the school and community in which I am student teaching. The students, for the most part, are motivated and hard-working children. I have just started noticing that students think they can get away with more me. The saying is proving true - give them an inch, they take a mile. During my AA class today (kind of like homeroom), it was suppsoed to be homework help. My mentor requires silence during homework help. The students are instructed to bring something to work on, specifically a class assignment. My teacher left the room today and I wish I had counted the number of times I asked the students not to talk. Not only that, I noticed that many students had no school work. The main time teachers have behavior problems is when students are idle or without a task. That was the case today. The students without any work were distracting the others and causing a disruptive classroom. Is it just because I was the authority figure in the classroom and I'm a softy?
Maybe I need to make a statement. I want the students to like me but before that I need to feel respected.
I will admit, my mentor teacher also has problems with the AA students. It is the end of the day and they are chatty. Maybe I shouldn't take it so personally. I can't be that easy to take advantage of.