First year teacher, help please

: I teach middle school as well. The phrase time out is a phrase they associate with their childhood. Parents give “time outs” to toddlers and very young children. I can see where they’re coming up with the idea that you’re treating them like babies.The other issue is Math Bingo every day. I’m not so sure even middle schoolers with weaker math skills still find Math Bingo fun but no one would find it fun day after day. If you have nothing else to do with them, why couldn’t they do their other homework with your help? Or even read with your help. Or find some new math games that they like.When do your behavior problems break out? In the beginning of the period? Or when the Math Bingo starts? Why don’t you consider talking to them about it. I’m impressed with the honestry your adolscent students are approaching you with. It shows they think you care about them or they wouldn’t be telling you this. I’d respond with equal honest. Try asking them, “Ok, you guys see the problem. I need some honest answers. When can we do when things get out of hand in here? Let’s plan a positive experience together. Let’s recognize that we’re here every day for an hour, like it or not. Let’s recognize that I wouldn’t be allowed to have us all with our feet up watching movies and eating popcorn. So I’d like some realistic suggestions for how to make this hour a better and more adult experience for you. I appreciate that you’ve been honest with me and I’d like you now to be honest with yourselves and recognize what we can’t do and what we’ve got to get done. With that, what’s best to do, in your opinions?”Good luck. That you’re asking such good questions so early in your career shows the signs of a great teacher. Your students are lucky to have you.I teach in a junior high school. I
: co-teach all day except for math. I teach math to 2 EI students
: and 12 LD students. When I am with them in regular ed classes,
: they are all pretty much on their best behavior. I usually have
: them all working hard in my room, but I have problems with one
: student who has a tendency to have a domino effect on my other
: students. Well, here is my problem finally; My students think I
: treat the math class like a “baby” math class. I have
: them work on problem solving questions as a class, then they work
: individually on their own workbooks, then they have Math Bingo for
: the rest of the hour. For discipline I redirect behavior first by
: giving a warning, if they continue, I count to three. This is like
: Magic 1-2-3 program. If I get to three, they go to time out. If I
: didn’t count to three, and redirect, many students would be sent
: out right away. Well, my kids think I treat them like babies, and
: they are giving me a hard time. I have to help them in other
: classes, so what should I do. I know this is long, but I am
: confused. Thank you, Rebecca Warner

I teach junior high kids, and they think they are lots older than they are. I would try another method for discipline instead of the counting method you are currently using. If they want to be treated as if they are older, give them what they want. One thing I do is lunch detentions, where they must come directly to my room and work for the first 15 min. of their lunch, which puts them in the back of the line when they are allowed to get their lunch, and they hate this. Plus it cuts out on their socialization time, which is another thing they hate. If they don’t follow directions, they stay longer and miss more of their lunch. I am always sure to give them time to eat before the period is up, though. This is pretty effective, meaning I don’t have to do it often. I also have had “domino” kids. Seems like there’s one every year. Get this kid on your side, appeal to his/her sense of humor, whatever it takes without compromising your authority. Let this kid know you care about him/her and really just want them to succeed. Let them know you think they have potential (even if you think they don’t…LOL) and once they feel accepted, they usually tone down the trouble making. Don’t get angry when disciplining, just follow the process you want and present it in a factual, unemotional(the difficult part) “you will have to come to detention today” attitude. If they feel you really like them, it does wonders. Even if this is the worst kid you know, there is probably one thing you can like or share in common-use it. Get to know the kids, and what they like. Knowing them well helps them feel liked and respected. Compromise, fighting only the necessary battles with them. When you say no, mean no and don’t give in. Stick to you consequences. Writing sentences can be an appropriate consequence, taking away a period of a class they really enjoy (one kid I had happened to have an extra gym class and he loved gym, so when he didn’t do what was expected he had to miss one period of gym and do the work he should have done in my class). Give them math materials that look (even if they are far from it) like what everyone else in regular classes are using. Let them advance their math skills: if they can follow steps but can’t do well in computation, let them use a calculator to learn more complicated concepts like area, perimeter, etc in addition to the basics. It makes them feel good. I use Saxon books which does a lot of drill on the basics, but adds in new stuff the other kids are doing and my kids feel good about what they are doing. They work at an individual pace. Just remember, they want to feel important, they want to feel smart and they want to be liked, even by their teacher, and they want to feel older (even if they don’t act very mature). Whatever you change, it will take awhile for them to catch on and for it to take effect, so give it time. Good luck! You will develop your own style soon! Carrie