Change the game

Today, in a third grade class, we were playing “Around the World” with multiplication cards. One student did not want to play and was falling off his chair and attempting other antics to attract attention.

I was enjoying the game and his behavior wasn’t really bothering me. But it was bothering other students and they kept calling my name and pointing to the aberrant child. Finally I made him go stand outside.

The teacher came back and said the same thing happened the last time there was a sub. And to the same kid! That’s when I realized it was a game that all the class enjoyed. How long would it take the sub to kick Johnny out?

Now I want to change the game. Here’s how I plan to do it. Next time a student interrupts the class to report on the misbehavior of another student, I will point out that calling out is an inappropriate behavior.

I will explain that Johnny falling off his chair does not annoy me. But people who interrupt me to tell me that Johnny is falling off his chair do annoy me. Then I will ask the name of the tattler. And explain that if he keeps on interrupting the class I will put his name on the board.

Of course this will cause much yelling and objection because that is not the way their teacher does it. What I hope to accomplish is complete isolation of Johnny. It sounds like a fun experiment.

Gangs

November isn’t starting out so good for this old substitute teacher. I may be losing my tolerance. But I’ve had to face way too many belligerent children. At one high school, a group of Spanish speaking boys just refused to do anything other than read the newspaper. And when they were finished reading, they wadded up the paper and began throwing it across the room.

I felt doomed when I realized I could not give them the books that were required for the assignment. The teacher had locked up the books and forgotten to leave me a key. The students began grumbling in Spanish. They shouted across their seats to one another and then laughed. It was frustrating for me because I did not know what they were saying.

The teacher had left some photocopies of the reading material, which had to be signed out. I tried to explain this to the students but they feigned ignorance of English. I had heard them speaking English so I knew this was a lie.

Finally I gave a referral to the ringleader who sat in the back with his arms folded, barking commands at the other boys. He signed the referral but refused to leave the classroom. Meanwhile, I called security about three times and kept getting a recording.

The whole situation was absolutely deranged. The students began throwing the wads of paper at me! One hit the wall behind me. I finally got through to the secretary and I shouted into the phone, “I am afraid for my physical safety.”

The security guard came down and lectured the students. There was, at this point, a half hour left of the two-hour class.