Every so often I’ll get a chance to talk to the teacher I’ll be subbing for in advance to actually being in his or her classroom. Once in awhile, they will do me the benefit of “warning” me which of their classes is “bad.” I haven’t decided if this is useful information or just something that clogs up my ability to approach each class with a fresh mental slate. Regardless, I had a couple difficult classes last week that have really been testing my ability to hold together a classroom. Usually, they are freshmen or sophomore dominated classes and not in the “advanced” track. Some classes can completely handle a day of working on their homework in class. However, these younger students usually cannot. They require me to be up and walking around the room at almost all times. I try to ask questions and refocus them as much as possible. Admittedly, it’s not easy. A lot of these kids are completely resistant to the idea of using unstructured time to be productive and get something done.
With these more unruly classes, there are a couple things I try to make a conscious effort to do. First of all, before the class even starts, I try to talk to a couple kids and just get to know them a little bit. I ask them how their day is going, if they play any sports, etc. Then, as soon as the bell rings, I make sure to start class right away with a very loud and authoritative, “Alright let’s go! Find your seats!” Hopefully by not wasting any time I can set the tone right away that I expect them to use their time wisely. It at least gets them to quiet down so I can take attendance, introduce myself, and explain what we are doing. The last thing I have been focusing on, and I think this is the key component, is making myself be energetic and upbeat during these classes. Sometimes it is easy to get down on a class if I’ve already been warned that they are “bad.” So, even if I’m not feeling like it, I try to have a positive and sunny attitude. Obviously, this doesn’t mean that I’m overlooking bad behavior– I just try to let it bother me less.
I’m still figuring this subbing thing out, that’s for sure. I can’t help but think that I’m wasting my time when I spend a day supervising the taking of tests or the completion of worksheets. Every once in awhile, though, I’ll get a class that might be tougher to manage or control, but it helps me remember that there is a reason I want to be a teacher.
Photo by hoyasmeg
