First Day of School

I started out this morning on top of it. I was on it. I was it. Despite the setbacks: getting three hours of sleep (from nervousness), not having an attendance roster, not having my classroom set up as I wanted it, my computer freezing before a powerpoint presentation, etc... I had the adrenalin to accomplish anything. My first English block went tremendously well. We were actually able to accomplish everything on the agenda: first day questionnaire, class business, powerpoint introduction to class norms and rules, and grading information. The kids responded well, participated nicely, quieted down when they were asked to do so. It was beautiful.

Then came the second English block. They had already been to breakfast/nutrition and had already heard two other teachers' spiels about class norms and rules (nearly identical to mine). They were antsy. When they were still filling out questionnaires, one kid asked, "When do we get to start talking?" And that did it. From then on, the class couldn't get through anything without talking over me, interrupting, shouting out answers, etc. No matter how often I asked them to raise their hand, quiet down, etc., they didn't respond. I had lost them. It got so bad that the kids began asking silly questions about marijuana and talking about jail sentences. At one point, I just stood there silently and watched them. They soon quieted down and watched me too. It became a staring contest. I had hoped that I was coming off as sort of a crazy teacher whom the students couldn't guess what she would do next. But, the problem was, I didn't know what I was going to do next.

I wasn't quite sure what I had done differently in the first block class that had worked and what was different in the second block so that it didn't work. Maybe it was the line-up outside of the class before the students entered. First block had to stay there longer than second block. Maybe it was the seating arrangement. The "troublemakers" in second block were close together in one section of the room. Maybe I had gotten lazy and didn't immediately dispel any talking in the first place.

Maybe it was the fact that the campus police officer came in during second block and began rattling off consequences to particular petty crimes faster than the kids could throw a spitwad at him. It certainly didn't help that he ended his speech by saying, "You really need to work on your writing. I've read your writing and it's terrible."

Thank you, Officer X, for "setting the tone" in my classroom. But, it couldn't be all his fault, really. The kids were excited about the first day and didn't want to be serious about anything. I had gotten lazy in class management.

It got to the point that I held the entire class for five minutes during their lunch period. And I'm finishing by calling the parents of a select group of teens. My homework for the evening. So far the parents (the ones I have been able to reach) are very positive and happy to hear from me. They acknowledge that their children are a little rebellious. I take that as a good sign that I will have their support through this year.

My third English class, only one period long, was also talkative. At least they were more controlled, though. I only had to keep a few students after class to have "the talk." I was pretty wiped out by then, though. I think that many of my class management skills had probably flown out the window by then. I was just ready to get the day over with and I think the kids probably felt the same way.

Maybe the first day back for eighth graders is a day when students feel comfortable and feel like they understand their environment enough to have some control over it. Maybe that is why there is such a power play on the first day. Whatever it is, I don't plan to let it continue through the year.