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I recently started substitute teaching while I finish graduate school. I am not trained in education, and the state does not require that I be. I am working in high schools and often times am just supervising the students as they complete the assignments left for them. My question is how strict to be with the students. I usually don't mind if they talk quietly, but what are good ways to keep them from getting too loud, as is often the case? When should I intervene too let them know they are too loud? What methods can I use to get those that are not back on task? I haven't been an utter failure, and I feel that things have gone pretty well, just looking for any advice.
Tell them assignments wiil be collected at the end of class. This wii eliminate the "I'll do it for homework" slackers. If they've completed the assignment, let them chat quietly, as long as they don't bother others.
It is very important that you can use student's names. I would have each student fold a half-piece of light colored construction into a pup tent using darker colored crayola markers. Tell them to write their names in their neatest printing as large as possible. I'd even bring stickers and let them decorate them. This way you can immediately say, "Suzy, I'd like you to focus on your assignment." Using their name is powerful in a non-threatening manner for maintaining control. Beware, the rabble rousers may write the wrong name on their tent.
Walking the room and focusing on trouble areas is vital also. Always give the impression of calm confidence, even if you feel you are unraveling.
Good luck. Subbing's a tough gig.
I told my students that my previous was a high offender prison. That helped a lot.
Realize that as the sub, the admin is ecstatic if you can just maintain order.
I recently started substitute teaching while I finish graduate school. I am not trained in education, and the state does not require that I be. I am working in high schools and often times am just supervising the students as they complete the assignments left for them. My question is how strict to be with the students. I usually don't mind if they talk quietly, but what are good ways to keep them from getting too loud, as is often the case? When should I intervene too let them know they are too loud? What methods can I use to get those that are not back on task? I haven't been an utter failure, and I feel that things have gone pretty well, just looking for any advice.
Keep in mind that you are coming into a situation where the status quo has already been established. There is a big difference between schools and between teachers as far as classroom discipline. You can't change it 180 degrees.
You need to understand what backup you have from administration. In some schools they don't want to hear about discipline issues; in others you can write up a student and they will get in-school, lunch or after school detention. One school in my area also has Saturday morning detention. In the one school where I sub, the is a security person who patrols the halls and knows who the troublemakers are. I have his cell number in my phone but have never had to call him.
In each classroom situation, you need to be firm and tell the students your expectations at the beginning of class. It is almost impossible to regain control once you have lost it. It helps to have a loud voice and talk like you mean it. It doesn't do any good to threaten students with some form of punishment if you won't or can't follow through. Don't assume students will get quiet after they start working on an assignment.
I had one class today that was difficult and the others were no problem. The problem class was low performing and many of the students will probably not do the assignment they were supposed to be working on. They don't care. They are in school because they have to be there and to have a good time. In retrospect, I should have been more strict as soon as the bell rang. It is easy to get complacent with well behaved classes and then the low performing class with the class clowns arrive.
Quote:
Originally Posted by homebeyer2013
Tell them assignments wiil be collected at the end of class. This wii eliminate the "I'll do it for homework" slackers. If they've completed the assignment, let them chat quietly, as long as they don't bother others.
It works sometimes and is always worth a try, but you will have classes where they don't care and won't turn anything in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by homebeyer2013
Good schools will require teachers to have seating charts. Inform the students that role will be taken according to the seating charts.
It is one thing to have a seating chart and another thing for it to be up to date. Students will say thing like "Mrs. Smith rearranged out seats," or "This is where I always sit."
If at all possible, bring a few sets of some "challenge" games; sudoko, crossword puzzles, word search games etc. You could probably pick these up for a dollar, or download them from the internet websites. These will often engage students when they are finished with their seat work and keep them quiet. If you haven't had any issues yet, you're probably doing a great job. I used to tell my students that their respect for a sub was a direct correlation of their respect to me. Maybe you'll have to remind students that Mr. or Mrs. Teacher would be disappointed to hear that Johnny or Susie refused to do the assignment and was disrupting the learning of others.
If at all possible, bring a few sets of some "challenge" games; sudoko, crossword puzzles, word search games etc. You could probably pick these up for a dollar, or download them from the internet websites. These will often engage students when they are finished with their seat work and keep them quiet. If you haven't had any issues yet, you're probably doing a great job. I used to tell my students that their respect for a sub was a direct correlation of their respect to me. Maybe you'll have to remind students that Mr. or Mrs. Teacher would be disappointed to hear that Johnny or Susie refused to do the assignment and was disrupting the learning of others.
I'll bet you are a retired elementary teacher from an affluent school district. The only games kids are interested in playing today are video games like Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Grand Theft Auto, or Call of Duty: Ghosts. Many of the HS boys can't wait to go home and play these games until about 3AM, which explains why they aren't interested in paying attention or working on assignments in class.
BTW, word searches should be banned from schools. They are worthless. They are just another example of why are schools do such a poor job. Some teachers actually think they are educational.
BTW, word searches should be banned from schools. They are worthless. They are just another example of why are schools do such a poor job. Some teachers actually think they are educational.
Correctly used students can learn new words and their spellings by intensively searching for them, letter by letter, in the puzzle. They are helpful with adult English as a Second Language learners for the same reason and are often recommended in established ESL/EOL curriculums. Among the things that word searches do is help students recognize consonant clusters and common vowel combinations. They reinforce vocabulary too. That all said, some teachers rely on them waaay too much.
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