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Need creative idea to get students to quit interrupting.

Question asked by Michelle Sweeten on Oct 12, 2012
Latest reply on Nov 5, 2012 by brad schott

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Me, each other, all at once, you name it. I cannot wait for this rotation of 7th graders to be done with. Most are great kids but.......

It's a constant fight to get through anything. I've moved them around the room, may spread them out over the whole 27 seats? there are 15 of them. Probably 12 of them have issues.

I've considered changing the room up, but that would be a pain for this one class. My room just doesn't lend itself to a circle type thing.

I asked them to give me some ideas today, and the ideas ranged from a canoe paddle to be more fun and buying muzzles.

I do not have $$$ to buy them silly trinkets or candy. Do I have them write sentences? I've taken away time to work on group projects, talked to them individually.

I get one under control and someone else starts in.

No one else has this question

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Vay Jensen Oct 12, 2012 6:55 PM
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When you figure it out, let me know! Actually I try to walk around the class a little bit and use the proximity to the student to get them to quiet down. That helps at times. If you have fun activities for them to work on you can give them the choice of the fun activity or learning about things from a book. Generally they'll pick the lab activity. I think kids are like training horses: there's no one fix-all. You just have to keep mixing things up. What works for one won't work for the other. Good luck!
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Kim Schadrie Oct 13, 2012 3:54 PM
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I had a friend who used this idea during her student teaching:

Every Monday she'd write the word "RESPECT" on the board. When the class started to get out of hand about something, she'd erase a letter, which was a sign to them that whatever they were doing (whether it be talking, messing around, etc) was not acceptable. If the whole word was gone by the end of the week, there was a consequence (maybe a quiz/assignment/stay after, depending on age levels and your preference). Likewise, if there were letters left, there was a positive behavior consequence (to avoid the $ route, some fun activity. Maybe the last five/ten minutes of your Friday class you play a game, have a team building exercise, do brainteasers or watch funny Youtube videos).

It would take some explanation at first, of course, and setting up ground rules with your students. That first week it would probably be a good idea to pause the class as you're about to erase a letter and have a quick discussion on why you're doing so, and how could everyone, as a class, ensure this doesn't happen again (reteach the behavior, concentrating on the should-dos rather than should-nots, cheers for PBIS). But once you set it up, it could potentially be very effective. And when they earn those privileges on Friday, you not only get to reinforce good behavior, but it can be a great, fun way to build your relationship with those students, because those will probably be moments they remember.

Just an idea, I haven't personally used it in a class, but it worked very well for my friend. Best of luck with the little ones!
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Michelle Sweeten @ Kim Schadrie on Oct 13, 2012 7:43 PM
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I really like this idea, simple but very visual. Going to try it!
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brad schott Oct 14, 2012 11:35 AM
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Not too different than the RESPECT idea but I put 20 "pizza marks" in a corner of the board for the month, and each time the class is being disruptive I take off a mark. If the marks are all gone at the end of the month - no pizza. This is an extremely disruptive freshman class that most were put into as an elective by counselors. I bought them pizza last month and now that they have tasted the fruit they are policing each other. And I think that is the key...think of some way to get them to use peer pressure on each other. It's starting to work and I figure if it saves me a few buck in Valium, Blood Pressure Meds, Migraine Meds, Prozac, etc., it may be worth it. Plus it helps do a little relationship building with the kids and shows that I am not a total bad, er, rear-end. My other rationalization is that none of these kids are from an ag background and I am trying to cultivate an interest in the subject to the point they may gain enough of an interest to stay with the subject and join FFA. Whatever it takes to get them to monitor each other.

Mr. "I really don't have a clue" Schott
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Robin McLean Oct 14, 2012 12:15 PM
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How is your room arranged? (Note: I don't really have chairs on the computer desk.) Not sure is you can tell from the picture below, but I give myself a sort of central walk way and have desks in rows of 3 facing each other. Challenge, kids sometimes want to talk across the room to each other. Benefit - it gives me more "front row seating" so I can access students. (8 people are at the front of the row!)

A tip a colleague gave me was alternating rows of girls and guys.

In my small "chatty" class, I leave an empty row between them.
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Michelle Sweeten @ Robin McLean on Nov 4, 2012 8:34 PM
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Still working on possibly re-organizing the room, with our projector & screen (not centered) but closer to one side.

Tomorrow is my last day with the onery students. We've tried writing Respect on the board, and they did get a pretty tough quiz out of the deal. But honestly it doesn't seem to be working. Last week was touch & go. Work days are fine, since I have them spread out, it's only when we are trying to have any sort of class lecture/discussion. Thursday they shared their create a plants. They will self-monitor some, but it's not very effective. They would spend the whole hour asking one another dumb questions..... they LOVE to be up front. One day we had some extra time so I let them one at a time go up and write on the chalk board. It got pretty silly.... but they were loving it. They are soooo imaginative, it's kind of inspiring, but they haven't any discipline.

I've had a bad sinus infection, so dealing with them has been pretty low on my list. I took an unplanned leave Friday since my 6 yr old woke up @ 4am throwing up. None of them turned in their assignment onto Edmodo...... So who knows what I will find tomorrow. I told them if they did not give a stellar performance on Friday, they would have a quiz tomorrow instead of the usual Ag Bingo.

I have mixed feelings on one hand this is my recruiting class, on another hand they are so exhausting, and I feel like I've been walked all over no matter what! I'm anxious to get in tomorrow and see what the sub said. Any suggestions? Do I give them grace or the quiz?

I know it's not me, as their previous teacher (veteran) had the same issues.
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brad schott @ Michelle Sweeten on Nov 4, 2012 9:23 PM
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Michelle,
Here I sit at the computer in the ag building on a Sunday night and my mail goes "ding" with your post. I just want to say hang in there. You will figure it out. When your mail came in I was surfing under "classroom management" because I too have a group just like you do. At first I was personalizing it, and I am sure there are things I need to do differently, but I too have tried a laundry list of things....and I thought I knew it all after raising three kids of my own! I have 18 9th graders in a very small room with lousy acoustics and when they walk across the street from the main building they think they are in recess. Friday I was fried. The last class had just gotten out and the principal came by with my evaluation. He is a great guy. He told me that the kids were killing me early as they suck me in emotionally. I agreed. But one hour prior to that a kid in class told me I had better be careful with him because his Mom was on the school board. Yea, he sucked me in. He even threaten not to be in my class next semester! Now that's a tough one not to get sarcastic with. Anyway I too have your concerns of being such a hard a___ that I won't have any FFA prospects.

Just wanted you to know you are not alone. Take it a day at a time. It's a lot like driving to work. Someday you cruise right through the green lights...some days it seems you hit all the reds. Most of the time it is a mix. But the thing is, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU. It is usually a set of factors that you can't control. Like a full moon thing.

Last week they had me so flustered I did an experiment on them. At noon I went to Walmart and bought 5 dozen sugar cooking and two 12 packs of Mountain Dew. I looked up who was having the next birthday and said, "It's Giovanni's birthday on Saturday, let's celebrate! The results were predictable. Anyone that says Mountain Dew calms some of them down is delusional. I just wrote off the last 15 minutes of class. It was almost comical to watch them. A couple of them were running around the room with their underwear (or somebody else's?) on their head. A few were performing what looked exorcisms on each other. One was catotinic. The others were speaking in tongues while performing what look like various versions of the "potty dance". Ok, it's a slight exaggeration, but I finally just gave up for a day and turned them loose. There was still another class that day they had to go to, which probably explains the email on Friday, instructing staff to "please clear it with the office before bringing food or drink into your classroom".

Anyway, just do what you can and know you are not alone.

Brad Schott
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Matt Eddy Nov 5, 2012 8:21 AM
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JH students are live wires. That's the good thing. That's also the bad thing.

Have you tried looking thru this? http://communities.naae.org/thread/4075

Lots of tips and tricks there might be helpful along with activities to help direct that energy a bit.

Mixing up seating charts till you find one that works is a good idea. Sometimes with those kids you just have to be the 'alpha' in the classroom. If their excited, you have to be MORE excited - with a high energy group sometimes you really have to elevate your energy level.

Usually my student teachers that have struggled with classroom management - the above response sometimes helps reign things in. The other is that if they are doing something that you don't like -- mostly it could be because you are not consistent with them enough. Like training a horse, or raising a child - i prefer the latter example -- there is a learning curve. For them and for you.

Try to keep the positive reinforcement going... classes can turn sour when using negative consequences. (Please don't use grades as a weapon - extra quiz/assignment). Try to harness their energy and direct it into a joy of education. A tall order, but I think a noble pursuit.

Keep at it -- we have all been there. Just dream -- if you can harness all that energy for good (Instead of evil) imagine what heights you will reach with them!

FWIW, ME
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Ashley Fowler Nov 5, 2012 9:54 AM
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In my earlier years, I sounded a lot like the scenarios posted here. I struggled with gaining control over my classrooms. Here are my suggestions:

1. Don't reward students for the good behavior. I know this sounds bad but think of about it. How many times does your principal come down and give you a piece of candy or an extended lunch, etc for completing your lesson plans or daily attendance. I highly doubt he or she does. The fact of the matter is our education system is set up to reward students for the behavior that they should be already expected to do. They are at school not at the park. Expectations like sitting in desks, taking notes, respecting others, etc should be in place. Be positive, polite and thank them when they are behaving as expected but be wary or treats like stickers, candy, and trinkets.

2. Set up a seating chart and stick to it. Period. Study and evaluate your students. Diagram it out and distribute the bad ones. Be Serious about it. Stop what you are doing and relocate them to their assigned seat immediately.

3. Keep moving. Never, ever sit with a bad class. Ever. Walk, pace, hoover, be near them.

4. Give a warning and then call home. Stick to this. Once the phone call has been made, document it. If you cannot get up with the parent, document it. Be sure you inform the student that you did call home and show them your documentation.

5. If the behavior does not improve immediately after the phone call home, complete an office referral. Don't take any junk from your students. I have witnessed teachers writing students up for simple things like clearing their throats too often or not having pencils. In my opinion, it isn't good to be that extreme BUT if you have followed the procedures and documented it. Write Them UP!!! You will be thankful for the small break you get from the students if they are suspended.

6. Keep them busy. Down time equals trouble time. They get loud, they get bored, they get restless. Do not finish early and if you do, then have a leadership development back up plan.
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brad schott @ Ashley Fowler on Nov 5, 2012 10:54 AM
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Ashley,

Now that's some great stuff! I appreciate it and will start using it ALL.

Brad
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Need creative idea to get students to quit interrupting.

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