My lower ability y10 boys would throw pens at you as well as insults, and mock your Greek myths. The behaviour is challenging for class teachers, let alone cover or supply, and let alone a random in the middle of a strike when loads of other schools are off = party time.
I have put blood, sweat and tears into getting them engaged since September. I'm now at a point where they give me reasonable enough respect and produce a half page of ok written work per lesson.
We are currently doing Macbeth and it is hell. Lessons are a balancing act of cajoling, gallows humour, sarcasm, the odd film clip, a constant steer back on track of any - irrelevant and rude, often insulting, sometimes sexually crude or inappropriate + class conversation, a mix of (mostly unfocused) paired and group work to break up the limited independent work they're capable of, appealing to their nicer natures which DO exist.. sometimes begging! And at times, kahoots and chocolate. I frequently involve SLT and issue sanctions, phone parents, put them on report etc. It is exhausting. I psyche myself up for them daily. And, according to the wider school and colleagues, they LIKE me.
i work with a colleague who is ex army. He's done various tours of duty and says even that has not prepared him for this job.
I think I can safely say, you do not.Have.A.Clue. about what our job, daily, entails. Walk a mile in someone else's shoes and all that.
Good luck with Greek day and poetry though. ☘️👍