Really struggling with classroom management

[Elizabeth1984]

I'm new to teaching and I've got a class of 16 year old boys. I'm horrified at how bad I am at managing them. And the other teachers are horrified at how bad I am too, as no one else finds them that difficult.

Basically I naturally follow attachment parenting, and I never formally discipline my own children or go around telling them to stop and they can't do something.

I can see that what this class needs is someone to bark rules t thm all the time. I know what needs done, I just can't do it. Has anyone else felt the same way? Or any tips I can use to try and get them under control?

Two things to remember

1. it's not personal, it's a game to them, baiting the teacher is more fun at the moment than learning

2. Even in your worst lesson no body has died

Agree with, 'getting the buggers to behave' although it is mostly aimed at school children it does work.

As for rules, do a 'class contract' - so get them to write the rules and be realistic. When you first do this they will all say, "no mobile phones", ask them if they are really going to go 4 hours without looking at their phones, of course they are not, so let them suggest something, then you suggest something so the rule might be they get 5 mins to check texts in every hour, but they can lose that 5 mins for behaviour infringements.

Get the rules typed up and laminated and stuck on the wall - they are more likely to follow rules that they have made up and agree are fair.

I have one very talkative group at the moment, who don't listen so I end up being asked 5 times at the start, "are we using computers today?"

I am supposed to have them for 1hr 30, I tell them they can go 15 mins early but every time they talk over me I'll add a min on to the lesson. They usually go 10 mins early after a couple of infringements they start to self police.

The marbles in a jam jar can work with older students, for every thing they do right they get a marble, once the jar is full the group get a treat.

Can you do anything with them moving around? Do you have access to an IT suite or laptops?

If you can get them in to a group or pairs, get them to research something and then present it to the class it can take a bit of time and have them actually doing.

Some groups like 'death by powerpoint', others get bored.

Some groups need to 'get it out of their system' so giving 5-10 mins at the start for socialising, finishing breakfast etc etc can work.

A-Z of your subject, mine's health and social care so either in teams or individually they have to name a term from A to Z, so arthritis, bipolar, etc to zimmer frame. Sometimes we go backwards as well and they cannot repeat any term.

Thanks all so much for your tips - it is so useful!!

I like the quiz idea where one team poses questions for the other team based on the curriculum.

Yes the tutor who had had the class before, recommended I get them up moving round at least once per lesson. I will need to incorporate that into the lesson plan somehow.

I have done lots of activities where they research then present to the group, but as I lost control, they stopped caring, just chatted in their groups then gave the most lacklustre presentations that people talked over. Truly awful.

I certainly can't power point for the whole 4 hours, but I will need to stick to pairs tasks or something. My head of department just admitted she was thinking of changing the timetable, as she realises 4 hours is far too long.

I have totally lost the class's respect, I am oing to have to be really tough to get it back again. Everything I've looked up so far on behaviour management has said how important it is to start strong. Well I started really weakly, and they are not scared of me in the slightest.

I've tried to get hold of the college disciplinary policy. I've not got it yet, but I've been warned not to use it too liberally. But I'm wondering if I will need to flex some muscle to get the students to notice me and know that I mean business.

Take the classroom back as your space. Do a new seating plan, in rows, get them to line up silently outside the classroom, then you give them instructions on what you want them to do when they get in (some straightforward exercise that needs no input). Then you let them in one by one, direct them to their new seat and they get on with it. If the ones outside start messing, give them a stern folded arms and not let them in until they are sensible. If the ones inside aren't working in silence, a stern 'I've told you what I expect you to be doing, now get on with it'.

Act like you mean business and it should at least give you a good start to the lesson which you can then kick off with your revised expectations.

Thanks noblegiraffe that sounds really good. I'll definitely try that, as I am setting the rules before they even step into the room.

Now I need to think of a good straightforward activity to get them started with...

Yes I'll do the seating plan, just thinking of it now. I'm still debating between rows or horseshoe. Benefit of rows is it treats them lik school children to teach them a lesson.
Benefit of horseshoe. I can walk into the middle of the space, dominate it, and easily target any member of the class.

Start making phone calls home- positive AND negative. Try and do the positive first.

Use verbal praise whenever you can, make them really respect the fact that YOU KNOW THE ANSWERS. Start changing your language- I find phrases like "this is a vital piece of information" "that is the difference between a C and a D" "unless you know this and use this, you WILL NOT be able to answer this paper".

I really hope the college start supporting you more as they sound shit, to be honest! You should have been given a discipline policy on induction.

I think if I was trying to get back a class like this, I would make their poor behaviour their fault, rather than admitting I'd been a bit crap.

"I've been appalled by your behaviour in recent weeks, as has [previous teacher]. I expected a certain level of maturity from 16 year olds at a college, and I can see that I was wrong, you aren't yet in a position where you can be trusted to behave appropriately with regards to working with each other, doing more interactive activities or getting up and moving around the room. Because of this, I have planned two lessons, one full of calm written activities and one which is more lively. We will start by doing [X - boring written task to be completed individually] and if you show me that you can behave sensibly, then we will move onto [Y- more interesting group activity]. However, if at any point I can sense you losing control, then we will go back to X, or individuals can be sat at the back of the class doing X while the rest of the class do Y. Now it's going to be hard work, so we will stop for a ten minute break at 10:00 and I can reassess how you are getting on."

Then praise them if they do get their heads down and do some work. Do not be afraid to kick anyone off any activity and back to the boring work if they even hint at pissing around.

PS I don't like horseshoes, the less the kids can look at each other in the face the fewer the opportunities for mass communication.

I don't like horseshoes either, desks in pairs facing me. Perhaps in lines of four if I'm bored of pairs!