Advice from experienced teachers: struggling to deal with the girls in my class

[thepennyshop]

I wonder if any of you can help me with this - as I've had some great advice from this board in the past.

I teach level 3 at an FE college. I have 15 boys and 4 girls in my class. They are aged 16-18.

On the whole I have gotten on fine with the class since September, but I'm now realising I have no problems with the boys only with the girls.

The girls are loosely in two groups, but on the whole get on well with each other. They are all planning on going to uni, and generally they attend and do their work.

They are just really rude and antagonist to me in the class. I don't really know how to deal with it. I get the feeling they hate my guts, and they are ganging up on me. But one on one I get on fine with each one of them.

I meet them for one on one sessions at least fortnightly where I am positive and encouraging and feel we have a good connection. But in the group situation they are appallingly rude to me.

I have been teaching for 2 years, and previously worked in an office for 15 years. So In discipline situations I act like I would in an office- and not like a teacher. 2 of the girls are 18, so in many ways talking adult- adult should be appropriate here.

But they are so disrespectful to my face on a continuous basis, it has got to the point that some of the boys have called them out on it before I can.

I am struggling as it is also underhanded disrespect, like saying nothing to my face while I'm trying to talk to them, but sneering and making eye contact with their friends either while I'm doing it, or even before my back is turned.

The other male teachers have no problem with them - and I know it is a female- female issue, which is why I haven't really asked them for advice. Also on paper the girls are great, they have much better quality of work and attendance than many of the boys. So there is nothing concrete for me to deal with apart from their attitude, much of that is hidden in sneering eye contact- so I can't even pull them up on having said something.

I feel I'm being humiliated on a daily basis - and also undermined in front of the class.

For the record I am a good teacher and have had consistently grade 1 and grade 2 observations.

Any help or advice welcome!

It's so rude and disrespectful and I didn't know what to say.

Tell them it is rude and disrespectful, they might not even know.

Tell them that they are going to need to stop it as it could cost them a uni place.

I tell students like that that they are being a bit 'primary school' i.e. Acting like young children. Usually works.

There's plenty you can say - "stop rolling your eyes at me, you are being rude and disrespectful" is one example.

I don't think passive aggressive comments would work with these girls. It needs to be dealt with head in IMHO. Perhaps they see you as a an easy target because you're not pulling them up on their behaviour. There is time and a place for gently, gently approach. This is not it.

I remember watching a documentary on Teach First teachers. There was one teacher - science I think - who was being "bullied" by some of the girls in her class through continuous disrespect - eye-rolling, sneering looks, smirking etc. I felt so sorry for her. It is difficult to deal with because if you call someone on it (and I do have a teen dd!) they go all wide eyed and do the "What, me?" expression.

I wouldn't do the emotional appeal. That is showing yourself to be weak, I think, and leaves yourself open to ridicule. "Ha ha, she was nearly crying! " I would just stop and state that eye rolling is rude, immature and you will be invoking further discipline if it carries on.