Chatty year 10 class

[40thisisit]

I'm at my wits end with one of my year 10 science classes. I took the class over mid year as an nqt so not much experience up my sleeve.
They are a top set class who just have zero respect for me as a teacher and I think they would just sit and chat whatever I did.
In particular there are 3 horrible boys who egg the class on. They have now been excluded from all science lesson for two weeks and are on report.
The teacher who I share the class with also has the same problems.
I follow the school's sanction policy nearly to the rule (if I did totally I'd have about 5 left in the class and SLT onto me). I've also juggled with sitting plans, phoning parents but to no avail.
Have just found out I have them next year and am in need of some strategies to get some actual teaching done with the group!

Quiz every class about the previous class, or at the end of each class?

Give them the responsibility of preparing a presentation for class to introduce the topics?

I think you need to get some support here. I would involve your HOD and HOY. You shouldn't have to deal with this on your own. They are probably causing grief all over the place so the staff have to nail them as a team. Liaise with other teachers from other departments too.

Keep going with the sanctions and the school behaviour policy. Phone the parents and be like a broken record with them! I think the key is just to keep chipping away.

Make sure you have your classroom rules in a prominent place and state the rule every time one of them breaks it, giving them a warning. Escalate to a sanction where necessary. Maybe even take a lesson out to spend on going over your expectations.

Make life dull for them until they start behaving. Sometimes it's necessary to ignore content until you get them to cooperate. Once they are, you can start with the nice lessons. I would steer clear of getting them to do presentations, group work, etc.

The good kids in the class need to be rewarded though. Give them lots of praise and if they are able to work independently, let them do nicer tasks and practical work.

Good luck. This happens to the best of us! As I said above, you shouldn't need to go it alone.

Very tough situation. Can you peer observe, go and see them worth other teachers and look for strategies that work? Keep contact with parents of those not playing ball, get parents in if needed. Do you have them next year?

I agree consistency and keep going with school sanctions...but I think you need to also make the lessons exciting and interesting so they WANT to cooperate...I would also have a settling activity as soon as they come in and make sure instructions are written on board/sheet so they CAN get on with task. Totally agree with involving your mentor/paired teacher/HOD. I would also be tempted to have a straight conversation with them first lesson in sept, set out your expectations and what you will do w them in return... Lastly try to like them and show it, if you really don't they will know it... Hope all this makes sense, keep going with all the effort, you are doing the right thing!

I agree with the others: consistency is key. Getting the lesson off to a good start is key. You need them settled and listening from the off. Some ideas:

• worksheets on the desk and a house point for the first to finish
• spelling tests (you have to be quiet for spelling tests and its a format they already know)
• ask questions / set mini tasks in your marking so they have something to do as soon as they get books back
• video clip ready to watch and answer specific questions about (have it loaded and paused so they see the film on the projector and want to be quiet for it. Pause it each time someone speaks.