New Y2 class don't listen!

[Gloriousgoard]

I teach Year 2 in an independent school.

For the past two years I have had such lovely classes and it has all gone smoothly.

This year is the first year that nearly all of the children haven't been mixed up from their previous groups and they have come to me having already been together for all of reception and year 1.

They don’t listen, they talk continuously through my input, it takes them about 45 minutes to put their PE kits on because they just mess around, chat and don’t seem able to follow the simplest of instructions it’s like they are locked in to their own little bubble and I can’t get through without raising my voice (something I don’t like doing).

Some of the parents are clearly implying that I’m strict but I’m at my wit’s end with many of their children’s constant low-level continuous disruption.

I was so looking forward to this year but now I feel it’s going to be a long drag.

My line manager has taken our behaviour charts away as she thinks it’s shaming and won’t allow us to replace them with anything so I have no sanctions to threaten them with. Ugh!

Parents are definitely of the, ‘as long as Johnny is happy’ mentality and you can’t really engage them in conversation about their child’s poor behaviour choices. There’s been kicking, pinching, refusing to do work, constantly interrupting me when I’m talking to other chilldren, throwing glue sticks, kicking books, snatching, shouting inside, running inside the list is endless. It’s driving me potty!

I think tomorrow I’m just going to calmly write their names on the board and not say anything at all to them about it and the ones that have continuously broken the rules can miss some choosing time. 😭

You need to find something that matters to them as a consequence. Clear, consistent rules and boundaries. You also need management onside.

Our current yr 2 are the same, despite our year 1 teacher massively clamping down on expectations. Unfortunately, their parents don't accept there is an issue amd this means every monday is back to square one. I suspect it'll be a year of herding cats ahead of us.... you have my sympathy.

I would say though, that you need to explain the consequences to them before taking away choosing time. I'm sure you will, it's maybe not clear from your post.

I'm the PPA teacher and with the current yr 2 last year, I used to calmly write a 1 on the board if they weren't ready or not following instructions. This meant 1 minute lost of child initiated or play time. If necessary, I'd change it to a 2, 3 or 4. (I really don't like taking any extra than this.) Names on the board helped too, and housepoints. Ours liked quiet critters too!

Peer pressure really worked. They'd get very fed up with the constant offenders and at that age absolutely LOVE telling tales. I used to say it was like having a class full of CCTV cameras 🤣🤣

To coin a classic teacher phrase:- it's your own time you're wasting. Don't start until they're ready. Time lost is taken off their playtime.

Set firm boundaries now and they'll soon cotton on to your expectations.

One of our best teachers in primary school had this special rhythmic clap that she did when she wanted the class to stop talking and looking at her. It was somewhat like the happy clapping that someone would do if they were really delighted by something that they had seen, with the hands up in front of her chest. She had the heels of her hands down and her fingers facing straight up. . She always did it with this stong sense that something lovely was about to happen. She always smiled expectantly when she did it. The kids always stopped immediately and looked at her. She looked slightly like a disney Princess, which was possibly part of the vibe. I'm not sure if that was a critical part of it.

The kids were really happy in her class, and I was really struck by it.

Thinking back, I just remembered that the kids repeated the clap back to her.

So she went clap-clap-clap [space] clap-clap-clap [space] clap-clap [space] clap

and they immediately stopped what they were doing and repeated it back to her.

It would have been very obvious if someone was not doing it, and they couldn't carry on talking because everybody was busy clapping.

It was a little bit like the disney princess version of a judge's gavel.

Thanks all. Yes, I do the clap thing but they just carry on in their own world!

I had a MUCH better day today by just writing the name of anyone who did not follow my instructions on the white board. I added a tally next to these names when they did something else. At the end of the morning lessons I drew their attention to it, explained that each line in the tally represented a minute of choosing time gone.

When they came in after lunch I asked if they’d like a “fresh start” and offered to rub it all out and start again saying that I hoped I’d never have to write another name on the board again. They seemed more settled, they actually completed their tasks and it felt like a much calmer classroom all day. I’m sure I’ll have 99 emails from parents to deal with tomorrow but I’d rather the children actually learnt whilst in my class than just did whatever they want!

Thanks again!

Sounds like a MUCH better day. Well done!

Maybe consider a whole class treat system too? We've used points, marbles in a jar, coloring in stripes on a tiger etc. They earn a point/stripe/marble when they work well as a class to follow instructions etc and work towards a small treat they've chosen. (We used to do a nature walk, movie or extra playtime/time on the trim trail ... something free.)

Sounds like a MUCH better day. Well done!

Maybe consider a whole class treat system too? We've used points, marbles in a jar, coloring in stripes on a tiger etc. They earn a point/stripe/marble when they work well as a class to follow instructions etc and work towards a small treat they've chosen. (We used to do a nature walk, movie or extra playtime/time on the trim trail ... something free.)

I’m secondary so totally different but I remember one of my kid’s favourite teachers did “1,2,3 eyes on me’ with the call back ‘1,2 eyes on you’.

I hope you find something that works, can you speak to their year 1 teacher and use their techniques.