Ask Angela Anything: November Edition

Welcome to November’s edition of the monthly post series in which I answer readers’ frequently-asked questions. Although I do respond personally to every email, with this series, you can submit any teaching-related question anonymously to maintain your privacy and student confidentiality. I’ve called the series “Ask Angela Anything” because I share what has worked for me in my own classroom and in the rooms of the teachers I coach. My personal philosophy is that there’s no one “right” solution that works for every child in every classroom: I encourage you to adapt the ideas I share for your own situation.

I am a library teacher in a low socio-economic area. I teach grades 1-6, 50 min each 1x weekly. For the most part the kids come in and listen to their lesson fairly well. My concern is several of the classes are very loud and do not stay on task during seat work time. I have 1/2 the class checking out books while the other 1/2 works then rotate. What can I do to get kids to work more quietly and stay on task? I have tried points for tables with reward at end of class, calling home, keeping class after school. Any suggestions? 
–Teresa

Hi, Teresa! It sounds like the kids who are doing seat work know that you’re focused on those who are checking out books, so they feel like they can get away with off-task behaviors. That’s pretty normal kid stuff, so don’t feel bad about it! Can you have the seat work group work collaboratively so that they don’t have to be quiet and they have a partner to help keep them on task? Another thought is to have three groups, and the third can work on computers with headphones–the headphones will discourage that group from talking, and your other two groups will be smaller and therefore easier to manage (and you’ll have more options for splitting up the kids who tend to get in trouble.)

I think that making the seat work tasks as meaningful and engaging as possible should be your primary focus–kids who are really into what they’re learning get off-task less often. However, I’m guessing that your students see their library time (along with PE, art, music, etc.) as a break from “real” learning–it’s not true, of course, but that’s probably how they see it. Chances are, they’ve been sitting and working quietly for a very long time in their classrooms, and when they get to your room, they are dying to move around, talk, and decompress a little bit. The more you can accomodate that reality, the less time you’ll have to spend redirecting off-task behavior.

Teachers in my district are randomly being observed 2-3 times a week by curriculum and instruction, our literacy coaches, our principals and other teachers. I guess I don’t mind but as a human being, it always makes me nervous. They also leave a note saying one thing they notice and one thing they have a question about. Is it just my school district or is this happening all over the country?
–Observations

We’re definitely in the age of accountability and assessment, and I do think there is an increase in teacher observations in most school districts. A lot of schools are using the instructional rounds method where teachers are observing one another’s practices, as well. That’s a good thing, in my opinion, but it can be nerve-wracking since you never know what your students are going to do, and it’s especially tough if you don’t know exactly what your principal is hoping to see. I’m getting a lot of questions these days from teachers who are nervous about observations–see my new Surviving Teacher Observations & Evaluations page for tips and advice.

How do I keep my students attentive in Social Studies when I constantly have to keep telling them to be quiet? School administration and writeups have little or no effect, nor do parents response to phone calls in this neighborhood. I’m in an inner city school.
–Mikey G.

Hi, Mikey! Since you teach city kids, I’m going to make an assumption that loud environments and rowdiness are part of many of your students’ home cultures and normal environment outside of school. I know many city kids who are kinda freaked out by silence and feel compelled to fill the void with their own noise. Your students are not going to walk silently into your classroom, sit with their hands folded, and quietly take notes while you lecture for twenty minutes, especially not at the secondary school level. That’s just not the way they operate, and if you expect them to be that way, it’s going to lead to frustration for everyone involved.

I think you’re going to have to be willing to bend a little bit in terms of what the norms are in your classroom. Teach your students that there are certain times when off-task behaviors absolutely cannot happen (during an important district observation or standardized tests, for example.) But during your regular class time, make a determination to spend the majority of your energy on teaching engaging, meaningful lessons–even if those lessons don’t go as smoothly as you’d like.

Focus on making sure the students are engaged in learning: that might mean that some of them are standing up, some of them are tapping on their desks or singing/rapping/talking under their breath, etc. There will probably be a lot of side conversations, laughter, and loud outbursts throughout the day. But if the kids are learning–if the majority of them are basically focused on the task at hand–don’t let the little stuff bug you, and don’t stop your lesson every time it happens. Speak with your most disruptive students individually and privately, but don’t allow yourself to get angry and derail your lessons to go head-to-head with those students. It just won’t work. You have to keep the momentum of your lessons going or you’ll lose the kids who are focused, so make that priority one.

Hi, I am a new substitute teacher in a high school and I need some tips on how to deal with the students. I am 27 but still look like I am a teenager, so it is hard to be taken seriously by the students. Since I usually don’t teach subjects, mostly babysit teenagers, it is hard to make them do their work. Thank you for your help!
–Marie

Hi, Marie! It sounds like you are dealing two issues here: your age and the fact that you’re a substitute. I’m assuming you’re dressing very professionally, but make sure you’re erring on the side of too formal/conservative. Wear things that make you feel confident, as students will respond to the energy you project. Everything about the way you carry yourself–including your body language, voice level, and tone–all have to communicate that you know you’re in charge. The more you’re in the classroom, the easier that will be.

As far as getting respect as a sub: I would level with the students. They know you are essentially babysitting and so do you. Tell them the assignment and your basic ground rules, and let them know if they can follow those, you’ll be pretty relaxed about the other stuff. Offer an incentive as needed–I’ve heard that many subs offer to make the last 5-15 minutes of class “free time” if students get all their work done.

Make sure you’ve moving around the room a lot and interacting with the kids: if they think you’re just sitting at your desk ignoring them, they’ll get louder and crazier. Talk with them and build a rapport so the next time you’re in that classroom, your job will be easier. It’s also a good idea to have a couple of generic high-interest lessons you can use in any class–maybe something based on current events, an issue the kids can debate, etc. Many times, kids will behave better for the sub if they feel like the sub isn’t just babysitting and there’s something relevant for them to get involved in.

Do you have advice for any of the teachers above? Please share your experiences in the comments!

And if you have a topic you’d like to see addressed in a future “Ask Angela Anything” post, submit your question here! Your entries are completely anonymous, so ask ANYTHING you’ve ever wanted to know about teaching but were afraid to ask.