Aree Ankarta
Feb 4th, 2010, 02:21:41 PM
Okay, I know this should actually go into the Artsy forum, but...
One week into my first teaching period and I've hit a brick wall. I've got the pupil from hell (literally, she can turn a classroom of well-behaved kids into a pit of hell by simply being there) who does not listen to anything said, gives rude and provocative answers, doesn't care whether she's being punished or not.... and seems to think the classroom is her personal playground. Everyone else simply finds it funny, and follows her example. Since the form teacher usually gets on well with the class it should be assumed that I'm just not cut out for this job, but she's behaving badly for the other teachers, too.
She was off sick for a week, and today was her first day back. Within an hour she had everyone around her and the girl opposite her laughing at everything we were doing, she kept undressing and playing with her belly-button (!!!), and pretty much ignored anything being said to her point blank. I got very little teaching done at all because I couldn't get the class to keep quiet and actually do what they were being told; I had to shout at them more than once, and that's not good at all. Some of the kids in class took it rather badly because they didn't do anything and felt they were being punished but - there was no way to continue with the normal routine.
If this was a state school, a phone call to the parents with the request to pick up their child would have done the trick (actually, I'm not sure this one would even have qualified for school yet) but unfortunately this is a Waldorf school and parents seem to think it's perfectly fine to send the most troublesome kids there because they pay a fee so the teachers can "fix" the kids, somehow. That's not actually the case, but that doesn't stop people from thinking it. The teachers try, of course, and in some cases, with a combined effort, they succeed, but only if the parents are willing to accept the methods used. In this case, the mother thinks her child is an angel and "so sensitive", and apparently the poor thing feels so unhappy at school - why leave her there then?!? - yet her darling daughter is the worst kid in the class and all other parents are wary of their kids befriending her because she's a bad influence (and not only because the "dear, darling angel" has found out about certain body parts that react in interesting ways to being rubbed, and now finds it perfectly normal to be at it at all times of the day!!!).
Anyway.... after today's total mess, I have tomorrow to look forward to. My advisor decided I should try to tell a story to the class, first thing in the morning. A moral tale, teaching the kids (and hopefully her) that when someone misbehaves, this causes those who become involved in it to suffer. Possibly also with a hint of "the serious, hard-working, good way might not be the easiest and most fun, but it's certainly the best in the long run".
Trouble is - I'm fried. I mean my brain is fried. I cannot think past her behavior. Today was a sort of shock, and I dread having to stand in front of that class tomorrow.... Sure, I know I'm supposed to learn from this, and I have, and I will probably have lots of situations like this in the future to look forward to, since I'm a bloody newbie at this, but... I need help finding something for tomorrow.
We're all here telling stories. Does anyone know of an appropriate story? Some classic fairy tale, or just a children's tale, or even something made up on the spot, that is suitable to be told to a 1st grade? Mind you, 1st grade in Germany means 6-7 years olds. I'm thankful for any hints or leads I can get....
:(
One week into my first teaching period and I've hit a brick wall. I've got the pupil from hell (literally, she can turn a classroom of well-behaved kids into a pit of hell by simply being there) who does not listen to anything said, gives rude and provocative answers, doesn't care whether she's being punished or not.... and seems to think the classroom is her personal playground. Everyone else simply finds it funny, and follows her example. Since the form teacher usually gets on well with the class it should be assumed that I'm just not cut out for this job, but she's behaving badly for the other teachers, too.
She was off sick for a week, and today was her first day back. Within an hour she had everyone around her and the girl opposite her laughing at everything we were doing, she kept undressing and playing with her belly-button (!!!), and pretty much ignored anything being said to her point blank. I got very little teaching done at all because I couldn't get the class to keep quiet and actually do what they were being told; I had to shout at them more than once, and that's not good at all. Some of the kids in class took it rather badly because they didn't do anything and felt they were being punished but - there was no way to continue with the normal routine.
If this was a state school, a phone call to the parents with the request to pick up their child would have done the trick (actually, I'm not sure this one would even have qualified for school yet) but unfortunately this is a Waldorf school and parents seem to think it's perfectly fine to send the most troublesome kids there because they pay a fee so the teachers can "fix" the kids, somehow. That's not actually the case, but that doesn't stop people from thinking it. The teachers try, of course, and in some cases, with a combined effort, they succeed, but only if the parents are willing to accept the methods used. In this case, the mother thinks her child is an angel and "so sensitive", and apparently the poor thing feels so unhappy at school - why leave her there then?!? - yet her darling daughter is the worst kid in the class and all other parents are wary of their kids befriending her because she's a bad influence (and not only because the "dear, darling angel" has found out about certain body parts that react in interesting ways to being rubbed, and now finds it perfectly normal to be at it at all times of the day!!!).
Anyway.... after today's total mess, I have tomorrow to look forward to. My advisor decided I should try to tell a story to the class, first thing in the morning. A moral tale, teaching the kids (and hopefully her) that when someone misbehaves, this causes those who become involved in it to suffer. Possibly also with a hint of "the serious, hard-working, good way might not be the easiest and most fun, but it's certainly the best in the long run".
Trouble is - I'm fried. I mean my brain is fried. I cannot think past her behavior. Today was a sort of shock, and I dread having to stand in front of that class tomorrow.... Sure, I know I'm supposed to learn from this, and I have, and I will probably have lots of situations like this in the future to look forward to, since I'm a bloody newbie at this, but... I need help finding something for tomorrow.
We're all here telling stories. Does anyone know of an appropriate story? Some classic fairy tale, or just a children's tale, or even something made up on the spot, that is suitable to be told to a 1st grade? Mind you, 1st grade in Germany means 6-7 years olds. I'm thankful for any hints or leads I can get....
:(