teachers unite- Page 2

[george95]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 4:03pm

Yes I do teach in a Catholic school, however it is in a high-crime (6 people were shot or stabbed to death within 3 blocks of the school this year so far) and our students come from struggling working-class families.

All I have to do is create a permission slip, get it approved by the principal, and see if 7 students sign up. I only bring about 7 at a time because thats how many can fit in the school van. I drive it to Hoboken (my town) and we get on PATH into Manhattan. For Broadway trips, its very easy to find 60.00 tickets, and I usually charge the kids 40 bucks for those tickets, and I pick up the rest.
I make them go to a non-chain restaurant, and I usually look up cheap places on nymag.com or something. We pray together in the restaurant before we eat (which usually causes all the tables around us to stop talking and watch...a white dude and 7 black kids making the sign of the cross has that effect I guess)
I usually put like 40 bucks on a metrocard so that we get a little discount on all the subway rides. And then I make the parents come to the school afterwardst to pick them up so I'm not driving all over NJ dropping kids off, and so that I dont have a 15year old kid in my car with me at 2am.
I have a ton of strict rules for the trip, everythign from only walking two-across so that they dont block the sidwalk to giving up their seats on the subway. If any major rules are broken (i.e. crossing the street without me, talking back or arguing with me) the trip is immediately stopped and we head home....even if we miss the show we paid for or whatever. That's happened 3 times in the last few years.

I wish we had some kind of funding so that we could do more. I keep thinking I should write to Oprah Winfrey or Bill Gates to ask for like 10,000 for a year's worth of Cultural Club trips.

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 4:15pm

Whoa.

I may be Jewish, but George, G-d bless you!!!!!!

[jasonf]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 4:28pm

do more!!! That's incredible! I wish I could do anything close (including covering part of the kids' tickets!)

I hope you're thanking G-d every day for what you have!

[StockardFan]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 4:32pm

George - you rock!

[george95]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 6:35pm

Wow thanks for the kind words you guys. The Club is something I wanted to do the whole time I was studying to be a teacher. And, my secret dream job is definitely to be a tour guide in NYC, so this way, I get to sort of have my secret dream job on the occasional Friday night : )

[violet72]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:33pm

that is so cool george...my theater kids are dying to go see a broadway show...many of them have never been to NYC(which is ridiculous cause we live in NJ)...so we are thinking on doing it this year.

My first year of teaching we took an entire elementary school, K5-3rd garde, about 100 students to see the Lion King...it was so much fun. Just seeing a child's face as they watch. I had one of the toughest 3rd graders with me and he was crying at the end and told me it was the greatest thing he has ever seen and not to tell his friends he was crying. Now he is in the drama department

[george95]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:38pm

Its also good to take them while they're students because you can teach them about the rules of theater behavior (that nobody seems to follow anymore). And, its kinda cool having 7 teenagers come to a show with me, because right before the show starts, I can stand up, say in a loud voice to the kids around me (but everybody around can hear it haha) "dont say anything during the show! double check that your phones are off! Don't take out any gum or candy during the show!" Its like getting to warn all the people around me as well as just my students.

I wouldn't want to take a large group with me though. I'd have far less control over the kids.

[violet72]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:41pm

Well with our big group of 100 we had like 50 staff member so each person had 2 students

Yeah the whole theater rules thing is good. Even when I go to the movies I always say to the person I go with in a loud voice...let me turn off my cell phone so I don't spoil the movie for everyone

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:45pm

I have a question for the teachers:

1) Do you call the students "boys and girls" or just "guys."
Even in the 4th grade I am doing my practicum hours in now, the teacher says "Boys and girls, it's time for snack now."
I would just say "Guys, it's time for snack." Granted, I understand that the word "guys" refers to those of the male gender, but nowadays, it's used as a more unisex term in that kind of a sentence.
What do you all think?

B) If the kids are talking at a time they are not supposed to, do you loudly and harshly say "This is not the time to be having these conversations." Or, do you stand there looking at them with the stern teacher face? Or, do quietly and calmly say "This is not the time to be having these conversations"?

Updated On: 9/13/08 at 07:45 PM

[violet72]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 7:56pm

Well my K5ers I call "friends" cause thats what their classroom teachers call them
and I call the older ones "Ladies and Gentlemen" or sometime "Boys and Girls"

If it is one or two kids I do the stern teacher look, but for large group situations I have a signal...I do a call and answer clap...it gets their attention or I have seen a teacher count loudly to 3 like 1 eyes on me 2 quiet down 3 listen....in a big situation I have used 1,2,3 eyes on me...

this year we were given universal phrases that both teacher and students must use...they are May I?, Please, Thank you, Good morning, Good afternoon, Yes sir, No sir
We have to post them in our rooms...I swear if a kid cause me Mam I am gonna lose it...I am not old enough to be a Mam

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 8:01pm

There is 1 kid in the classroom I am in now that calls the teacher "Mom." Apparently they don't have a mother figure at home so this takes place of that.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 8:05pm

Do you call the students "boys and girls" or just "guys."
Even in the 4th grade I am doing my practicum hours in now, the teacher says "Boys and girls, it's time for snack now."
I would just say "Guys, it's time for snack." Granted, I understand that the word "guys" refers to those of the male gender, but nowadays, it's used as a more unisex term in that kind of a sentence.
What do you all think?

I refer to my students as "ladies and gentlemen." But, I teach 7th and 8th graders. Although, even when I taught 5th graders my first two years, it was still ladies and gentlemen.

Since we're introducing ourselves, I teach 7th and 8th grade science at a charter school. This is my 4th year overall, second in middle school. My first two years were in 5th grade self-contained. While I love teaching science, I really miss being in a self-contained classroom.

PS- No one tell Dollypop about this thread or it will get ugly! Updated On: 9/13/08 at 08:05 PM

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 8:14pm

I'm still in high school, but have been blessed with great teachers throughout the years.

Thank you all.

[george95]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 8:25pm

Sweet Q I'll respond to your questions in my frame of reference, which is freshmen through seniors.

I remember at some point during my teacher training I had a professor whose big thing was not calling the students "kids". I would say I most use "guys" as in "Guys you have 5 minutes left to finish your test" Of course, it would be better to say ladies and gentlemen or class or something like that, but it usually just comes out as guys.

If there are say, 2 girls whispering during class, I would say "girls!" to them though. When I see girls first thing in the morning or in the hallway, I say "good morning ladies" or "ladies lets keep it down"etc.


Now as for your 2nd question, I use Two Rules in my classroom. Rule #1 is Only One Person Speaks at a Time, rule 2 is No Arguing Allowing During Class. Especially at this time of year, if I do have a student talk out of turn, I say "lets remember rule number one....only one person speaks at a time...."

I avoid harsh tones at all costs because almost all of my students come from fairly rough environments, where people talking harshly to them would not phase them one bit. So, yelling at them only results in them yelling back louder. I guess its a kill 'em with kindness approach. When I keep my cool, they aren't used to it, and get tripped up.

Also, while studying for my master's in teaching, we did this whole sequence about using humor in the classroom. My big thing with this is my Nachos Analogy. This helps the students remember Rule 2, to never argue/talk back in class. First, I pick a few quiet kids and I model the behavior I expect. I will say to a quiet kid "stop talking right now" even though they were not talking. Then I'll say to the class "Notice how he did not argue with me or tell me that I was wrong, even though he wasn't talking" And the kids all kinda grumble and roll their eyes. Then, I pick a louder kid and say "Get those nachos off your desk! You're not allowed to have nachos on your desk!" And every time the loud kid will say "I aint got no nachos! What you talkin about!" And then I remind him of rule 2, that there's NO arguing no matter what, and he backs down.

Then, as the days and weeks go by, I occasionally accuse someone of having nachos on their desk, and they either sit there in silence, and I praise their reaction, or they shout back, and I remind them of the rule.

So here's the funny part. When a student actually DOES argue with me, for example, if I'm teaching and I catch a kid poking the kid next to him, and I say "cut that out", if they kid says "I wasn't doing nothing!" Then I will just look at him, and he'll get a big smile on his face, put his hands up, and go "nachos on my desk! I'm getting the nachos off my desk!" And he and the rest of the class laugh.

Its just such a silly analogy that even the toughest, for lack of a better word gangsta kids can't help but laugh when they say "that's right, there's no nachos on my desk!"

And, nachos is kind of a running gag in my class. I bring up nachos as often as possible, usually if the class gets dull of the kids seem tired or grumpy. It always makes them sit up and laugh.

Updated On: 9/13/08 at 08:25 PM

[Jess1483]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 9:33pm

Mostly I call my kids "friends" or "second graders." I just never got used to "boys and girls," so I don't use it. I understand the argument for not gendering kids that way, but on the other hand, if that's how you refer to all the kids, I don't really see a problem with it.

To get a few students' attention or to have students stop an undesirable behavior, I use my "teacher stare." To get conversation to stop, I either count down from 5, shake a tambourine (they know to do "peace and quiet" and I don't stop shaking until they are--and they do it) or do a clapping call and response if I'm not near the tambourine. I agree with the harsh tones for the most part--my kids get that enough at home. I try to be very calm, although they know when my voice gets a bit more harsh, they better listen. It's a lot more effective when I don't use it as much. Also, sometimes when they're all talking, I simply stop teaching, sit down, and look at my watch. They know they'll lose their free time/recess and we'll make up the lesson, so generally they can quiet one another down and get us back on track.

The nachos thing is adorable! I'm not sure the humor would work with 2nd grade, but I'm going to think about it and see if it will.

Kids call me "mom" on accident all the time, but they're little...

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 9:33pm

George, I really like the Nachos thing. Such a random word that it actually is funny.

Very smart idea how you integrate it into your rules.

You seem like a fantastic teacher!

[violet72]

Posted: 9/13/08 at 11:24pm

Love the nacho thing...sounds something that my dad would do (he is a high school history teacher)

I agree about harsh tones...only raise your voice if it is absolutely necessary

[singingwendy]

Posted: 9/14/08 at 1:31am

I usually use "Ladies and Gentlemen", although this year I had a first grade class ask me to please stop using it because "we're only boys and girls!" I also use a lot of "Good morning third grade" or "Mrs. Smith's Class", which just helps ME to remember who I've got in front of me at the moment!

I strive for a relaxed, but respectful attitude in my room. I feel students can't feel free to express themselves and feel free to take risks if there are too many rules and restrictions in place. And remember, I teach music, so those are important things that need to happen in my room. However, this is the time of year we set those guidelines and levels of acceptable behavior. This can range from having the kindergarteners sit down without jumping first, to making sure we're listening to each student's answers. If a class is having issues, I'll often ask someone to read the rule they need reminding of from the posted classroom management plan. For example, if they are talking over each other, I'll have someone read rule #2-Do your best listening.

And George--sounds like you have a wonderful opportunity to share your love of theatre and the kids really appreciate it. Unfortunately, our school is currently "re-evaluating" all the district mandated arts field trips due to budget issues, and I'm thinking that all our wonderful trips to see The Nutcracker and the local symphony will be lost.

[Harper3]

Posted: 9/14/08 at 9:13am

I love this thread!

I'm currently a sophomore in college pursuing a degree in Adolescent Education with a concentration in English. Possbile minor in Spanish, literature focus.

This semester I'll be working with 7/8 grade students and I'm so excited!!

I also teach a 4th grade religious education class at my Church.

I just gave a presentation on the innefficiency of NCLB so let's not even go there!!

[StockardFan]

Posted: 9/14/08 at 9:47am

Love the nacho thing, George!

[jasonf]

Posted: 9/14/08 at 10:50am

I say "guys" all the time. I've never actually had anyone question me about it, though I'll never forget one time when I was at dinner with my grandparents and the waiter called us guys. My grandmother turned to him (she's a former teacher herself) and very sternly said, "I'm not a guy, please stop referring to me as one." Still, the word "guys" comes out all the time - I don't like boys and girls in 7th and 8th grade, and "ladies and gentlemen" (which I do say sometimes) seems forced for me in a lot of situations.

When kids are talking out of turn, I'll usually give the stern teacher look. If it continues, I'll say "I apologize for interrupting, I generally find it very rude to talk over others so I'll wait until you're finished with your conversation." I don't think anyone has ever finished their dialogue after that.

[Jane2]

Posted: 9/14/08 at 11:05am

I'd change my address to them accordingly. Most of the time it was boys and girls, sometimes it would have to be "class" if I needed everyone's attention at once, and occasionally I'd raise my eyebrows in a mock surprise and say something like "ladies" or "gentlemen."

The "friends" thing doesn't work for me. I preferred to keep it as teacher and pupils.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/14/08 at 11:19am

When I need to quiet a class, I'm also a big fan of the clapping call and response. That's kind of a school wide thing with us, so the kids recognize it immediately.

I also have a stop watch that I keep with me. I run it when I am interrupted or otherwise have to stop teaching. I tell the kids that I will make sure I get a full period of instructional time, and that the time that is wasted now will be made up at recess. Works wonders.

[SweetQintheLights]

Posted: 9/14/08 at 11:46am

adam, are you allowed to take away their recess time? I don't believe our school district allows that.

My practicum teacher uses the clap-response strategy and it seems to work well.

Jason, I really like your saying "I apologize for interrupting, I generally find it very rude to talk over others so I'll wait until you're finished with your conversation."

[singingwendy]

Posted: 9/14/08 at 3:44pm

Sweet Q...just be careful. While I think Jason's response is great for middle school, it's a little flippant for elementary. I just caution because I've had a principal who was very sensitive about being sarcastic with the children. She claims that elementary children "don't get sarcasm".....which I don't really agree with. (I've seen plenty of them be sarcastic to each other!) And while I think Jason's response is great for the older ones, sometimes you have to watch with the little ones. And, this is based on my experience, so you might have no problems!