Last, best chance

Hello everyone,

I know I've harped on this idea many many many times, but I think it's worth harping on again.

Some of you still are struggling with controlling some of your classes. The good news is that you are learning a lot from these struggles. Most of what you're learning will be of most use at the beginning of next year when you approach your students with firmness and fairness, holding them immediately accountable for their work as well as their behavior. You know by now that you are their teacher and not their friend; you know that their parents are your partners; you know (I hope) that your students are capable of great heights, but they are subject to all the ills and difficulties of adolescence, and they need a strong, caring adult to get them through it all.

Your last, best chance to gain control this year is coming. Failing that, your best opportunity to try a new tack is coming.

For those of you on A-track, you are returning at the beginning of a new semester. B-track, has a long break to contemplate rearrangements and strategies. Traditional calendared schools (the middle schools) have Spring Break coming up in mid-March. C-track is in the weakest position, I warrant, but C-track can take a crack at it, anyway.

Come back from a break with a speech more or less like the following:"I have been thinking about the way things are going, and I believe I can make some changes that will help us to have a strong finish to the school year.

"For this reason, some of you will have your seats changed. [Announce the new seating chart at this point, and ENFORCE IT.]

"We are going to have to work very hard during these remaining months to make sure you are ready to pass on to the next level, do well on the CSTs, and [if they're in high school] pass the CAHSEE. Therefore, you will have homework tonight. Make sure you don't leave class today without the homework.

"From now on, if you come to class unprepared, I will impose a consequence. I will impose increasingly strenuous consequences on you until you decide to come prepared. It is very important that I teach you to make good academic choices, so I believe it's important for me to make it difficult for you to slack off in class.

"We must cover the following standards from now to the end of the year. [When B-track comes back, you will have to review, so you will include what you're going to review in this list of standards.] Today, this is the standard we will cover. ]Tell them the standard and GET BUSY.]"

Hold them immediately accountable for your new, higher expectations. Don't give them second chances. Love them enough that you won't be afraid if they think you're mean, so long as they learn from you.

If they have had their way with you up to now, they will not make it easy for you, but hard as it may be, it's nothing compared to how bad it will be come June if you don't take this opportunity to restore order.

Remember, don't get angry; don't get emotional; be business-like and professional. If you give an ultimatum, follow through with it. Avoid yelling or raising your voice; don't be cruel or vindictive; don't control for its own sake. Control to teach; love without showing favoritism; avoid sacrificing the many for the whims of the one.

If you have control already, good. Use this time to fine tune your pedagogy; sprint to the finish; enjoy your students. If you are still struggling with a class or more (and all of us do our first year), then don't let the opportunity pass you by.

Some tunes are worth harping.

Jeff Combe