(Part 3) Top products from r/Teachers

My first thought was that is was a great idea, but then I thought about classifying students as slaves, it might be a bit of an issue.

One of my big things for student engagement was to design and build in game-like structures in class.

I hate, absolutely hated lecturing and if I needed to have a class lecture, I kept it to ten-fifteen minutes. Then students used the information from that to create a game, play a game, have a debate, something within the class. I found that games were the surefire way of holding student engagement.

Here is a good book about building in game structures into the classroom - http://www.amazon.com/The-Multiplayer-Classroom-Designing-Coursework/dp/1435458443. If you are a gamer, think about how games hold your attention, and your students' attention. Typically it's just a bit of work for a big payoff. You play for a while and you level up. If you can build your classroom along those lines. We learn/play for a bit, then we "level up" kids take pride in that.

Simulations are awesome for this as well:

http://www.amazon.com/Short-Role-playing-Simulations-History-Classrooms/dp/0983426732

Here is a good article on game-based classroom learning - http://www.edutopia.org/blog/short-happy-history-of-historia-rick-brennan

I had a lot of fun building and designing simulations and games for my students. Because I was having fun, they fed off of that energy and they had fun as well. Some games we built the rules together.

I think one of the most fun lessons was when we were studying the American West and Populism - High School. Students had to research a particular aspect of that time period and teach it to their classmates by playing a board game. So I had four board games where kids were playing in my room. They had four stations and one person from each team stayed each turn to teach their games to the other group members. At the end, we had board game designer awards. One won for Best Game Design. One won for "I learned the Most". Another won for Best Game Artwork, etc. Each game design team won something and each team learned something. It took about three-four days from start to finish in a one hour - fifteen minute class. Day 1 - Quick mini-lecture on the basics of the time period. Students chose their topics, etc. Day 2 - Build day. Day 3 - Play/Awards day.

When I gave them my end of year evaluation. How did Mr. NameIdeas do this year? Did you learn something? What lesson/activity did you like best/least? How can Mr. NameIdeas improve his teaching, his relationships with students, his music choice, etc? They all remembered the games and, more importantly, the information from the games.

I'm in the UK, so your mileage may vary on this, but personally I find comparing the US way with British methods quite interesting. We are definitely NOT allowed to just shout any more, and when I changed schools a few years ago I went from one that allowed it to one that absolutely didn't. Overnight, I found virtually all my classroom management techniques swept away from me and had to start from scratch.

I teach in a tough school in a deprived seaside town in the UK, with a high number of kids who have English as an additional language. It has the reputation as the hardest school to teach in in a 100-mile area. It's a comprehensive school in a selective area, which means the 25% brightest students go to a grammar school, leaving our kids - often with a sense of failure that they are "thick", and with a wealth of social problems - to come to us. There's a lot of poverty and drug use. Over here we merge Junior High and High School so the school is for 12-18 year olds (seven school years). There's a strong focus on vocational rather than academic subjects. I teach Modern Languages, which is on the National Curriculum (Common Core?) and therefore has to be taught even though it is an academic subject and most of the kids struggle with English in the first place. They don't want to learn my subject. I have to make them...

You've hit the nail on the head about engagement. Even my toughest classes get pulled in by presenting the right subject matter in the right way. I have a class of seventh-graders who I only see late in the afternoon - they're very low ability and disengaged. But by presenting the subject matter in the right way, especially at the start of the lesson, I can get them achieving what I want when I want it. Carefully structuring the activities, making sure there's a mixture of teacher-focussed activities with independent activities, and making sure you've differentiated appropriately, is absolutely critical. Looking at the material from left-field to see how you can introduce a difficult topic almost by stealth is the way I've managed to get this right so far.

Equally, giving regular feedback (and praise) to build up self-esteem works really well, even if it's going round with "well done" stamps or stickers, or using raffle tickets, or whatever. Works a treat.

Routines, as well - don't change up how you do things. If you want equipment out on the desk at the start, TELL THEM, get it right once (it might take a while) and then do that EVERY SINGLE TIME, EVERY LESSON. Hand signals, or a countdown, when you want them to be quiet and listen. That sort of thing.

With a 105 minute lesson you've got your work cut out to keep focus going, but I always find with my double lessons which are similarly lengthy, if you approach it as a series of smaller lessons (roughly, say, 20 minutes) with a small learning outcome for each it keeps the pace up and allows clear progress to be made. That said, it also gives you an opportunity for extended independent work with you circulating to keep focus and motivation going. But I always feel roughly 30 minutes of independent work is more than enough before they all grind to a halt - I would always aim for smaller, more structured tasks to be worked through.

Talking regularly to parents works well - especially positive phone calls, but of course negative ones too.

And finally, absolutely being a stickler for the rules of your classroom, enforcing them clearly and fairly and building that crucial atmosphere of leadership and learning and collaboration that all administrators over here are looking for. Use a classroom seating plan to dictate who sits next to who and enforce that. Give out 100 detentions if you have to. It works, not because the sanction actually does much to modify their behaviour, but it takes the balance of power away from them and towards you, and they know you mean business.

One of the books I always recommend to any of my team (I'm a Head of Department) struggling with classroom management is Getting the Buggers to Behave and I warmly recommend it to you also. But, if you have a Head of Department (Maths?) who is supportive then get them to do an informal observation of you to see if they have anything they can offer. Also see if you can observe anyone else in your school to see how they do it.

Classroom management is one of the toughest things about this job, but get it right and you're 3/4s of the way there. Hope it works out for you.

I taught Title I my first year, and have moved to a more affluent school. There are a few constants that apply, regardless.

Break things down into MUCH smaller steps than you're used to. Their time management and organization need a LOT of coaching. Plan to have deadlines & collect work at every small stopping point of a major project.

Instructions have to be more explicit than you could have thought possible. Explain/instruct, MODEL, practice together, then have them work independently... but monitor, monitor, monitor. You'll get a good idea pretty quickly of which students are going to need more supervision.

Most of the kids are really sweet and eager and easily disciplined. They're much less cynical than 8th graders. They learn well from songs and games, and will actually take part.

Sixth graders are still on the cusp of being children. They still play with toys at home, and enjoy imaginary games. There's a little bit of the boy-girl thing with some of them, but for most of the kids I've worked with, it hasn't much entered the equation yet and they work GREAT in mixed-gender groups.

Parents really appreciate communication. To garner their involvement and support, send home a weekly newsletter or AT LEAST send an email w/ attached study guides (WITH ANSWER KEY!!) or rubrics attached before tests or when projects are assigned.

For discipline, I try to explain consequences and offer choices (with deadlines), the same as how I parent. I recommend reading some of the work of Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, particularly How to Talk so Kids Can Learn (Amazon.com link).

I don't really notice the B.O. so much. Sixth graders are MUCH less "pervy" than boys late in 7th grade and all through 8th. Maturity, as well, is FAR more of an issue in 7th grade than in 6th. Girls are typically hitting the hormonal wall in 6th grade, but the boys don't get there until the latter half of 7th and 8th... generally speaking.

Yes, we got some, including some specialist behaviour sessions from an expert! But the most numerous and useful tips I got are from the excellent "Getting The Buggers To Behave" by Sue Cowley. It should also be available from the US. In short, there's no one way to "do discipline", but there are certain things you can always be sure are not good ideas (e.g. humiliating a student in front of class), and some that are almost always the right thing to do (e.g. talking to them on their own after the lesson).

It is normal for new teachers, and especially subs, to feel like they have trouble. You don't know the systems, you don't know the kids and they don't know you. The best foundation for discipline as I've found it is a reputation, which takes time to build. If the kids know you aren't a soft touch, they won't try as much. Appearance is an issue at first, but stops being one once they know you. This doesn't help a sub much, sadly. Although this point from another comment is also excellent:

> I discovered pretty quickly though that it doesn't matter what you know or what skills you have, the students respond to your attitude and your display of confidence. They have no idea how old you are or how good at your job you are, so they essentially take you at your word the minute you open your mouth. You have exactly as much authority as you think you do, and as long as you stick with that you will be fine. Just imagine yourself as an actor on the stage playing the role of a master teacher. Being yourself is for going on dates, not teaching.

What I would like from any subs is that they give the work to the students, think about what I've really asked the students to do, and help out as much as they can bearing in mind they're probably not experts in the subject. If there are any students who refuse to do the work, get their names and let us know. I don't expect you to be able to get Lazy McSleeperson in the back row to do his work if I can barely get him to do it anyway, but I've sometimes come back and asked "So did you do the work I sent you? Did they play the video?" and been told that all the teacher did was put the email I sent up on the board.

Good luck in your career! I really do recommend that book.

Taught Fifth for one year, first year as a teacher in my own right. It was an amazing experience and I learned a TON. Brace yourself, lots of text incoming! Please feel free to PM me if you want to talk more.

Get to know your students, particularly what they're interested in. It sounds like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised what lessons you can generate if you use their interests as a spring-board. It shows them you care about them, too, which will go a long way toward keeping them invested.

Not sure if you like Minecraft, but don't underestimate it as a teaching tool! My fifth graders used it when we talked about Colonial America--built their own village with each of them doing different colonial jobs they'd researched. Minecraft could also lend itself well to math, though I didn't have a chance to utilize it that way.

Google Classroom is also an amazing tool to use with them, particularly if you're going to have them do any collaborative writing. Speaking of collaboration, don't be afraid to connect with the teachers on your team. See if you can tie what they're reading in someone else's class to what they're learning in social studies. Check if the science units have connections to Math. I was a one-woman show and the only teacher for my grade--I know for a fact that if I had other teachers on a team with me, the year would've been MUCH smoother.

Start strict, loosen up later. (I didn't and had to play catch-up with classroom management which wound up costing me lots of instructional time.) "Setting Limits in the Classroom" (amazon link here: https://www.amazon.com/Setting-Limits-Classroom-Revised-Discipline/dp/0761516751) was a life-saver and really helped me to shape up my classroom management. I'd HIGHLY recommend buying and reading it.

I know this is a lot of text...I'm happy to talk more if you want, just PM me!

> 1) I was in a school like that. I didn't join. No one hassled me. No one ever said anything to me. The really pro-union people kept to themselves and the vast majority did whatever and could actually care less.

That's good they didn't hassle you. Olof I decided to join a union I would lay back in the shadows and not be adamantly going on tangents why people should join. Glad you weren't harassed. During student teaching there was a teacher without fail that every Friday would wear her union shirt.

>2) Probably not, coming from a perspective of Power. Because it is so large and controls all of CPS, I doubt it would ever want to be split up -- even if those smaller unions are basically CPS lite.

Great point, probably.

>3) I know. Tell me about it. It did all across the state (WI). Most of the old teachers that were stuck in their ways were either asked not to come back by the district; felt like they had to retire or else they would lose all of their benefits (I'm still unclear where this hysteria came from); and, more district flexibility allowed districts to better craft budgets reflective of their priorities. It was a good 5-year window to get hired here.

I remember several years ago it had made news. Is hiring better now? I know you got a lot of flack as a state about the education stuff.

>4) There are many possible answers for this. One answer I've seen is that more conservative-minded people are in professions that typically pay more (accounting, business (management), etc.). Another answer is that that conservative ethos of conserving your wealth (being thrifty) is something harped on if you grow up in a conservative household and it is, therefore, something carried one through one's life. And there are other reasons but you should avoid blanket statements because, actually, if you (taking Republican and Democrat to be proxies for conservative-liberal, respectively) measure it, you'd see that Democrats have slightly, on average, a higher income. Believe it or not, wealth at the top quintile isn't a really good predictor of political ideology. It's actually pretty even split between R and D. In the lower quintile, you'd find a stronger correlation between income and D or R: the poorer one is, the more likely they are to vote D. Yet, a better way to examine that would be racial. There you'd see a clear split between black low income (D) and white low income (R). This whole idea of wealth impacting voting habits and ideology is something political scientists are trying to still better understand. One of the better books, written for the general public, on this subject is (still) (Red State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State)[https://www.amazon.com/Red-State-Blue-Rich-Poor/dp/0691143935].

Thanks for that in depth answer, I'll be sure to look into that more.

I'm having a very similar experience with both my emotional state and the classroom environment.

Most people wouldn't say this, but perhaps your instincts about discipline/punishment are worth listening to. In the short term, for the sake of your sanity, you may need to set them aside, because in my experience, they don't lead to quick fixes, and as you said, a structured environment is important for your students. However, I would posit that structure does not REQUIRE punishment, though that's certainly one way to get there.

I highly recommend these two books: Beyond Discipline and Lost at School. I think you would find them quite validating. Even if you (or any others reading this) are not willing to entirely give up punishment, I believe there is ample evidence out there that there is another way.

Feel free to message me if you are interested in discussing. This is an issue I feel very deeply about, even if I am currently not skilled enough to create the kind of environment I'd like to see.

Best of luck with the rest of your school year!

I have some books to recommend but only remember a couple at the moment, I'll update later when I can.

Two of the books I would read are Fred Jones' Tools for Teaching and Notching up - Nurtured Heart Approach. The Nurtured Heart book is to help implement the idea but a quick google showed another book you could check out too if you want more info.

Here's a link to the electronic edition Amazon. I found it slightly elementary-centric, but it's still a great way for anyone to get started thinking about everything you need to prepare for the school year, and great guidance for making sure everything goes right. It's worth the $13.

(The Kindle version is cheaper than paperback, even if you don't have a Kindle you can get the Kindle app for free on other computers, phones, and tablets to read on those devices)

1. I was in a school like that. I didn't join. No one hassled me. No one ever said anything to me. The really pro-union people kept to themselves and the vast majority did whatever and could actually care less.
   
   
2. Probably not, coming from a perspective of Power. Because it is so large and controls all of CPS, I doubt it would ever want to be split up -- even if those smaller unions are basically CPS lite.
   
   
3. I know. Tell me about it. It did all across the state (WI). Most of the old teachers that were stuck in their ways were either asked not to come back by the district; felt like they had to retire or else they would lose all of their benefits (I'm still unclear where this hysteria came from); and, more district flexibility allowed districts to better craft budgets reflective of their priorities. It was a good 5-year window to get hired here.
   
   
4. There are many possible answers for this. One answer I've seen is that more conservative-minded people are in professions that typically pay more (accounting, business (management), etc.). Another answer is that that conservative ethos of conserving your wealth (being thrifty) is something harped on if you grow up in a conservative household and it is, therefore, something carried one through one's life. And there are other reasons but you should avoid blanket statements because, actually, if you (taking Republican and Democrat to be proxies for conservative-liberal, respectively) measure it, you'd see that Democrats have slightly, on average, a higher income. Believe it or not, wealth at the top quintile isn't a really good predictor of political ideology. It's actually pretty even split between R and D. In the lower quintile, you'd find a stronger correlation between income and D or R: the poorer one is, the more likely they are to vote D. Yet, a better way to examine that would be racial. There you'd see a clear split between black low income (D) and white low income (R). This whole idea of wealth impacting voting habits and ideology is something political scientists are trying to still better understand. One of the better books, written for the general public, on this subject is (still) (Red State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State)[https://www.amazon.com/Red-State-Blue-Rich-Poor/dp/0691143935].

[Lost at School: Why Our Kids with Behavioral Challenges are Falling Through the Cracks and How We Can Help Them] (https://www.amazon.com/Lost-School-Behavioral-Challenges-Falling/dp/1501101498). I'm only 40 pages in, but it has already totally change my perception of my more behaviorally challenging students. Super interesting, and gives great ideas that can actually be implemented.

One of classes this summer (also a student teacher) had us read The Trouble with Black Boys. Sounds like these students have experienced what they perceive as racism from previous or current teachers and now it's become the expectation. I wouldn't let this discourage you, but try to gain their trust and break that expectation. I am dealing with this at my own placement, with an African American student as well, and I have learned a great deal about patience.

Edit: Also this book by Ladson-Billings

I bought something like this (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000775FZ) many years ago.

When I need to get students attention back (maybe when they've been working on something in groups for example), I never raise my voice, I just struck the chime subtly and the noise it makes can be distinctively heard by every student.
It just takes a little bit of time at the beginning of the year to practice and to set the expectations that clearly everybody can hear it, so when you don't focus after I strike it, it's a purposeful choice you are making and you'll have to accept the consequences.

Methods like "Raise your hand if you can hear me", or "5-4-3-2-1!!!" that I see other teachers use just make me feel like students are being treated like a bunch of babies and students can definitely pick up on that disrespect.

High School Spanish

• Dry erase pockets. Absolutely my #1. I use a white sheet of paper in them to make it a mini white board, or you can slide in a worksheet and they can write on it and then erase it - fewer copies! We use these all the time to play games, practice verb conjugations and other grammar, etc. I have enough for everyone to get their own, or sometimes they work in partners or groups.
  
• Cotton make-up remover rounds. These make great erasers for the mini whiteboards.
  
• Organizer drawers. Great for however the heck you want to organize 100000 things.
  
• Multi-color Jenga sets. You can make the different blocks represent different types of challenges - I like to use the 6 colors to match the 6 personal pronouns r 6 tenses of whatever. If you pull that color block, you have to make a sentence in the corresponding form for whatever we're practicing.
  
• I put a supply box in the middle of each table (groups of 4) with pens, pencils, erasers, white=out, highlighters, paper clips, scissors, and glue. That way they don't have to ask me for things. Things don't disappear as often as you'd think - more often I find stuff the kids leave behind and throw it in.
  
• Index cards. Great for millions of things.
  
• Giant foam dice.
  
• Essential oil diffuser. Kids are smelly.
  
• Hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes. Kids are gross.
  
• My first year, I had kids make final project posters explaining concepts (present tense, preterite/imperfect, ser/estar, etc.) as review. Now I can hang them up in the classroom. They're way more artistic than I am and it's a free source of classroom decor/resources.
  
• Flyswatters - for the flyswatter game. (Look it up if you don't know it - this could be used in any subject!)
  
• A variety of balls in different sizes - a beach ball (with the 6 pronouns on it), light-up balls, etc.
  
• Play-Doh - can be used as sculpting pictionary and the kids love it.
  
• Playing cards.
  
• An electronic doorbell. This one gets weird looks from the kids, but it's great. You plug it in wherever, and if you need kids to STFU or stop what they're doing, rather than try to make yourself heard, you just hit the button and the tone goes off.
  
• Anything that helps you color code. I had a different color folder for each section and I put all their work in there so I never had to spend time searching - I could tell at a glance.
  
• Binder clips of all sizes.
  
• An emergency kit - mine had bandaids, Advil, make-up remover wipes, a lint roller, contact solution, cough drops, floss, a toothbrush and toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, etc. I avoided a lot of kids going to the nurse for band-aids and cough drops, and the rest was for me. I kept it all in a box behind my desk.
  
• A clicker/pointer for my computer/projector.
  
  ​
  
  I think that's it... I had other stuff for decoration but those are the functional things!

I have my degree in Computer Science, so my path is probably not ideal for you at this point. However, that does not mean that you can't do it!


My honest recommendation at this point is to just jump in and get started. I've been recommending this book as a start for friends and fellow teachers https://www.amazon.com/Python-Crash-Course-Hands-Project-Based/dp/1593276036.


Alternatively, if python isn't your thing, grab a textbook for c or java. These are the ones I used for my degree and still keep as desk references.

https://www.amazon.com/Starting-Out-Control-Structures-Objects/dp/0133769399

https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Java-Programming-Comprehensive-Version/dp/0132936526


Once you have gotten started and are fairly comfortable doing the exercises in books, I suggest these websites for additional problems to explore:

https://codingbat.com/

https://www.hackerrank.com/

https://leetcode.com/

https://uva.onlinejudge.org/

https://open.kattis.com/

https://codeforces.com/


If you are going to go for it, make sure to join some communities. Familiarize yourself with stackoverflow.com (ask jeeves for programming, with some proper wizards to answer questions). /r/programming is pretty good too.


Finally, never stop to sit on somebody else's problems and projects. Pick something that you want to make but have no idea how to make it. Then do it. And don't stop. See the project all the way through even though your code will be HIDEOUS and unattainable by the end. There is a lot to be learned from finishing a project.


The formal logic stuff is the root of computation, but if you are using your cell phone without understanding it, then it follows that you should be able to write programs without understanding it. There is a depth of programming where it becomes important, but I would say that 90% or more of developers don't really need to understand the underlying processes by which processors process.


Good luck!

I think you're looking for something like this. It is a collection of practical classroom-ready strategies for teaching high school (or middle school, really) english lit.

Here is a similar book that focuses more on grammar.

I've found them to be very useful. Hope this helps :)

Odd that your department chair couldn't give you any specific examples. Perhaps once you find some you think are useful, you could share them with her as well :)

Take a look at Common Core Curriculum Maps

It's not perfect, but it'll help you start wrapping your mind around how to build a thematic unit. You can also do genre based units (e.g. Reading Fiction, Persuasive Writing, etc.)

You can also look up a common core checklist on TeachersPayTeachers. There are a lot on there for free, and you can use that to plan the year and make sure you hit every standard. Hope this helps!

Things I use teacher money for:
Post-It Easel Pads

Flip Chart Paper Also comes in 1-inch grid


Flip chart easels to use with the pads so you can use them anywhere in the room

Thin markers and thick ones

Construction paper

Colored printer paper (i.e. astrobrights)

write and wipe pockets

Organization - file folders, hanging folders, and mobile drawer units

Scissors, pens, rulers

A scanner
Flash drives

Classroom laminator and associated supplies

Paper trimmer

Misc project supplies or manipulatives

A large world map and a map of the US

I'm sure there's more but I'm pretty sure I already spent all of your money :)

I'm using a book called Common Core Curriculum Maps: English Language Arts to guide my units this year. I'm hoping that it will help me make sure I am meeting all the standards.

I have found a lot of free lessons on TPT and what isn't free is very inexpensive.

Mskcpotter is a good blog and she has a TPT store as well.

I love to use chimes - I use these

If students don't quiet down, I talk with them (they're high schoolers) about how those few minutes add up to entire class periods by the end of the school year, and I expect all of my class periods (for the same prep) to assess on the same day. As a result, if they don't quiet down quickly, they're losing time to learn, ask questions, and practice that the other classes do have.

By the end of the year, kids want to play the chimes, and I let the seniors play them on their last day. They also get VERY excited if you mix up the order sometimes :)

These are currently unavailable, but I bought them. I put them on my pants or whatever, and it works out comfortably. I don’t like lanyards. You could probably find a different one since that one is not available anymore.

Cooraby 6 Pack Sunflower Badge Reel Holder Clips and ID Card Name Tag Badge Holder for Nurse Teacher Women Gift (3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T4GKGV7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_XaWRDb3Y0DP14

This may be too narrow for your needs, but I found this book very useful; "The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children"

I had to read a few chapters from this book as part of my credentialing and MA program.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Dreamkeepers-Successful-Teachers-American/dp/0470408154

It depends on how old the students are. If they're young, simple redirection works well. If a child is too loud then I will get down to their level and speak in a softer voice and try to engage them. Whether it be in conversation or ask them what they need.

Older kids, I'm not as skilled but soft music can help. Instrumental, think Harry Potter or Star Wars music. The Marvel films are really big right now, they might respond well to hearing the familiar motifs. They're all on Spotify, maybe you could hook up a company laptop or your smart phone to some speakers. Not too loud though.

Language is really important. Kids don't respond well, or even know how to respond to negative directives. When a child hears "Don't yell" they can really only process the word yell. If someone wants a child to not run, they have to say "Walk" instead of "Don't run". "Don't run" keeps the word "run" in their head but without an alternative. A child might think "Can I skip/lay on the floor/hop/jump/etc." But if a child hears walk they are more likely to walk as they heard it in concrete terms. They may have trouble at first but it's all a part of the process.

I'm not a big fan of tangible rewards personally. If you're interested you can check out:

http://www.amazon.com/Punished-Rewards-Trouble-Incentive-Praise/dp/0618001816

I took it last October of last year and scored a 179. When I took it the test was pretty new too, and there weren't any study guides specifically for that version. I ended up buying and reviewing this book.
http://www.amazon.com/CliffsNotes-Praxis-II-Mathematics-Knowledge/dp/1118085558/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418879123&sr=1-2&keywords=5161+praxis

The practice tests in that book aren't an exact match with what is on the test, as it is missing the computer-enhanced type of question. Still, the expected knowledge matches up.

It is worth downloading the on-screen calculator application so you can familiarize yourself with what you have to use on the test. It is pretty bad honestly, but it is what you have. I know that if I had taken the previous version of the test that allows you to bring your own calculator, I would have been able to work more quickly and accurately.

If you are taking it tomorrow, there isn't much to be done at this point besides making sure you get enough sleep and get something in your stomach tomorrow morning. That will help you more than anything else.

I used to have a huge problems with classroom discipline/management. I would tell myself "For the love of GOD if I can just finish writing this sentence on the board I can take care of whatever is going on when I finish." It was about the worst way for me to go. The stress of dealing with it was draining me to no end. The best decision/thought that allowed me to get into a better frame of classroom discipline was "If I let it go on a little bit then it's the same as telling them it's ok to do it all the time". I will stop in the middle of writing a letter on the board, and slowly... painfully slowly turn around and stare at students who think it's ok to talk while we are doing note taking. By the time I'm staring at them for 3-8seconds the other students in the room are scolding them for me. Works great.

The Book I learned this from was this one by Fred Jones: https://www.amazon.com/Fred-Jones-Tools-Teaching-Instruction/dp/0965026329

The videos might come off as a little corny but 10 years later of using this stuff I still stand by it and recommend it to anybody.

OK. One thing that I LOVE because it is so easy to use is the Lenovo Multimedia Remote (unless you remote desktop in from a wireless device, then carry on.) It allows you to be mobile while presenting and typing and I use it for game show style review games. $36 @ Amazon

> I always ask multiple times if they understand what I'm teaching

I did this when I was a rookie. It's basically the worst form of evaluation because most students are just going to look at you with a blank expression on their face and nod. If you're lucky they will grunt an affirmation.

I highly recommend that you read Embedded Formative Assessment by Dylan Wiliam. It's about approaches that you might take to understand where your kids are up to and what they are struggling on.

> Then some of them were borderline rude, saying that no one understands a thing about the current subject

Welcome to Teaching.

> I can't take them to a lab before teaching them some theory.

Sure you can. You can interleave concepts and practice together - although it's easier with a dedicated teaching space that is both a lab and has the ability to present itself. The goal is to build up a minimum amount of scaffolding as quickly as possible and then to situate them in an environment where they know how to solve 99% of the problem. Help them learn how to find the solutions for the 1% and if not add that to your scaffolding for next week. The goal will be to slowly increase the complexity of your problems from low order thinking to high order thinking.

> The first three weeks were pretty theoretical. Then we started learning about numerical systems and algorithm, which is something that requires more reasoning.

Chalk and Talk is pretty much regarded as the poorest way of transferring information.

My colleague (suburban high school) does this and it seems really fun and successful. She mainly relies on this book.

I recommend the book:

Setting Limits in the Classroom, Revised: How to Move Beyond the Dance of Discipline in Today's Classrooms https://www.amazon.com/dp/0761516751/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_BE6MybT9YSYG1

Long story short: set CLEAR simple expectations (no mode than 4-5 rules that could apply to many situations) and be incredibly, INCREDIBLY consistent about consequences with ALL students.

I studied with a few books, and this one was by far the best. I kept this one as a desktop resource because it was so good.

Edit: so the test changed from 0061 to 5161. Honestly not sure how the test changed, but I scanned their PDF overview, and it looks similar if not the same. There is also a Cliffnotes book for 5161, btw.

Embedded Formative Assessment by Dylan William. Exceptionally concise book with scores of different ways that you can assess your students (and thus your teaching) immediately. One of the most beneficial books I've ever been given as a teacher.

You could open it up for the first time and start using it today.

As for advice, I would mention it in class briefly something like, (ah guys, I’m sorry about the computers, we can’t use them today, something happened to the cords. I’m disappointed (either a) because I won’t be able to replace them (or b) but they’re replaceable.

I would keep it at that! No need to go further since there is no proof!

Since you think you know who it is I would recommend the 2 x 10 principle .

If you’re really looking for some change in the classroom I’d recommend The book How to Talk so Kids Can Learn it truly changed my practice.

Lastly, the kid already ruined your kits, don’t let them ruin your night and weekend too!! Try not to take it personally...it’s almost never about you, and even if it is, oh well.

Take care!

Marzano isn't a terrible place to start

I'm partial to the work of Alfie Kohn

Nope. I smiled while greeting each of them at the door the first day of school.

​

What this really means, as others have posted here, is to establish your procedures, management plan, and rules early on and STICK TO THEM. It's easier to ease up on some of the rules than it is to backpedal and become more strict as more problems arise.

​

My suggested reading is Harry Wong's "The First Days Of School" cover to cover.

https://www.amazon.com/UNV24264-Golf-Pew-Pencil-144/dp/B001E680CE/ref=sr_1_4?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1473198612&sr=1-4&keywords=golf+pencils

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Link: $36 @ Amazon


|Country|Link|
|:-----------|:------------|
|France|amazon.fr|
|Japan|amazon.co.jp|
|Canada|amazon.ca|
|Italy|amazon.it|




This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting).

Bridging English and The Lively Art of Writing are two books I swear by.

I must be the only person ever who found The First Days of School patronizing and dull.

https://www.amazon.com/d/B001E680CE for $5.77, but only as part of a larger order. Otherwise, shipping will kill you.