Classroom Management Confessional Time

Here I am, about a month and a half into Student Teaching I, and I will readily admit that classroom management is not my forte. This is the first time in my whole entire life that I’ve ever had to control the behavioral expressions of a large group of teenagers (with essentially no safe non-judgmental place to practice beforehand).

Amazing as it may seem, there is nothing in any of my previous experience that would have given me a chance to develop this particular skill set. Of course I need all the help I can get. For me, classroom management is a far from an intuitive process, and not something I find inherently enjoyable (probably due to the lack of results, or maybe just because as an INTP the actions and motives of other people are as mysterious as vector calculus).

It can be rather frustrating sometimes, being in a situation that’s only slightly more advantageous than being a substitute teacher (I know the names of the kids and exactly what they’re supposed to be doing, however the sub at least has the consolation of getting paid regardless of how badly the day goes), whereas I have to pick up the pieces and try it all over again the next day.

I know my cooperating teacher is probably bewildered and must be surprised that I’m not exactly proficient at classroom management. Anyone could be forgiven for assuming that being an instructional assistant and working in schools would mean that one would automatically be pretty good at classroom management, but it really doesn’t help AT ALL. Not a bit. As an instructional assistant, you are NEVER the one in charge of discipline, and rarely if ever find yourself in situations where you have to elicit the cooperation of more than 5 kids at a time. I’m so used to working one-on-one with kids and small groups, and for me that’s easy. Changing the ratio to 1 on 25 and I might as well be on Mars. I’m guessing that it's not going to come overnight, and will in fact take as long as a year to feel comfortable and normal…which is time I really don’t have in one semester of Student Teaching.

The only advice I ever get are things not to do (usually obvious stuff that I already know), or that it takes time and gets easier. I’m sure it’s good advice but it’s not helpful in the moment.

I saw a quote yesterday that said, “None of us has all the pieces to the puzzle,” and that’s about how I’m feeling right now.

At this point, the only things I feel sure about are that in spite of it all, I still enjoy teens (even if I can't always get them to be quiet or to behave themselves), I can almost always get good results with individuals, am pretty good at thinking on my feet, am detached enough to not take things kids say and do personally, can usually make the best of a bad situation, and in spite of it all, still feel that teaching kids is a worthwhile pursuit.