As a beginning 8-12 grade science teacher, I remember a time where I gave my students an inch….. and then that inch led to another inch… and another… and so on. Before I knew it, I was no longer in control of my classroom. I was spending so much time and energy on classroom management that it was stressing me out and taking away from my ability to teach. I remember thinking, “How in the world am I going to reign them back in and have the environment we all thrived in and loved?”
It was in that moment that I realized it wasn’t all too far gone. At the beginning of the class period, I had a raw, honest conversation with my students. Here is an example of how that conversation went:
Me: We need to have a quick conversation. I feel like we once had a really positive relationship and classroom environment, but we’ve all become very lax and things have slowly snowballed out of control. I have slacked with holding people accountable, which is totally my fault. I am going to do better on my end, and I am asking that you do better on yours. I know things have gotten out of control – people are talking over me, talking when I am talking, getting their phones out, etc. From this point forward we are going to get back to the classroom we had before. I’ve started to dread the hour you are here and I don’t like that feeling because I truly love all of you, I just don’t love these behaviors. I also don’t like the crab and nag it has made me become toward most of you. So from this point forward, we aren’t going to talk out of turn anymore. From this point forward, we aren’t going to have phones out. From this point forward, I am going to make sure we enforce the class rules again. I know some people have not been punished for breaking class rules and for having their phones out for the past month, but from this point forward, if you have your phone out when you aren’t supposed to, it will go on my desk. From this point forward, you do your part and I will do mine…. fair enough?
Students need honesty. They need to know that not only are they human, but we, as teachers are too. We all make mistakes. We all let things slide and we eventually lose control. The goal is to recognize and admit that everyone involved has slipped up, including you. The key phrase is “from this point forward.” I promise you that the level of respect you will gain from your students by being honest and up front about the behaviors driving you crazy and the fact that you let it slide on your end to, will be worth the conversation with them.