Yeargh!!!!!!!

I'm in the middle of my practicuum now and there doesn't seem to be a better word to describe how I feel than "YEARGH!!!!!"

Classes like my mentor's should be rendered OUT OF BOUNDS to trainee teachers. I swear, the number of discipline problems there......... Let's call it a sort of baptism by bonfire.

Ok, I did not have a good day in class today. The usual students were causing havoc, the ones who were actually interested in learning at the start were now getting dismotivated, and half the class near the window seemed dead to the world. Oh, and plus the few looks of sympathy that I had to suffer their class.

Just when I thought I was getting the hang of classroom management, in comes in my crash-or-die course in discipline.

The first step being the usual method of scream. Screaming once or twice of course will stop them in their tracks a while. But it's shortlived. Once they get used to it, it almost seems as though they just love the sound of your screams, considering the number of times they try to ignite you.

The next step, is punishment. So far, I've tried isolating the noisy/disruptive/plain offensive ones by getting their butts to the front of the class. However, I haven't used this often, because also, I haven't had a good strong discipline system pat down. :p Here's another warning for other newbie trainee teachers...

Another step, which my mentor just talked to me about, is to just talk to them. Talk? Talk to them one on one? Will they listen?

"Yes they would, if they feel that you are not against them, or their enemy. Talk to them. Let them know that you are on their side. Talk to them as soon as they misbehave, so that they know why you are talking to them. But get them on your side."

"What if they don't want to talk?"

"They might not at first. It took me a while before they would respond to me as well, but eventually they did. And they will behave better in class."

I guess it just takes that little bit of trust built up.........