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Sorry - my mistake.

Have you had any hands on classroom management training recently? Reading about it and writing about it isn't going to cut it. You need someone to show you how to effectively speak to a class, what rules to have and how to enforce those rules to maintain control of a classroom. And then for you to be able to use those same skills, even just for practice saying the words out loud to a group of students, would be helpful!

I wish you all the best. ♥

That was fannyandcat involved with the guy for whom she had bought a boat and a truck.

Teacherjoggergal - I am wondering about your job. If the school administrators think you are not performing as they would like, why don’t they put an extra teacher or teacher’s aide in your classes with you?

I’m a little late to this, but I do remember you from before, TJG, and I’m wondering how it’s going for you this year.

I teach at a very high poverty Title 1 high school and have high class numbers this year. Classroom management is by FAR the most difficult part of my job, and I also struggle with the amount time that prep and grading take. So i absolutely get where you’re coming from. I probably have it somewhat easier than you because it’s a small town environment rather than urban, so I do much of my classroom management indirectly through the community, with ties I’ve built with families and students across many years of teaching here. Nonetheless, my district is known for being incredibly difficult from a classroom management perspective, and many teachers founder and fail. I’ve cried and struggled a lot.

From that perspective I have several thoughts.

1) your admin wants you gone, and fighting that probably isn’t worth the stress. I don’t know that it’s fair to you, or the kids, or the admin for you to try to hang on when admin clearly doesn’t want you there.

2) it is absolutely worth getting full pension when you’ve invested this much and are so close.

3) there is a teacher shortage, and there are other districts. You might have to commute, but I think it’s possible to serve out your remaining years in a place much better suited to your skills. You clearly have devotion and work ethic. In a lot of districts you would be appreciated for that, and you deserve appreciation!!

4) if you’re in the same school or district this year, take a deep breath. You can do this. Forget about classroom management classes or books. In truly challenging districts they are all but worthless. Ask me how I know. Instead, find a staff member with a similar vibe as you who has decent classroom management. Tell your admin that you want to improve by watching/shadowing them. Visit their class in your planning period. You will learn a lot. My first year my district had me shadow a 6’ 5" bball coach with great classroom management. Turns out what worked for him doesn’t work for a short middle aged white lady with strong librarian vibes. But I shadowed another successful middle aged lady teacher and learned a TON. I don’t have confidence or a loud presence. But I learned to lean into my natural empathy and kindness to build relationships, and I am highly structured. That’s how I manage classes. I still have a lot of room for growth, but I manage.

5) you do NOT need to be spending that much time planning and grading. I am at the highest end of my school for grading and planning time, and I teach English, a notoriously time-consuming subject area. But I do not spend that much time. No one does. You need to change to preserve your sanity. I know this is hard to hear, but if you’re staying til 7pm, that’s a you issue. I’m not trying to be mean; I’m saying this with the empathy of someone who has struggled with some of the same things.

I don’t know your situation right now, but whatever it is, take a deep breath. I think the smartest move is to change districts. But even if you’re in the same district/school, you can do this. You just have to be willing to evolve. Teaching in a difficult district is brutally hard, but you’re almost to retirement. You can get there in a way that serves your students well AND preserves your sanity. You just have to take it a day at a time and really be open to changing your approach.

Hello, Grieving, thank you are you are so right. Pardon my French but those classroom management professional developments are BS. I've attended them and passed the exit ticket comprehension quizzes with 100% scores but they don't do anything useful. I would be up for an assistant or a mentor but the district won't provide that. They are extremely short staffed as it is. They can't recruit anyone especially support staff because the pay rate is too low. So many people in those support roles quit as soon as they find something that pays better.

Work has me swamped and up to my eyeballs every night with work. I cannot keep up. And these kids don't want to listen to me.