Dealing with unruly students

I have been retired from teaching or four years. I had a wonderful career, teaching high school physics. I was in good schools, got the best students, and had supportive vice-principals and principals. Generally, a more peaceful career than many teachers.

I did have the odd student who was a class disruptor, refused to do assignments, or skipped class. Here is a remedy that fixed the situation.

In brief, they were told to leave and not come back until the after the next test. I explained that each day they could come at the beginning to get page references for the lesson. But they were to learn from the text book, without my aid "Since, by your behaviour," I told them, "you showed that you do not value my contribution to your education, learn without me. We'll see how that works on the next test."

The result was that, after a day or two, the student requested to come back in the classroom. And that's how it should be. Students should be in class because they want to be, not because they have to be. A student isn't doing me a favour by showing up. I am doing him a favour by sharing my expertise. My method gets that point across.

Of course, the process was illegal. Putting a student in the hall meant that he was now, potentially, someone else's discipline problem. And if he left the school and got hit by a car, I might be held responsible because he should have been in the class under my supervision. I took the risk, and was supported by the principal because the system worked.

Here are some methods that ensure success.

Call home. Mention that the student is not learning as much as he should and ask for suggestions. Parents are almost always appreciative of your call, and the fact that you ask them for help shows you care and respect their opinion. Usually, if you are having trouble with the student, they are too. The phone call will be a sharing episode. Then say, "Here's something that might work. Suppose I tell him that he's not allowed to come to class. He's not kicked out of the course. He just has to learn on his own." Then explain the plan. Parents have always agreed to try it. Usually they're desperate to try anything.

Mention the plan to the principal. A couple of times I drew up contracts, on school stationery, for the principal, parent, student, and me to sign. The student always wants to renegotiate after a day or two.

Soon, the student is back in class, under my terms, appreciative of my efforts to help him learn.

Lucky to have been a teacher

This is my last year teaching. I am so lucky to have been in this profession. Imagine being able to tell people about things you find interesting every day. When you return from a good movie, don't you want to tell everyone about it, persuade them to go see it, too? That's the way it has been for me in physics, computers, science, astronomy, math.

And I have been so fortunate to be able to live out fantasies: waving my hands in front of the junior band is the equivalent of conducting a symphony orchestra; my girl's baseball team is my Blue Jays; when directing a musical, I'm standing on Broadway.

I have had a decent salary and great holidays. Of course, the general public doesn't know I marked papers and developed handouts, on average, about 16 hours a week at home. That's just the way it is, teachers work longer hours than anyone realizes. But I'm not complaining, just stating.

If you like interacting with youth, creating intellectual resources, teaching something different every day, you could do worse than enter the teaching profession. You must be able to handle change, be willing to bring your work home with you, and have something prepared for every period of every day. (Nothing is worse, or more pressure-inducing, than facing 30 young people with nothing for them to do!)

I have been so lucky to have been able to help a couple of generations of young people get a start in life. The amazing thing is that someone has actually paid me to spend 32 years doing what I love. I hope you are as fortunate.
-RS