Shh! Respect!!!

Today I taught my very own lesson plan for the very first time in my very own (well, sort of) official classroom.  If I were to summarize my experience in four words it would be:  I have a migraine.

Yea, that bad.  But it's not like I expected anything to run smoothly the first time around.  The kids seemed pretty excited and I could literally see them sitting up a little straighter in anticipation for something spectacular....and then....somehow....I lost the magic!

I started off my language and math lessons reviewing the rules I planned on using during my teaching schedule:
1) Respect: for your peers and your teacher, to raise your hand, take turns, and listen to one another
2) Three strikes: I had (but I need to change this for the better) a system where the class was against me...if they misbehave I get a point and when they were doing what they were supposed to, then they scored a point.  First one to three can claim their prize.  So a teacher prize would be some sort of agreement the class made, e.g. detention or an apology letter, etc.  And if my kids managed to win 3 points everyday, then Friday we could do something fun.
3) Thumbs up if you understand, thumbs down if you don't.  So I avoid the, "I don't get it" whine.

I think they were a little mystified at my system but eventually they got the hang of it (as in the moment I got a point when they were being too loud).  But after awhile they forgot all about rules and respect....and I found myself fighting to be heard against chatty grade five kids.  Ironically the chatty ones were the ones whispering to their neighbours in earnest, "Shh! Remember respect! Don't make us lose a point!".  Umm YOU'RE THE ONES MAKING THE RACKET!  Lovely.  I even had one sass back at me when I caught them talking out loud during my lesson.  Adorable.

If I were a teen celebrity I'd probably describe my math lesson as one hot mess.  Even with my associate teacher standing in the back and stepping close to the loud ones and me warning them that I had only one more point to win, it made not one difference.  The grade fives officially took over my lesson.

The other issue is that my class is loud in general, and the whole school knows it.  It's just a different teaching environment provided by my particular teacher and so I have to fight against the grain to get the type of classroom environment I want for my portion of the lesson.  So both of our methods failed to calm the crowd and eventually I just had to trek through it to finish what I needed to finish.  (Why does that sound so familiar? *foot in my mouth*)

One sweet girl actually said that this was the best math lesson she ever had.  Aw that's nice, but inside I knew that it was a terrible lesson (or at least a poorly executed one), and I knew that my associate knew .  So tonight I get to evaluate and reflect on said hot mess and come prepared tomorrow to teach an entire reading section and another round at math.  My boxing gloves are up! 

Watch out grade fives!  Miss V's got her game face on :)  

PS.  Anyone out there with class management tips are MORE than welcome to comment!