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Help! I am subbing for a couple of weeks for a middle school math class at the end of the school year.?

I am filling in for a teacher who will be out for the next 2-3 weeks, and I cover five 7th grade math classes per day. It's a bad time of year for kids to be unruly in the first place, but I have one class in particular that is absolutely out-of-control unruly. There are 6 students who continue to disrupt the class by talking and getting up and walking around even after several reminders to nip the conversations and to stay seated. They also suck even the good kids in by doing goofy things that makes everyone laugh. Added to this bad situation is the fact that there is a paraproessional in the class that works with a few sped students. She has zero tolerance for any talking, which is unrealistic. It's a clash of teaching styles since I believe discussion of answers is helpful, whereas she wants total silence. I think some of her intolerance causes students to act out more. I have talked to the para and she seems to feel that I am too lenient (even though I have given lunch detentions, time out room referrals, and notified the VP). Oh, by the way, the teacher who I am filling in for left a stack of "time out" and detention forms already filled out with the same offenders names!! So it is NOT just me. I have been teaching for 7 years and I have exhausted all my ways of handling this. I have NEVER had a situation like this. At any rate, I hate dealing with this class on a daily basis (I have a migraine every afternoon) and I am hoping someone has a method or two on how to deal with super unruly middle schoolers who have a long term sub at the end of the school year.

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Teaching is the toughest job in the world

    middle school is the toughest of the tough

    sub is the ninth level of "Dante"s hell

    they drove me out of teaching because I could not control the class

    Try (if you are lucky) to channel the energy into activities that involve the active cooperation of the little @#$%^&^*

    Can you develop a personal connection to even one of the "trouble makers"

    have a class discussion and let the students express their opinions, peer pressure might help

    do the parents care?

    Source(s): been there, done that, walked out the door BS Physics, MS education
  • 1 decade ago

    Pray would be my first thing.

    Let's look at this globally.

    YOu have to keep order. If, as you say, you get a migraine, you need to stop.

    Now, that being said, you keep the law and you eliminate those that are disruptive.

    Ask the principal for guidance.

    You do have an alternative.

    1. remove the detention sheets. State that they have a clean slate, but, you will use those if needed and DON'T BLUFF

  • 1 decade ago

    Bless your heart. I wouldn't want to be you this time of year.

    My advice is to keep them busy. Work 'em to death. The more they have to work on, the less they can be disruptive. And if they ARE disruptive and don't do the assigned work, you have one more thing you can call them out to administration for.

  • 1 decade ago

    WOW i feel bad for you...i didn't know subs had such a hard job!!!!!....just pretend like nothing is happening...love the kids and everything will be alright...i promise :)

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