Monday, May 08, 2006

The One with the Screaming and Shouting

Throughout my 6 years plus teaching experience, I have never experience a class so disunited and so disinterested in studies. Engaging them seem to be my biggest challenge, you know as teachers, you walked out of a hour lessons, drenched in sweat, feeling a bit of soreness in your throat, and you know that you have tried so much your best in giving your very best in a class. This class never failed to have this "miraculous effect" on me.

I do agree that I am not a very interesting teacher but it is a challenge to engage them when half of the time there will be disruptive behaviour - whether it is a curt remark, a snide comment, flying pencil cases/ pen caps, or even non-sensical laughter. I have to admit I do dislike the class especially a couple of them who are recalcitrant cases never failing to get onto your nerves.

An incident happened today in class, Boy A was in class putting his head on the table when I was busy trying to highlight the key ideas for the students for the midyear exams. After warning him not to do that in class for upteenth times ( from putting his head on the table to sitting with 2 legs of the chair with head supported by the classroom wall) I lost my temper and asked him to get out of the class and stand outside. In an act of defiance, he kicked his chair and banged his hand on the table. This incensed me and I told him louder to get out of the class, not before warning him to take the notes out with him and followed the lesson from outside of the class. Upon reaching the corridor, he put his head again on the locker top which of course was corrected angrily by me.

It was only after ALL these, that one boy told me, "cher, A not feeling well, he a bit feverish..."

Sigh....

Anyway to keep the long story short, I reprimanded the class for not telling me when I warned A not to sleep in class the very first time. And of course I got the student back in class and in front of the whole class, apologise to him...

Could I have handle this better? Did I let my "flawed" perception got the better of me?

What will you have done?

2 comments:

The Ego One said...

Hi Jeanie
Thanks
With hindsight, I agree that it is really a result of accumulated anger, however I believe that nothing is more frustrating than an unwilling student who refused to learn. I guess we just have to take everything in our stride since we are all "civil"ised "servants". :P

Yvonne said...

HEY MR NG. hmmm. seems to me that it ain't your fault at all. how were u supposed to know if the student was feeling well or not? to me a sick student might just seem sleepy, and a sleepy student might just look sick? its hard to tell!! besides, he should have explained when you first told him to pay attention in class... you as a teacher had his best interest at heart... so don't worry too much about it!