When Osama Bin Laden was located in a compound in Pakistan, the President of the United States charged Bill McRaven with executing a plan to capture or eliminate the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks.
fellow hs teacher here (AP English 4, in Chicago 😅) . just wanted to say it’s refreshing to find someone who gets both the chaos of the classroom and the quiet magic of expressing it on the page. you’re delivering it all with great literary style. Love!
Hey fellow teacher! First of all, thank you for your service. Second of all, thanks for the compliment towards the writing. I was literally thinking of a synthesis essay while I was writing this. Take two separate stories, and combine them to make a point... or something like that. In any case, thanks!
Great article. I was under the impression that education degrees spent a lot of time on classroom management.
More disturbing than the number of minutes, though, is the fact that what they were teaching you in that time is wrong. If they start doing simulations where a student acts out, and then the other 25 students stay calm and quiet while you take the offender out into the hallway for a quick impromptu therapy session (which he responds to by tearfully thanking you for helping him discover his love of literature, of course)... I'm not sure that's going to improve early teacher retention rates.
Yeah, difficult and realistic. I wonder how many education school professors have spent their entire careers teaching eager (or at least credential focused) grad students, and are assuming that what works in that context will work with reluctant teenagers.
I worry that its only gotten worse. Especially with teachers running their classes remotely now. The idea that you can get an education certificate in an online program is terrifying to me.
I'm working on an education degree after a couple years of teaching without certification at a private school. I'm 10-15 years older than my fellow students. They're all so starry eyed and optimistic that I feel rude every time I make a comment about classroom management! Our classes are 100% theory with no preparation for the kinds of scenarios you're talking about. Maybe I should tell the the story about the time a kid hid a Bluetooth speaker in the classroom and kept turning it on with his phone during a lesson... Kermit gave me a flashback to that memorable lesson!
Haha! The ole blue tooth speaker trick. Yeah, that is definitely an annoying one. Keep needling them about classroom management. It's by far the most important skill. Everything about comes after the ability to control a class.
I’m a Chief Petty Officer in the U. S. Navy and we did a number of training briefs during our advancement training. One thing the existing Chiefs did, was work to disrupt much of the training we gave as a group. Just in small fashions, this was to give more of a challenge on classroom management. One of my group is a teacher, so his comment on classroom control was interesting.
Firstly, thank you for your service. Secondly, I vaguely remember reading about the bin laden story in a book I read a while ago. Very cool to hear that you experienced exactly what I think new teachers need to experience.
It wouldn't take much in the way of additional resources to add classroom management practice to a teacher prep curriculum. All you have to do is tell the teacher students to act like the kids they grew up with. That kind of role play would have been invaluable when I was doing my alternative licensing program.
Its absolutely necessary in my mind. I've been teaching for 8 years in a public school now... I think I can count on one hand how many times I've taught a class without a disruption.
Do you think having more life experience before teaching would be helpful? I.e. would being in your 30s or 40s and a first year teacher have benefits over the fresh out of college 23yo? Thinking about a career change after my current SAHP gig into high school social studies teaching using my states alternative track.
There’s pluses and minuses to both. I started young, now I’m in my 30s. There’s something helpful about teaching as a younger person You’re closer in age to the kids than most of their teachers, you command some interest by virtue of being somewhat more relatable.
But I honestly like teaching as someone older now. I have a better idea of who I am, it grounds my lessons, because I know exactly WHY I teach what I teach. I have better emotional control when a kid comes at me, and I have more patience.
Ultimately, there’s probably no right “age” to teach. Just know why you’re doing it, and understand all plans go to hell when you’re a rookie teacher regardless of age.
I think age is less important than life experience. The person who goes from student to teacher without ever spending their days outside a classroom could be forty years old and still less prepared to deal with things going wrong than the 25 year old who did a two year hitch in Iraq ... or even McDonald's.
I believe that would also help with the sense of martyrdom that infects so many teachers. Nothing like getting some dirt under your fingernails or dealing with the fiftieth pissy customer of the day to put the challenge of grading papers and calling parents into some perspective.
Yeah, I'm a homeschooling mom considering teaching as an after career. I believe it's one of the most valuable things a person can do with their life, but the reality of it as a career is definitely daunting.
There is always a line between the student and teacher. Some teachers struggle with defining this "line".
I love the examples that you provided to support your points. I teach an alternative prep program and will use this to make changes to our classroom management instruction. Thank you for helping see the need to add this to our program.
Colt. Best of luck. Here’s the crash course for surviving. (which of course never works but its what I’ve got here.)
Establish your expectations. This means if you run into a problem - the most common one being talking while you’re giving directions - establish what the consequence is for interrupting you, or holding a side conversation. I.E. SAY THIS DAY ONE - or as soon as possible. “Hey, I don’t expect talking to be a problem, but if it is here’s what will happen. If you talk while directions after I’ve asked you to stop, you will lose a point towards you grade (be sure to hold a clip board with a paper where you mark this down - it doesn’t matter what you write, it matters that they see you write down the consequence). If it happens again, establish that you will give a detention. A third time is a classroom removal.
FOLLOW THROUGH. Never a make a threat you don’t back up. (The old teacher line, “it’s a promise not a threat)
Wow, thanks so much! I truly appreciate the thoughtful follow up. Will for sure keep this in mind. Fortunately, I’m not super concerned with being liked. 😉
I taught for 34 years, so I am offering that from the bottom of my heart.
Even when I was in college, next to nothing about classroom management. It’s totally unfair to drop new teachers into what can amount to a war zone without appropriate preparation. Thanks for saying it!
34 years! Thank you for your service! And yeah, my first year felt exactly like a war zone. Hopefully I can bring some kind of awareness to how steep the learning curve can be for brand new teachers.
Teachers, Detention Officers... What's the difference?
We have to manage our charges efficiently and calmly.
I have, from time to time, used the phrase, "Don't make me send you to the principal's office," when dealing with inmates. But usually, it's, "Either you sit down, or you're going to be in time out."
I’ve given it some thought. Ultimately, I think teaching teachers how to teach is something I’m interested in. But right now, I love the job too much to leave it, and I’ve got a lot of work to do in my own practice before I feel I’ve ‘mastered’ the profession enough to teach it.
It's refreshing to hear someone in any profession say they don't know enough yet to be an "authority" or "expert". My age may be showing, but I just wonder at how many people want to be "heard" whether or not they're saying anything worth hearing. I just saw a video clip of a Congresswoman asserting that the Gulf of Mexico should be renamed the Gulf of America because for 40 years Mexico had been pouring untreated sewage into it from just south of San Diego.
I taught the 4th quartile when I taught in rural high schools. I have broken up fights and taken student who were high to the office. I did not get any training for 10th graders who could not read. But I did what I could, losing some every year. But I tried to fill up the cracks they had fallen through. They weren't bad kids. They believed that they were stupid.
Long story. I received my first paycheck at the new school while I was in class. I opened it to see exactly what they were paying me. My students wanted to know, so I told them. I always tried to be open and honest. They were impressed--a thousand dollars. One student did the math in her head and said, that by the week, her mom made about the same working in the cotton mill. You can see how long ago this was.
I asked her who worked harder. She thought about that.
Years later, I saw her, and she proudly told me that she was the manager at the local McDonald's. I congratulated her, as she felt successful. I got the impression that not everyone in her family stayed at a job long enough to get into any level of management.
fellow hs teacher here (AP English 4, in Chicago 😅) . just wanted to say it’s refreshing to find someone who gets both the chaos of the classroom and the quiet magic of expressing it on the page. you’re delivering it all with great literary style. Love!
Hey fellow teacher! First of all, thank you for your service. Second of all, thanks for the compliment towards the writing. I was literally thinking of a synthesis essay while I was writing this. Take two separate stories, and combine them to make a point... or something like that. In any case, thanks!
Great article. I was under the impression that education degrees spent a lot of time on classroom management.
More disturbing than the number of minutes, though, is the fact that what they were teaching you in that time is wrong. If they start doing simulations where a student acts out, and then the other 25 students stay calm and quiet while you take the offender out into the hallway for a quick impromptu therapy session (which he responds to by tearfully thanking you for helping him discover his love of literature, of course)... I'm not sure that's going to improve early teacher retention rates.
When we simulate the classroom environment, we need to practice against much more difficult subjects.
Yeah, difficult and realistic. I wonder how many education school professors have spent their entire careers teaching eager (or at least credential focused) grad students, and are assuming that what works in that context will work with reluctant teenagers.
I worry that its only gotten worse. Especially with teachers running their classes remotely now. The idea that you can get an education certificate in an online program is terrifying to me.
That's completely insane. Wonder what percentage of the course material will be video lectures and AI-graded assignments.
And more to the point, went from being a student to being a teacher without any other experiences in between.
I'm working on an education degree after a couple years of teaching without certification at a private school. I'm 10-15 years older than my fellow students. They're all so starry eyed and optimistic that I feel rude every time I make a comment about classroom management! Our classes are 100% theory with no preparation for the kinds of scenarios you're talking about. Maybe I should tell the the story about the time a kid hid a Bluetooth speaker in the classroom and kept turning it on with his phone during a lesson... Kermit gave me a flashback to that memorable lesson!
Haha! The ole blue tooth speaker trick. Yeah, that is definitely an annoying one. Keep needling them about classroom management. It's by far the most important skill. Everything about comes after the ability to control a class.
I’m a Chief Petty Officer in the U. S. Navy and we did a number of training briefs during our advancement training. One thing the existing Chiefs did, was work to disrupt much of the training we gave as a group. Just in small fashions, this was to give more of a challenge on classroom management. One of my group is a teacher, so his comment on classroom control was interesting.
Firstly, thank you for your service. Secondly, I vaguely remember reading about the bin laden story in a book I read a while ago. Very cool to hear that you experienced exactly what I think new teachers need to experience.
It wouldn't take much in the way of additional resources to add classroom management practice to a teacher prep curriculum. All you have to do is tell the teacher students to act like the kids they grew up with. That kind of role play would have been invaluable when I was doing my alternative licensing program.
Its absolutely necessary in my mind. I've been teaching for 8 years in a public school now... I think I can count on one hand how many times I've taught a class without a disruption.
Do you think having more life experience before teaching would be helpful? I.e. would being in your 30s or 40s and a first year teacher have benefits over the fresh out of college 23yo? Thinking about a career change after my current SAHP gig into high school social studies teaching using my states alternative track.
There’s pluses and minuses to both. I started young, now I’m in my 30s. There’s something helpful about teaching as a younger person You’re closer in age to the kids than most of their teachers, you command some interest by virtue of being somewhat more relatable.
But I honestly like teaching as someone older now. I have a better idea of who I am, it grounds my lessons, because I know exactly WHY I teach what I teach. I have better emotional control when a kid comes at me, and I have more patience.
Ultimately, there’s probably no right “age” to teach. Just know why you’re doing it, and understand all plans go to hell when you’re a rookie teacher regardless of age.
It’s frustratingly beautiful profession.
I think age is less important than life experience. The person who goes from student to teacher without ever spending their days outside a classroom could be forty years old and still less prepared to deal with things going wrong than the 25 year old who did a two year hitch in Iraq ... or even McDonald's.
I believe that would also help with the sense of martyrdom that infects so many teachers. Nothing like getting some dirt under your fingernails or dealing with the fiftieth pissy customer of the day to put the challenge of grading papers and calling parents into some perspective.
This is both inspiring and a little scary as someone who’s planning to apply for a teaching credential after I finish college…
Just know when you walk into a classroom - especially in the beginning - nothing is going to go according to plan.
At least if its a TItle 1 school. You land yourself in a cozy suburb then you'll have scarier things to deal with...like parents.
Yeah, I'm a homeschooling mom considering teaching as an after career. I believe it's one of the most valuable things a person can do with their life, but the reality of it as a career is definitely daunting.
Ft. Bragg is in NC not VA. Great article though.
Roger that. Thank you for the heads up there.
There is always a line between the student and teacher. Some teachers struggle with defining this "line".
I love the examples that you provided to support your points. I teach an alternative prep program and will use this to make changes to our classroom management instruction. Thank you for helping see the need to add this to our program.
Love hearing that, best of luck. However you enforce the consequences - keep your cool, and stay consistent.
And pay them accordingly
Ahmen.
I’m about to start work as an “emergency substitute teacher” (aka a warm body with a bachelor’s degree). Thank you for this.
Colt. Best of luck. Here’s the crash course for surviving. (which of course never works but its what I’ve got here.)
Establish your expectations. This means if you run into a problem - the most common one being talking while you’re giving directions - establish what the consequence is for interrupting you, or holding a side conversation. I.E. SAY THIS DAY ONE - or as soon as possible. “Hey, I don’t expect talking to be a problem, but if it is here’s what will happen. If you talk while directions after I’ve asked you to stop, you will lose a point towards you grade (be sure to hold a clip board with a paper where you mark this down - it doesn’t matter what you write, it matters that they see you write down the consequence). If it happens again, establish that you will give a detention. A third time is a classroom removal.
FOLLOW THROUGH. Never a make a threat you don’t back up. (The old teacher line, “it’s a promise not a threat)
God Speed.
Wow, thanks so much! I truly appreciate the thoughtful follow up. Will for sure keep this in mind. Fortunately, I’m not super concerned with being liked. 😉
lol. Good. That’s 90 percent of the battle.
I've read other posts of yours, but I swear i was half-way through this one before I realized it was you. Good stuff!
Hahaha! Yeah, the SEAL story came out of left field on this one.
This might be your best post yet.
I always love seeing that line. Thanks!
I taught for 34 years, so I am offering that from the bottom of my heart.
Even when I was in college, next to nothing about classroom management. It’s totally unfair to drop new teachers into what can amount to a war zone without appropriate preparation. Thanks for saying it!
34 years! Thank you for your service! And yeah, my first year felt exactly like a war zone. Hopefully I can bring some kind of awareness to how steep the learning curve can be for brand new teachers.
Teachers, Detention Officers... What's the difference?
We have to manage our charges efficiently and calmly.
I have, from time to time, used the phrase, "Don't make me send you to the principal's office," when dealing with inmates. But usually, it's, "Either you sit down, or you're going to be in time out."
It’s probably solid advice for any profession, get used to shit going wrong. Treat it as the norm
Been following you for a month or two. You're writing is so concise and compelling.
This is a fantastic post. Fuck yeah brother.
SuperStripe, I always appreciate a compliment directed towards my writing. It's always weird and pleasant for a P.E. teacher to receive one of those.
I work in higher ed. Have you thought about higher ed administration? Becoming a teacher of the teachers?
I’ve given it some thought. Ultimately, I think teaching teachers how to teach is something I’m interested in. But right now, I love the job too much to leave it, and I’ve got a lot of work to do in my own practice before I feel I’ve ‘mastered’ the profession enough to teach it.
It's refreshing to hear someone in any profession say they don't know enough yet to be an "authority" or "expert". My age may be showing, but I just wonder at how many people want to be "heard" whether or not they're saying anything worth hearing. I just saw a video clip of a Congresswoman asserting that the Gulf of Mexico should be renamed the Gulf of America because for 40 years Mexico had been pouring untreated sewage into it from just south of San Diego.
Definitely not an expert… yet. Just a guy who’s been teaching in Harlem for 8 years and I have some opinions about it.
I taught the 4th quartile when I taught in rural high schools. I have broken up fights and taken student who were high to the office. I did not get any training for 10th graders who could not read. But I did what I could, losing some every year. But I tried to fill up the cracks they had fallen through. They weren't bad kids. They believed that they were stupid.
Sometimes the job is giving everyone a chance with a whole lot of patience.
Long story. I received my first paycheck at the new school while I was in class. I opened it to see exactly what they were paying me. My students wanted to know, so I told them. I always tried to be open and honest. They were impressed--a thousand dollars. One student did the math in her head and said, that by the week, her mom made about the same working in the cotton mill. You can see how long ago this was.
I asked her who worked harder. She thought about that.
Years later, I saw her, and she proudly told me that she was the manager at the local McDonald's. I congratulated her, as she felt successful. I got the impression that not everyone in her family stayed at a job long enough to get into any level of management.
Love hearing that. Getting kids to hold down a job when they have a few role models surrounding them is huge.