Becoming a disciplinarian and a coach

I'm finally starting to get the hang of the whole discipline thing and the students are definitely responding more positively to me. I had to have a heart to heart with one of my students last Friday and I feel like it really has helped our relationship in the classroom leaps and bounds. He was constantly rude to me and disruptive in class. So finally, I told him that I realize at the beginning of the semester he told me he expected to be respected, but that he had not earned my respect and therefore did not have it. I told him that I was not going to treat him any differently than I would any other student, but that he should know that I don't appreciate the way he has been treating me and that if he wants my respect he needs to change his ways and earn it. It was a very calm talk, I was very straightforward, and at the end he said "Yeah, ok," and left. Then, when he came to school on Monday, it was like a complete 180. He asked questions in a respectful tone of voice instead of with his usual attitude, he told me he liked my dress, and he showed concern for my well-being (he asked if I needed a band-aid to cover my knee, if you missed out on why my knee needs bandaging, see last post, it's a good story). He was a totally different person. I was so impressed. I don't know if it's that he wants my respect and he will do whatever he can to get it or if he now respects me more for actually sitting and talking with him so that he knows that I care about him. All I know is it was one of the most satisfying feelings in the world to know that I changed something about him, at least in my class even if he's a royal pain for the other teachers. I guess that's kinda selfish, huh?

There is also a kid in a different class period that has so lovingly given me the nickname, "Coach." I told him he couldn't call me that because I'm not a coach, but he said, "You're like my life coach." Adorable, right? So anyways, yesterday in class he told me he could pretty much tell that Mrs. S (that's my mentor teacher) hates him. I told him she did not hate him, she just sometimes has a harsh personality. He then listed off a bunch of reasons why she hates him and I have to say he had a pretty good list. I told him I was sorry he felt that way about her, but I asked if he could tell that I didn't hate him. He told me, "of course I know you don't hate me, coach!" Today, he was talking to me about his grade and he asked me if he could retake a quiz that he did poorly on and I told him he couldn't, but that he could certainly do better on the next quiz, which would be this Friday. He told me he definitely would and that he was going to study his vocab words so that he could ace the quiz and bring up his grade. I mean, he has a C it's not like he is failing, but I told him to do me proud. His answer, "Oh, I will coach." He's kind of my favorite, except that I don't have favorites, but if I did, he would be one of them.

Next week I take over all Junior English classes. Scary and exciting. I'll be teaching a unit on Puritan Literature, beginning with poetry by Anne Bradstreet, then Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, then "The Examination of Sara Good," and finally "The Crucible." So, wish me luck, prayers and well wishes are welcome.

Carry on!