Keeping a classroom, especially of high school students, under control is one of the many difficulties of being a teacher at any school. Students nowadays have technology all around them, including in their faces. Some teenagers of these ages are especially known for disruptive behavior, so how do the teachers keep them under control for nearly an hour or so of class time?
“I try to build connections with my students. I try to insert humor as much as I can into situations, but at the same time, try to have certain classroom routines to follow and establish what the procedures are at the very beginning of the semester of the school year,” said Victoria Kelley, a Spanish II teacher at Tallwood High School.
She sees her role as a teacher as something that positively impacts society, and she believes the best way to keep a class under control is for a teacher to be assertive but also flexible and understanding to gain the respect of students.
“Consequences are there to kinda redirect and realign people back to again what those expectations should be”, explains Bradley Watahovich, who works at Tallwood High School as an AP History teacher.
Having a passion for history, and a history of his own working around as a mentor such as a camp counselor and after school tutoring, Mr. Watahovich believes that having technology around is a helpful form of communication for providing students advice and asking questions.
One issue, though, that can be observed from most classes is that it’s highly possible a teacher can accidentally become a stepped on doormat for students, sadly.
Try putting yourself in the teacher’s shoes for once, and imagine having to deal with twenty or more high school students everyday of the week for nearly seven hours.
