7th graders and administration

I would much prefer to teach/work at the high school level, but I'm embracing the challenges at the middle school level right now. I have subbed for most of the students at my mom's school where I work. The 6th graders have only been in school 2 months and are still being broken in, but most are well behaved. The 8th graders at this point in the year are still ok- not rambunctious and know-it-all's like they will be at the end of the year. The 7th graders however are TERRIBLE.

I have subbed for Mrs. C at my mom's school this year two days in a row. She had what has been dubbed the absolute worst 7th graders. These kids are the absolute lowest- 3 periods of math, 2 periods of English, and then PE. Some have 3 periods of English, 2 periods of math, and PE depending on how low they are and in which subject. Anyways, the kids are terrible. In Mrs. C's class I had about 10 jumping off desks (no joke), 10 yelling, and 10 running around the room. These kids steal and it is so blatantly obvious. The administration turns a blind eye. The teacher is scared to be in her own classroom with these kids.

The 3, 2, 1, schedule as it was dubbed by the principal was his ingenious idea to get all of the students to proficient by the end of the year. It didn't do that last year. Instead it burnt 2 teachers out who had 3 period classes. This year 8 teachers have 3 period classes. The kids are all monsters. In the math classes especially, I don't see anything helping. The students are just so exhausted after the first hour or so of math that they lose focus and the students aren't being taught more math than the regular classes. They are just working at a slower pace.

The 7th graders are all really rotten it turns out. The principal kept it quiet last year that the 6th graders were so bad because he gave them to his best friend, an English teacher, who just turns a blind eye; so word never got out. Now it is turning its head. The teachers are so upset they're asking the principal for a 7th grade assembly to remind students of the rules. The principal says he "doesn't know if we can do that." The teachers have a good idea to put the students in classes that are closer to their level. If they're really that low and badly behaved, put them in a VERY low class, but don't make it a place they want to be. Reintroduce electives like Home Ec that make the kids keep wanting to come back to school and not give up.

Last Thursday I subbed for a new math teacher at my mom's school. The first 2 periods the kids were wonderful (it was a 3 period block, but they have the last block with this teacher at the end of the day). When the kids came back to me in 6th period they all forgot where they sat, they were are loud, yelling, screaming, and refused to take their seats. I got right on the phone to call the office. I called everyone in the office and nobody picked up the phone. Finally I flashed the lights and they said "oh, the teacher wants to teach." I wrote on the whiteboard "anyone out of their seat or talking will automatically be sent out." That's how I handled it- I sent 4 kids to my mom's classroom, 3 to the big mean science teacher, and then one out on a suspension. The class quieted enough for me to take attendance, then since they were so loud I just put the assignment on the overhead because I couldn't talk to explain it to them. Usually kids will come to the desk seeking help, but none of these kids did. Nobody was working. They just don't care. The students were just starting to do problems like 2x-2=10 and so I know many didn't get it. It wasn't worth trying to teach when I had to raise my voice, talk over them, and police to make sure everyone stayed in their seat and didn't kill each other.

I didn't mention this woman's 4th period class had 16 kids with 14 rotten ones. I had to raise my voice and then remind them where they sat on the seating chart, then I said that anyone out of their seat would automatically be sent out. I came up with this policy after they were all running around even after class had started and I took attendance. I sent 3 of the kids who got up out of their seat without permission, and of course they didn't think I was serious, or forgot. At least in this class I was able to isolate the kids enough, then keep things humming along enough to teach the lesson.

The administration all turns a blind eye. The principal turns the other way anytime there is a problem and will not admit there is a problem. The assistant principal is a great guy, but the principal does not get along with him, so he can't dictate or say anything. He told me that he was "glad I survived and thanked me for taking on such a difficult mission" the other day. The dean of discipline is stuck in her office all day disciplining 7th graders and can't ever leave her office.