Case Book Three

Char Emmer's school year has started out like many new teachers. Her students have tested her limits and challenged her ability to set rules and procedures and stick with them. She has met the challenge, but is feeling frustrated that her students don't seem to be moving beyond that. She has decided to talk with her students and see if she can get her students to work together for better classroom management.

MS. EMMER: Class meeting time. Everyone bring your desks into the circles, please.

Now, we have to decide, as a group, how to proceed. The rules and procedures I set out for you at the beginning of the year are not working. You're not following them consistently. I feel like some of you are testing me constantly, and others are testing me sometimes. There are too many times that we are losing work time while you goof around. I don't like having to be the one to demand, demand. After all, you are becoming young adults. You should be able to handle yourselves in the classroom. I am told that last year you used a judicial peer system in some of your classes. Did that work well?

S1: Do we have to go into that? It was a very hard system. Students were really hard on each other. The slightest things lead to the student court.

MS. EMMER: But, did it work? Did you all respect each other and follow the classroom rules?

S1: No. It was bad, trust me.

S2: The student court was a bit much. Isn't there some other sort of peer judicial system we could use?

MS. EMMER: There are many versions of a peer judicial system. Is that what all of you want?

S3: Tell us more about how it would work. We respect you Ms. Emmer, but I guess we do get out of hand a lot. I think that it is about us, not you. There is nothing you're doing wrong. What is wrong is the system here. We have no say in things like when lunch is, or when we go to the science lab.

MS. EMMER: Are you saying that if you have a say in your lunch and science lab times you will all behave better?

S3: No. I don't speak for everyone. I just think it's about being respected two ways. We really behave good for you compared to some of the other teachers. Get a grip Ms. Emmer, and don't take this personally.

MS. EMMER: I am not taking it personally, it is about you getting your work done. You have to take this personally. You have to learn more self-control. Now, tell me how we are going to accomplish that in this class.

Teacher Notes:

• Sometimes the issues that students present to you, like choosing a lunch time, are really about other things, like feeling a lack of control or frustration with the system. Typically, teachers can't change student lunch times or lab times, or other aspects of the schedule, and students know that. What you can do is to listen and ask questions and engage the students in problem solving so that you have mutual respect and also good communication. That will enormously help you with managing the classroom.