Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Chorus Out Of Control
Dear Guidance Guy,
I've seen all the great advice you've given and I realized I have a little problem.
My chorus teacher cannot control the class. She is way too passive, and she has someone else in the class to help her out. Basically, no one respects this woman. Everyone's screaming, yelling, being rude, and walking all over her.
Today, she wore a green dress, which was a little old fashioned. People were screaming, "Where'd you get that dress!?" I even saw people taking pictures of this woman's dress with their cell phones and digital cameras during class. She looked totally offended and upset.
Our chorus class is divided into three sections - low, middle, and high, based on our vocal ranges, etc. The low section is the worst, as it is all guys. They are totally fooling around 24/7. The middle section is 3/4 girls, 1/4 guys. I, myself, am in the Middle section. There is this one girl who is completely rude to my chorus teacher. The high section is very obedient and is 100% girls.
I feel so bad for this woman, she doesn't deserve to be treated like this. She's such a nice woman, and she's been trying so hard for people to pay attention. Plus, the concert is in May and I don't want her to look like a fool because we didn't get enough time to practice because people were misbehaving.
She made the low section copy the student responsibilities in our Assigned Pads. Surprisingly, much of the low section did it.
I really don't know what to do. I feel just so bad for this woman. She's brand new to our school and she does not deserve to be treated like this! She is such a nice woman! I hate seeing her upset, she's so nice. She's just too passive. Should I talk to the other teacher in that class? He's nice, but he just plays piano to help her out. He's a nice guy and we all know him, and I know he could do something.
Do you have any other advice? Should I personally talk to my chorus teacher? Thanks.
Signed,
Wants to Help But Doesn't Know How!!!
*****
Dear Wants,
Some teachers are naturally good at controlling classrooms and misbehaving students. Most teachers have to learn how. Some learn fast, some learn slow. And of course, some never learn.
You didn't say if this was a young and/or new teacher. If it is, she will probably pick it up by making mistakes and learning from them. A more experienced teacher with poor classroom management skills can learn this also, but they have to undo a lot of bad habits before they can learn new ones.
Believe it or not, it's a good sign that some of the students are completely disrespectful to her, and she looks totally offended and upset. This could be the thing that motivates her to stand up for herself. It would be worse if she was just willing to let it slide.
The best thing you can do for this teacher is to consider your own needs first, which is to learn as much as possible while in that class and not have to put up with nonsense from the other kids. You can try talking with her before or after class (not during) to tell her how all the crazy behavior is affecting YOU. That will further motivate her to do something about the craziness.
If things don't get better bring your concerns to a guidance counselor or principal. Tell him/her exactly what's happening and how you talked with the teacher about how it affects you. The counselor might be able to help. And the principal (or assistant principal) will usually try to help her to be better at classroom managment before she gets in trouble.
The best way to help is to stand up for yourself and be clear about what you expect. If your teacher has enough self-respect to get better, YOU can be HER role model!
Thanks for a great letter,
The Guidance Guy
I've seen all the great advice you've given and I realized I have a little problem.
My chorus teacher cannot control the class. She is way too passive, and she has someone else in the class to help her out. Basically, no one respects this woman. Everyone's screaming, yelling, being rude, and walking all over her.
Today, she wore a green dress, which was a little old fashioned. People were screaming, "Where'd you get that dress!?" I even saw people taking pictures of this woman's dress with their cell phones and digital cameras during class. She looked totally offended and upset.
Our chorus class is divided into three sections - low, middle, and high, based on our vocal ranges, etc. The low section is the worst, as it is all guys. They are totally fooling around 24/7. The middle section is 3/4 girls, 1/4 guys. I, myself, am in the Middle section. There is this one girl who is completely rude to my chorus teacher. The high section is very obedient and is 100% girls.
I feel so bad for this woman, she doesn't deserve to be treated like this. She's such a nice woman, and she's been trying so hard for people to pay attention. Plus, the concert is in May and I don't want her to look like a fool because we didn't get enough time to practice because people were misbehaving.
She made the low section copy the student responsibilities in our Assigned Pads. Surprisingly, much of the low section did it.
I really don't know what to do. I feel just so bad for this woman. She's brand new to our school and she does not deserve to be treated like this! She is such a nice woman! I hate seeing her upset, she's so nice. She's just too passive. Should I talk to the other teacher in that class? He's nice, but he just plays piano to help her out. He's a nice guy and we all know him, and I know he could do something.
Do you have any other advice? Should I personally talk to my chorus teacher? Thanks.
Signed,
Wants to Help But Doesn't Know How!!!
*****
Dear Wants,
Some teachers are naturally good at controlling classrooms and misbehaving students. Most teachers have to learn how. Some learn fast, some learn slow. And of course, some never learn.
You didn't say if this was a young and/or new teacher. If it is, she will probably pick it up by making mistakes and learning from them. A more experienced teacher with poor classroom management skills can learn this also, but they have to undo a lot of bad habits before they can learn new ones.
Believe it or not, it's a good sign that some of the students are completely disrespectful to her, and she looks totally offended and upset. This could be the thing that motivates her to stand up for herself. It would be worse if she was just willing to let it slide.
The best thing you can do for this teacher is to consider your own needs first, which is to learn as much as possible while in that class and not have to put up with nonsense from the other kids. You can try talking with her before or after class (not during) to tell her how all the crazy behavior is affecting YOU. That will further motivate her to do something about the craziness.
If things don't get better bring your concerns to a guidance counselor or principal. Tell him/her exactly what's happening and how you talked with the teacher about how it affects you. The counselor might be able to help. And the principal (or assistant principal) will usually try to help her to be better at classroom managment before she gets in trouble.
The best way to help is to stand up for yourself and be clear about what you expect. If your teacher has enough self-respect to get better, YOU can be HER role model!
Thanks for a great letter,
The Guidance Guy
