OMG!!!!

So I have one group of students this year that leave me with a headache and wishing I had more patience. It is totally the dynamic of the class because separately these students are the nicest and sweetest kids ever. They just have a huge problem LISTENING!!!!

Today I was so fed up with their yapping that I made them raise one hand in the air while I checked homework ( a good 3-5 minute process with them). Why raise their hand, you may ask? Because the way I get the attention of the class is to ring my class bell and they raise their hands so I know they are listening and ready to hear what I have to say. Today I rang the bell because they were out of control and I made them leave their hand raised, which worked so well. They could tell I was at the end of my rope... and they had only been in class five minutes.

My goal for these students is to work on their listening skills. I swear, I will give directions for an assignment and as I turn to start passing the papers out, I get a question about the directions I JUST SAID!!!! Today one student did that to me so I proceeded to take a deep breath and asked another student to repeat the answer for me because I had just told that class that answer.

Or when they do their homework, they do the completely wrong exercise even though I model it for them when I'm giving them the assignment, wrote the complete assignment title on the homework board, and made sure they wrote it correctly in the agenda book.

Whew... Sorry, that was a lot of venting right there. My other two classes are going really well. I really feel like I lucked out my first year. All the students are great and really want to learn (which I figured would be the opposite by this grade). Lots of avid readers too, which makes me really love the middle school level.

Anyways, off to the mall with Yellie and then back at the ranch for more correcting and prepping. Good thing my husband loves to enter grades in my grade book... He is such a huge help!