Classes you're at the end of your tether with

What does one do with classes who have just turned bad?

I teach seven classes, five of whom are great.  Of the other two, one class has very poor English and can be good, can be bad.  Another used to be great, and it's this class which I'm concerned about.  A couple of new students turned up last term who just won't listen, they wander randomly around the classroom, and the whole class has got beyond bad.  Today the English Office Manager/Bint called me to her room and said that the class was too naughty.

Seriously, though, what is one meant to do in such situations?  The stuff I do with all my other classes is fine, so it can't be me.  I just feel like I've taken this class as far as I can.  I've only got 5 weeks left so I suppose it isn't worth stressing too much, but still.

Hi CDog....I would love to know the answer myself.

I teach 5 orals, and 2 writing classes. The 2 writing classes are after lunch Thursdays, and my 'dud' class is at 2.30- so RIGHT after they've had a rest etc. But they're jolly useless, don't want to do anything, their writing is POOR, haven't improved one bit over the whole year. But we have certain goals we need to meet (mine!). The other class is perfectly fine, okay, not the best, but we get along, good rapport and this is when they're tired from 4.30-6.30.

So what's the problem? I still have 4 more weeks with this class, but I'm at the stage now I'm dreading walking into the room. I feel this is a battle I can't win. I threaten them with low marks and have proven it to them in their first paper, but nope!

oh man! you're bringing back memories of my days teaching uni and this one class of "international business majors"  It didn't go bad, it started bad.
These kids that were supposed to be getting ready so that they could complete at least 1 year overseas had no interest or whatsoever in learning English, using English or anything English related (previous sentence applies to Chinglish as well).

It was a friday afternoon class and I remember dreading it to the point where I could not go to teach that class without the encouragement of a double scotch on the rocks.

nothing worked... nothing... not games, not songs, not rote learning nothing at all... they didn't even care about movies that much.. I still stuck with it for a whole semester and threatened to quit if I was assigned to them again.

  Another used to be great, and it's this class which I'm concerned about.  A couple of new students turned up last term who just won't listen, they wander randomly around the classroom, and the whole class has got beyond bad.  Today the English Office Manager/Bint called me to her room and said that the class was too naughty.

Any way to remove the two "new" students?  They appear to be the root of your problem.  Is this same class (and those same 2 students) giving trouble to other (Chinese) teachers?  Could be that they can help.

Definitely, Missi's on the right track with this.

What age are we talking about here?  For young ones, grab the first misbehaver and make him stand in the corner, where you can see him, for 5 minutes.  Older kids: make them stand at their desks.

College?  I never quite figured that out.

Con, I teach college level, but only diploma writing classes. After 2.5 years of it, I hate it.

I'm seriously turning into Gordon Ramsey !!

What age are we talking about here?  For young ones, grab the first misbehaver and make him stand in the corner, where you can see him, for 5 minutes.  Older kids: make them stand at their desks.

College?  I never quite figured that out.

They're grade 4, and all about 11-12.

I currently have a TA who disciplines; kids are terrified of her.  In the absence of one of these gems, you'll have to do it yourself.  If they've been shits, make them sit quietly, doing nothing, for the last ten minutes of class.  Inform them that anyone who speaks will have their parents phoned.  Get out a list.  Ten minutes of utter silence, forbidden to move, is punishment.

Now to snapping those specific offenders:

 If you've got a class clown, you need to punish them with invisibility, making them sit (or better yet stand) where the other students can't see them. 

For most kids, though, shame gets it done. Standing, like I said, will generally do the trick.

Missi's homework angle is brilliant. 

I only teach one conversation class (Uni) and they are hard-core grades-driven children.  Someone set up the rules for me that they would have 5% of the grade for attendance, 35% for amorphous class participation, 30% listening final and 30% speaking final.  They were angels at first.  When they get bored, they start yakking when other students are giving their speeches and I can't hear the speaker.  I calmly announced that anyone who spoke when another student had the floor would lose a participation point.  Then I whipped out my point book, caught the first offender, stopped the student who was speaking, walked up to the offender and wrote in my book.  After the second time it stopped for weeks.  They're creeping back to old habits again, but a sharp look will get them shushing their friends.

I suspect this only works with the ones who don't want to be dropped from their cushy program, which will happen to the low 3 or 4 of this group of 40, but I love that it works.

I don't have classes that I am at the end of my tether with - I am lucky enough to have good studetns.  But they do tend to talk when others are speaking, so I say quite firmly "Give each other the respect of listening" - and they do. Afer the 1st couple of times I said it, one of the  students came to me and told me I was the 1st teacher who had put it this way and he felt it was the right way.

Probably wouldn't work with the real recalcitrants though.

Firm, Fair and then if possible be friendly.  This is how I teach.  I have very few problem classes, but then again, I do not believe it is possible to be an authority figure and a friend at the same time.  Teachers and students are not equal.  If you teach adults, the rules change.  This is the guideline I have for students under the age of university. 

Missi has put my view as succinctly as it can be said. Time and time again I've been Mr "I'm not into hierarchies" Nice Guy and bitterly regretted it. It's a question of self preservation. If being formal until the students have really proved they're worthy of you easing up a bit, then it's well worth it to save waking up in the middle of the night dreading a nightmare class.

I'm also at a university - I think that makes a LOT of difference.  The students I have had to work really hard to get here, and most of them aren't into throwing away their opportunities.  Many of them are hoping for scholarships to help out with the expenses and relieve the burden on their families - and they are so conscious of this.

At the beginning of semester my problem is the opposite - to get them to open up, to get them to be lively and talk freely.  That takes the first few weeks.  I carry small gifts (usually sweets) for the 1st four weeks and the first student who stands up to tell me that I am speaking too quickly or have used words/concepts they don't understand gets one.  Breaking through that Confucian barrier can be tough.

At the Bangladesh Tournament, one of the Chinese teachers was talking to some of the students from other countries and came to me telling me that these students had been debating since they were in primary school.  Her comment "Other students are taught how to talk; Chinese students are taught how to listen".

Chinese students are taught how to listen? You're joking, aren't you? I thought they were taught how to text message, sleep and play games.

During oral presentations, I inform the class that if I can't hear the presenters or understand them, they get zero. A few times I've stood up and interupted a presentation and told the presenters not to continue, their presentation is over. Thank you very much, please sit down, etc. Then asked the class what mark they thought I should give the students who were just at the front. Asked individual students in the class who I have noticed talking quite loudly during the presentations. "Well, Xiao Goupi, what mark should I give them?" And wait that moment or three that it takes for them to realise that the whole class has stopped, waiting for them. "Well the mark that I gave them is zero, because I couldn't hear them. You were talking, I couldn't hear them, they got zero. Dong bu dong? You're next"

I don't punish the group presenting.  Not their fault they have inconsiderate talkers for classmates.  I tell the class ahead of time that I expect respect from them for their classmates and that they need to listen to the presentations.  If they talk during the presentation, their marks will be lowered accordingly.  After one warning during last term's final presentations, I sent two talkers out to the hall.  Huge loss of face, but it shut the rest of the class up really quickly.

I don't actually punish the presenters, but I let the class think I do. 
And yes, I do repeat the intstructions carefully at the beginning of the class. I've only had to hammer the point home a few times, most classes get this. Writing HW as a punishment? That's an idea, I think I'll add it to my list. That's 6 reasons now to give HW.