Relax of This Week

My work is to cover absent teachers in my school. Funny job I have to say. This week is somehow relaxing. I am covering one colleague so I have one week consistency with her classes. And despite the fact, that this is still just cover, the feeling is wonderful. Knowing that I will see them next time and I will be able to follow up some behaviour problems or I will be able to praise effort and good work… I am actually trying to catch them being good, because normally doing cover just one lesson, its almost impossible (you know the attitude yoo-hoo, let’s have party of some classes when you cover your colleague… or is it just me and my limits in behaviour management?)

I just love the feeling, but the week didn’t finish jet! Anyway I still wonder how people in situation like mine can maintain good working atmosphere in the class. It is actually my improvement objective. Which elements create good working atmosphere and can be achieved in very short time with students you do not teach regularly? What approach, sentences, motivation?

I have tried few things and somehow I cannot figure out what I did right or wrong. One day it worked, another day it was like a challenge which triggered misbehaviour. Now I created kind of checklist for star of lesson which is not like a law, but keeps me focused on some I hope important thinks like uniform, seating plan (difficult one) and resources (how do you make your students to have pen or pencil, I see this as a problem in our school – incredible waste of time)… this week it works. I will try to make it my routine.

I will need something to record my trial and error learning courve in this, as this s becoming time consuming. I sometimes cannot figure out, what I did to gain such silence and respect in the class. Another day the same people, different room, similar approach – and completely different response…

And there is another thing, I would like to learn: How do you create ‘nice environment feeling’ in room which is very messy? I find it difficult to concentrate in such room myself. I don’t know about kids. Well, this is not related to my previous posts, but I just needed to ask this question and share my positive feeling. I am jealous to ordinary teacher, who has regular classes now…