Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Student's Respect Last semester I interned in a first grade class. The class was a bit... lively, but my CT managed it very well. Whenever she was not the one in charge of the class however, the students became instantly unruly. After watching the class I learned this was not just a problem I had as an intern, but also one other teachers seemed to have. When I was in charge I used every tactic and reward/discipline system my CT used, but that didn't seem to make a difference in their behavior. While my teaching time wasn't a total disaster I was very frustrated when trying to manage them. What do you suppose I could have done to help keep the disruptions to a minimum? Was it right to use my CT's exact style? Or should I have tried my own form of discipline/management? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) This is not a uncommon issue to have. It is something that many of us have faced in internships. The main thing you have to remember is to make sure that you are giving the students every reason to respect you. You should carry yourself in a way so that the students think of you as a second teacher in their class. It is important that you are confident when you are in front of the classroom. Also if your CTs style of teaching is not working for you then mix it up. You have to do what works for you and what makes you the most effective teacher you can be. If you can think of a reward system that is better for you then ask your CT if you can incorporate it into the classroom. One of the most important things about being a teacher is flexibility. If something is not working for you, change it.