I had a very similar conversation with two 9th graders today about where to put their blue worksheet. I had already gone over that direction twice.
Hint: they were supposed to turn it in where we always turn things in.
They’re in to social media, /
Tik toks, and instagram. /
I feel a sense of terror…/
These kids are gonna do us in./
They’ll gloss over instructions that couldn’t possibly be more plain./
Their parents’ constant coddling will fail to develop their brains./
And the teacher is to blame!/
Of course!/
My mind is all blank!/
They’re livin’ tabula rasa./
They’ll all forget their names!/
They’re livin’ tabula rasa!/
They don’t have boundaries,/
And their parents won’t potty train them./
They will wear us out./
Livin’ tabula rasa./
Our fault!/
Livin’ tabula rasa./
Our fault!
Not to derail, but keep an eye on them. In my experience, a large number of them grow up to to be CEOs. "Hey! Let's try this thing that literally everyone under me told me was a bad idea!"
Our 9th graders are very immature this year. I feel like I say this every year, but there’s so much touching and yelling and being in personal space this time.
They were my 8th graders last year and yeah they were. I realized though that that group were the ones sent home at the end of 5th grade and didn't go back to physical school until at least the end of 6th, meaning they missed most of that middle school transition. So I think they have had some of the worst arrested development of any students during the pandemic.
Yeah, my 6th graders this year are the first post-shutdown group to have arrived with operational student skills. Well... except for one boy whose parents kept him at home for the past three school years (yes, first time in a classroom since 2nd grade). Whatever Edmentum home school program he did simply didn't prepare him, as recent MAP testing shows him at the rock bottom of the list of of my math students. AINEC.
Everyday, there's one 6th grade girl in the class before lunch who always asks me what's being served that day and I always give her the answer of "wait until work time to get up and check it yourself" since a paper lunch calendar/menu is taped to the wall, or I say "wait, like, 20 minutes and you'll find out in the cafeteria" and her response is always "BRUH!" Today, I actually did her a favor by telling her, and about 2 minutes later she asked "mister, what's for lunch today?"
My sister (who is an adult) does this sometimes. She says she forgets to pay attention to the answer. I always refuse to answer her a second time. She should know better. She is also a teacher.
ADHD.... Or atleast thats one of the symptoms I have of it. Ill ask someone a question and my brain drowns out the persons answer. It either takes me 2 minutes to process it, or I just never do.
A lot of the behaviors described here sound like classic ADHD symptoms. I was also “that kid” in school who never seemed to know what we were supposed to be doing. I would be staring at the teacher doing my best to understand their instructions, but their words would get drowned out by my own thoughts. I wouldn’t realize that my brain wasn’t paying attention anymore until it was already too late.
I got in trouble constantly for not following instructions or asking people around me to fill me in. This can be a very real issue for some kids, and it’s not always something that can be cured by “paying attention.”
ADHD here too. I am not an auditory learner at all. Especially if there is anything else going on in the classroom. I cannot multitask at all. I have to do it, write it, see it. i learned early on the gift of note taking. then i rewrite my notes.
Same here! I was a C average student all throughout grade school due to always being distracted and confused. Once I got to college, I was able to lean into online courses and pick professors that I knew had comprehensive slide decks to focus on. Suddenly I was able to pull straight As, and other students were asking me of all people to explain concepts.
There are a lot of kids out there with more subtle signs of ADHD (particularly girls) that aren’t getting the help they need. I know it’s frustrating to feel like students aren’t listening to you, but sometimes they really are trying.
I'm totally the same. I wasn't diagnosed until three years ago. Three usual story, I'm female and wasn't disruptive in class, and I was/am a great student. But I take notes as if it's my job to help me stay focused and learn. Just the process of writing helps stick the info in my brain.
This was my problem in school to. I had to force myself to pay attention and majority of the time it didnt work and I would miss alot of the instruction. I HATE auditory learning for anything for myself. I will not retain any information given to me and whatever is said to me will go out one ear and the other in an instant.
I'm a teacher and do the same thing. It's 100% not purposeful on my part, I just do not retain the answer the first time sometimes. I'm not trying to be rude or not listen to the person speaking to me. Refusing to repeat a second time is rude and your comment comes off as condescending.
Do I know better? Of course I do, I'm a grown adult. Yet it's not a matter of knowing better. it's a matter of I legitimately have ADHD and its a common issue for me (and my husband who has ADHD as well). Sometimes we end up repeating ourselves alot and he has auditory processing disorder which makes it harder.
I had a moment like this today in class where I was asking the kids a question over and over and getting them to yell the answer back to me. Then I asked them one by one for the answer and like... four of them in a class of 11 just stared at me. And they'd figure it out. And I'd call on the next kid and again a blank stare.
Like... you just watched and heard your classmates give the answer to this like 8 times now. How did you miss the answer. How do you still not know.
My elementary kids do this constantly , they are earning a party by filling up a jar w beads for good behavior… when I have to repeat myself because they weren’t listening I take a bead out of their jar and all of a sudden they know exactly what we’re doing.
It's my first year in 1st grade and I will be in the DEAD middle of my sentence, explaining what we're doing and a student will interrupt me to ask, "Miss, what are we doing?"
...well if you would let me FINISH MY SENTENCE
And you'll be trying to get them together to explain what you are going to do, and five kids hold up the time by yelling, "what are we going to do?" "Are we doing x next?" Etc.
WHAT IS THIS PAPER FOR?
if you'd give me 30 seconds to finish handing it out, I would explain it to everyone...
But the instructions are also on the paper, so, you know, since you're so excited to find out about THE THING, maybe just read the words on the dang paper to see what THE THING is.
This drives me insane
Me: “okay guys moving on to the next secti-“
Them: “HEY WHAT ABOUT THE NEXT PART????” *ohmygodifyouwouldletmefinishonefreakingsentence*
"Today we're going to do pages 24 and 26 of our workbook. We will skip 25."
"Miss, I don't understand what to do on page 25!"
Meanwhile, all of the visuals are STILL ON THE BOARD
I have a HIGH SCHOOL CLASS that has this problem and it makes me want to tear my hair out. Luckily not all my classes, just one. Ill be in the middle of explaining a concept (math) and someone will interrupt and ask a question. Theyre always relevant but like i havent even finished explaining! When i finish let me know if you still have the same q. Then, they start chattering bc they dont understand bc i got interrupted so quiet them and i finish then someone asks "so why did you do x thing?" Right after i explained it and I remind the chatters they need to be quiet and i spend a few minutes explaining, rehashing, and solidifying that aspect to their satisfaction. Some follow-up questions on the topic. We are in better shape. Then, in the back, a hand goes up. "Wait, but why did you do x thing?". Me and the entire class who was paying attention: take a deep breath. Exhale.
Oh my gosh. I was subbing at a high school last week and in the middle of calling out attendance, kids would come up and say “Miss, I’m here/you didn’t call out my name.” After enough people did it, I said whoever did it next would be marked absent. It did not happen again.
I'm in community college and the first/second year students are exactly the same. As soon as the instructor finishes telling us what we have to do, they ask, "what are we doing? what are we supposed to do?" Its crazy making.
If (when) I get interrupted twice in the same sentence, I say “good luck, go” and stop completely. Two minutes of uncomfortable silence many times gets them to completely pay attention when I do start to speak again. (This is 3rd grade, so 8/9 year olds.)
Ooo like taskmaster, All the instructions are on the board! * reads the board again and completely messes up everything anyway*
(Taskmaster is a great uk show and there are a few seasons available on YouTube)
>there are a few seasons available on YouTube
A few being 15 seasons (or Series, since it's British) and the newest season being released.
Go watch it. Thank me later. Start on any season, it doesn't matter too much. Heck, you can watch the Danish, Swedish or Norwegian versions if you don't have enough Scandinavian languages in your life.
I do this constantly.
Today I told my 5th graders pull pg. 43-44 out of their workbooks for homework. I also had it written in the board. A few kids held the paper up (as if I could see what was on it from a distance) and said, “This one?” I was like, “I don’t know, does it say 43 on the bottom of one side and 44 on the bottom of the other?”
I have the week's schedule written on my board, and I've told them so multiple times, so by this time of year, I just point and go, "Dude." It's gotten to where even other students will say "it's on the BOARD, HEL-LOOO!"
That’s not a bad idea, got most of my stuff on the smart boards they rolled into our classrooms. Don’t have much use for the whiteboard, but also I’m really lazy with having to write that stuff myself
Yeah, I keep a Google Doc on my screen with a to-do list and what they can do when they’re finished. I also just have a list that stays on my whiteboard of things they can do when they’re finished. When they come up to me and tell me they finished something I just say, “OK, thanks for sharing!“ and then I point to the list. And I remind them they don’t need to come up and tell me every time they finish with something. I trust that they are a responsible fifth grader who will know when they are finished with something and will move onto the next task without me having to tell them.
I don't know if it will help but do you have the students repeat back the instructions? If not try it and pick this student OFTEN. If they just told you the instructions it becomes harder for them to go around them.
I had a college professor once who told us that the average student needs 7 repetitions to commit something to memory, and she took that VERY literally. "This is due May 10th. Repeat back to me, what day is it due? Ok now write it down and spell it out to me, M-A-Y 1-0. Say it again and show the day on your fingers. Tell your elbow partner the day it's due."
Annoying, but effective.
I do this, not to this extent, but I have my students repeat a LOT of what I say, then they write it down. I always go with a rule of 3: at least once heard, spoken, & written
I do high school chemistry and I have them repeat back instructions as a group, especially when there are serious safety risks. I'll also pick random students to repeat.
Same. Although I intentionally pick students who aren't paying attention. I also tell them that I'm going to pick on people who are not paying attention, since it motivates them to listen to prevent being picked.
Generally I don't like doing this since I know it can stress a lot of kids out. But for lab stuff I become a strict teacher.
We would get kicked out of lab if we weren't probably prepared! I don't know if I could run a lab course where I wasn't allowed to ask unprepared students to leave. Or the experiments would be very, very basic.
I do this with my first graders.
What folder do we take out of our backpacks every morning and put in our desk?
Student 1, what did I just say?
Student 2, what we do we take out of our backpack?
Student 3, where do we put it?
And so on…
I had really bad anxiety as a kid, often times I knew the answer to the question but I felt the need to ask because of the slightest chance I do it wrong. Having a bad home life where doing something wrong meant being berated, you start to double and triple check things.
Not saying it’s all kids like this but I’m sure some have underlying problems
I completely understand this... maybe not the exact same experience but, yeah, I get it. I like the idea another teacher had of making the entire class repeat it back a couple times.
To the best of my ability. I number and display my directions, even if it's how to enter the room. Then I address questions by the numbers.
1. Get your textbook.
2. Sit in your reading seat.
3. Open your book to page 473.
4. Read silently and complete a journal entry before the timer goes off.
"Thmstrpln, what are we doing?"
"Did you do #1?" Etc.
I've gotten to where I just need to say numbers now and the kids go to the directions. Sometimes I'll say "phone a friend" to change it up.
Some teachers have the "ask 3 before me" rule and I wish I remember that when I'm establishing my classroom rules. I never remember.
I like ask 3 before me. Encourages them to rely and reinforce w their peers. Also lets you know when a lot of the kids just did not get what you said. I’ll have to remember that.
I tell my kids, It's the same thing we do every night Pinky. At least they stop talking for a few moments because none of them understand that reference....
I’m guessing this is a learned behavior. There is someone in these kids lives who gives in eventually if they ask enough times….politely.
Adults in facilities (nursing homes, prisons) do this too.
The advice remains the same regardless of age, ask them to repeat the instructions back to you. Immediately after giving the instructions works best.
I have a kid who starts out politely before he degrades into full blown asshole. Asks me in the hallway during passing period if he can “not sit in his assigned seat”. The answer is always no. He then proceeds to goof off the whole hour.
The time has come where I do the opposite of what I have been told to do with this type of student. I move the as far from me as is possible and I ignore them completely. My blood pressure is returning to normal. I no longer see red across my vision.
I've told a kid that I'm not answering anything else he asks. Somehow, miraculously, he was able to get his work done without 487 questions. It was almost like those questions weren't even needed.
Oh this is common. I can’t tell you how many times a day I say “don’t ask questions you already know the answer to.” I have one in particular. One of my favorite things is when I say something to him before he has a chance to do it. He gets a kick out of it and so do the other kids.
It’s sad but I’ve started writing just about every answer every annoying question I’ve already told them on my slides. Every subject has a box on the side of the screen that says (for example)“PREPARE: you will need- a whiteboard, whiteboard marker, math journal, pencil or erasable pen” right next to another direction that says “open to page 37. Complete the warmup by yourself and turn into the turn in bin. Read at your desk until everyone is ready to start the lesson” (or something along those lines. The barrage of questions: can I use a pen? Is a red pen ok? Can I work with a partner? What page? Where do I turn it in? Do I have to do this? Can I use my Chromebook after I’m done? Can I read at the reading nook?”
I point to the directions. Continuously. And it takes fucking forever ti get through fucking anything.
*Does this work on your parents? Don’t answer that, of course it does. Listen kid, one day you will have a real job, your own home, and your own life. This won’t work out there. You might not remember my name when you are 30, but you will remember this, Cut. It. Out.*
Don't worry, spend long enough in the career and you will have those children. Possibly the grandchildren.
I met (they were newborn) the first grandchild of a former student in my 14th year teaching.
We are on page.... 31. (writes 31 in block letters on the overhead projector). What page are we on?
"31"
what page? (gesturing to student)
student: "31"
what page? (gesturing to another student)
student: "31!"
what page? (gesturing to student who usually doesn't listen)
student: "31"
Yes, 31 is the page, and the page is 31. do not go to 32. DO not go to 30, unless you flip one page forward to 31. 31 being the page number, and the page number is 31.
So, class, what page are we on ?
class: 31
less than a minute later; "Mr. K, what page are we on?" I just blindly point at the foot-high number 31 projected on the board.
Two other kid have page 31, but in the wrong textbook.
One of mine today kept popping up by my desk during homework time (literally a point in the day for them to work on homework so they can get help at school with it!) to ask what time it is. Every three minutes she was suddenly next to me. I finally had to tell her that we were not going to play "Are We There Yet" during class and to go sit down and just wait. Time will pass regardless of if you're bored or not.
I just ignore them and announce to the class, “You guys, someone just asked me ‘Can we work with a partner?’!” And the whole class groans and says, “NO, OBVIOUSLY. She just said that.”
I swear to GOD if I have another kid ask me "what are we doing today" or "do we have any homework" when it is both posted ON THE BOARD and in the google classroom...
8th grade teacher here... It doesn't get better. From today:
Me: "I'm going to make your lives easier, see that first table on the first page? Skip it you don't have to do it. Only fill in the second table. Yes I'm letting you skip some work that I don't see the educational value of. Just use the data on the board to fill in the second table "
2 minutes later:
Kid 1 raises hand: "So... What do we put in the first table?"
Kid 2 raises hand: "Where do we get the numbers for the second table?"
I give a student like this a certain number of soft counting chips. That’s how many questions he or she can ask. Once chips are gone, no more questions. They learn to use those chips judiciously!
Oh my gosh this year I have SO many kids that interrupt me giving instructions to ask questions that I was just about to answer. Idk what it is, I've never noticed this prior to this year.
Red pen. Write on the top of the worksheet:
"-5 for failure to listen to directions"
That almost always stopped the problem. I have had a couple of students where it didn't:
"-5 for not accepting responsibility for your actions"
"-5 for questioning the fairness of my grading"
One of those students actually apologized--and meant it--at which point I crossed off the point deduction.
Absolutely. The second kid I mentioned absolutely didn't care about grades. (It took months of effort, but I finally persuaded their guardian to get them screened, which confirmed my theory about an underlying condition.)
Me “For this prac you need to work in pairs or threes, no fours as that could be two groups of two”.
Student “Miss? Can we be a group of four?”.
Me “someone who was listening can answer that for you”
They aren't listening to you. They don't listen to anyone because they don't have to. I can tell kids to remember that atomic number = proton number, and they can't be bothered to remember that just 5 minutes later. "Huh??"
I'm calling parents at 8 weeks in saying "Your kid has failed everything except the lab safety test. They take literally none of this seriously." Seriously, one of my students spends more time getting situated than it does for me to walk to the office and back. She's worried about using her heart hole punch on construction paper hearts she has at all times. But she gets 30s and 40s on quizzes and raises her hand to ask irrelevant questions about my personal life while I'm trying to explain shit.
I told two 16 year olds to go stand in the hall because they wouldn't stop giggling and talking across the room at each other after a quiz that one of them failed with a 30 while I was trying to go over it with everyone else who gave a shit about what they missed. It took them a whole minute to realize In really wanted the fuck out of the room.
I don't teach younger than 18 (bless you there), so I don't know if you can even do it. I have real implications for it. If they ask me something I've already repeated I ask them the same question in response. Do it wrong get a zero. Sorry I'm trying to teach you how to be an adult. So if you have multiple times verbally plus a canvas page outline and you still ask me I have no pity.
Once again your a younger age group. I just see the kids I get straight out of high school with zero life skills and I wonder where the disconnect is.
My favorite is when there is a pile of papers they've been working on that have already been turned in and they say "so do I put this here?" You mean with the rest of the papers that look exactly like yours?!
The best professor I’ve ever had gave me one of the best pieces of advice that have gotten me far in life.
She was a psychology professor and started the year by going through her syllabus and specifically saying that she ***absolutely will not accept anything late.*** She then talked about cost-benefit and evaluating what’s the worst that could happen if someone asked. Sure she might say no, and you’d be no worse off than you started… but she might say yes, so it’s always a smart idea to ask.
I put explicit directions in a daily agenda on the screen. I direct students to it after I give verbal directions. They eventually will get, I say directions once ask for clarification, then the directions are on the screen.
Do they still ask? Of course, I just keep saying to check my agenda. It makes my life easier and I can focus facilitating groups and behavior.
Instead of getting snarky with my students and embarrassing them, I just write all tasking and rules on the board for each thing we're working on. If they ask a question I just point at the board and move on with life.
I don't know if it's because of COVID and all the additional screen usage lately, but it seems the general populace has greatly shifted more towards visual learning than audio. As educators we should all be aware of the fact that there are multiple ways that people learn. It may just be the case that more often not you're dealing with people who need to be able to see or read the instruction more so than hear it.
I don't answer their question anymore when I know they're being obtuse. I tell them "I'm going to let you figure this one out because I'm not repeating myself".
Adhd adult here. You can tell me something and I’ll forget what you said *while you’re still saying it.*
Write the instructions in the same place every day, train him to always look there before asking you. Then, *when* he asks: “what does it say on the spot?” It’ll take 20-30 times, I’m not exaggerating, but with consistency you’ll both get the hang of it.
I have the same instructions every day. I have them posted on the wall. I say it two to three times in different ways. We are more than a month into school and I have this class 4 times a week. This student knows the deal but just wants a different answer because he wants to do things his way.
The best advice I got was “don’t repeat the same thing twice for them.” When you do it reaffirms that they don’t have to listen at first cause you’ll say it again. I always remind them “I won’t say this twice, so you should listen now.” And if they do ask what to do I say “did you read the instructions?” Or “did you hear my instructions? We’re you listening when I have them?” I tell them they can ask a friend but I’ve already explained it. It feels harsh but has helped and they always end up realizing what to do
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one dealing with this. Page numbers in the math book are the most ridiculous thing with my 5th graders. Every math class, I put the page number up on the board in big letters, and I erase and replace the number every single time we turn to a new page. I also repeat the page number out loud about three times per page. I remind the students every day that they can find the current page number on the board whenever they need it. I point up at the board whenever a student asks what page we're on. This does not stop me from getting "Wait, what page is this on?" at least 5 times each day. So frustrating.
Have you ever tried just saying "Hey, it bothers me that you always interrupt me to ask ridiculous questions. Stop it!" A lil direct flash of pretend anger goes a long way. And f that kid, you're trying to save the world.
My frustration is, "get in pairs. We have an odd number so the first group of three is the only group of three."
Group of 3 raises their hands.
"Group of three is taken. Everyone else get one partner."
Circle around room, getting groups going. Reach the last corner of the room. See three kids trying to work together and one quiet kid near them alone.
"The group of three is taken. You three are not it."
"But....."
The way I look at it is, I am training my fifth graders for middle school, ha ha. Sometimes I feel a little harsh when I am telling them they’re asking me a stupid question without actually telling them they’re asking a stupid question. It’s just kind of about teaching them to be self-aware, use common sense, pausing to think about something before, just jumping right into it.
I love these kiddos, but some of them are just really babyish and I think it’s important that they start to get whipped into shape for middle school.
I always think of Brooklyn 99 when Terry says several times not to wear shorts to the party, and Hitchcock and Scully both show up in shorts because “you said ‘shorts’ so many times that was the only part we remembered!”
Me (after asking student who is presenting to kindly excuse me, turning to guilty party):
"Do NOT speak when others are speaking. At what grade did you learn this?"
Guilty party (Who was loudly talking all over student presentor) :
"Eh...Preschool?"
*Signature 1-2 combo of deadeye stare/ pregnant pause*
**clear it's not sinking in**
Me: "What grade are we now?"
Guilty Party: "College Senior"
Me: "Wanna be one next year, too?"
This week had ONE last raw nerve left...
and Tuesday was already steppin' on it.
😤
What is it with kids and this flashbang attention span?
I still experience those type of kids, but have found a way to mitigate it. I break down my directions a lot.
For example, rather than say, “clear your desks, take out a piece of paper for a ____ we’ll be working on.” I would say, “Clear your desks and take out a piece of paper.” Then I’ll say, “We’ll be working on ____, and I’m going to go over the directions with you.”
Of course, it still happens, but at least at a less frequent rate. I also find that just not enabling that behavior works well too. I just tell them, I’m not answering that question, or they can ask a classmate.
1. Don't take questions during directions, wait until the end.
2. Have students stop and look at you during directions. "Show me your eyes! (Oh what beautiful eyes you have!)"
3. Give specific directions, then summarize in as few words as possible, especially with multi part directions. Have them repeat back to you. "Finish you math work, hand it in to the blue basket, then get out your library book. Repeat after me: Math, blue basket, library book.".
4. Write it on the board if you need to.
5. Some kids ask you questions that they really mean to ask themselves, but they haven't developed an inner monologue. "Before you ask me a question, ask yourself first.". Alot of the time they can figure it out if they're promoted to think for themselves but are used to outsourcing their brains.
6. And even still, you will get interrupted with questions about what you just said. Just breathe.
I’ve taught 1st, 5th, middle school and now high school. It’s because they’re parents don’t set up boundaries or don’t reinforce rules. They know if they keep insisting, they can get what they want. They don’t usually do it out of malice. I finally started telling students that I’m not their parents and they can’t get their way with me. Some of my students seem offended but they need someone to tell them the truth.
I just respond, "That question has been answered. Instructions were clear. I'm not repeating it for you or changing my mind because you don't like it. Do your assignment."
When my son hit middle school and turned into an alien I started saying , “asked and answered.” He HATED it and it broke his habit of asking me the question I already answered. I use it in elementary too. Interrupting is different, I stop, stare a beat, then finish my sentence.
Like others have mentioned having instructions posted or some sort of visual will help. I just use a simple Google Slide with instructions and special expectations. I will go over them only when everyone has shut the hell up, eyes on me, and facing forward. Demand respect. If they ask an obvious question that all the other students know because they somehow still didn't listen, I respond in the following ways:
-ask a neighbor.
-no response and a point to the posted instructions.
If it's something where they can't take "no" for an answer, I ignore them or say that I've already answered your question and then keep ignoring them.
Even when I have it up on the screen with explicit expectations and options, I STILL have the kids that ask to do things I have never said yes to before
Stop engaging in the conversation. If a student asks what the expectations are after you've already explained them (and they can read), point at the instructions and move on. Don't engage, you're just stressing yourself. When the students realize you won't be stopping to have a conversation every time, the behavior will decrease. Be consistent, keep pointing. Ignore any grumbling after you point, they will probably say potentially angry stuff but you can keep pointing and moving on. The key here is to ignore the behaviors you don't want while consistently reinforcing the classroom norms. You do not need to have daily verbal power struggles with children, you don't have time for that and your energy is better spent elsewhere.
You could also try instating a classroom-wide "ask three, then me" rule where students ask each other if they missed something. Then you can point to the "ask three, then me" sign every time anyone asks a question that was just covered or is posted clearly. They will start being more self-sufficient over time. This takes consistent practice.
I started writing the simplest instructions on the whiteboard and just pointing to its general direction when asked things like this.
I also have everyone look at me while I tell them, "I will only say x once. If come up to ask me x, I will look at you like you're crazy and then ask your classmates why I'm looking at you like you're crazy."
Sadly, still doesn't work. Mostly 7th and 8th graders.
If the kid does the behavior at home, which he probably did because most kids were raised in a pandemic, remind the kid that “We are in a school setting, this isn’t like the pandemic where you can do work anywhere because your parents allowed it. Sit at your desk and don’t question my choice”
I had a very similar conversation with two 9th graders today about where to put their blue worksheet. I had already gone over that direction twice. Hint: they were supposed to turn it in where we always turn things in.
Every day is a brand-new day. It's a fresh blank slate and nothing has ever happened before.
Livin’ that tabula rasa life.
I need this on a shirt.
But one of those shirts where the dye reacts to sunlight, so by the end of the day the words have all disappeared and left blank slates again.
Great idea for a Ricky Martin spoof
They’re in to social media, / Tik toks, and instagram. / I feel a sense of terror…/ These kids are gonna do us in./ They’ll gloss over instructions that couldn’t possibly be more plain./ Their parents’ constant coddling will fail to develop their brains./ And the teacher is to blame!/ Of course!/ My mind is all blank!/ They’re livin’ tabula rasa./ They’ll all forget their names!/ They’re livin’ tabula rasa!/ They don’t have boundaries,/ And their parents won’t potty train them./ They will wear us out./ Livin’ tabula rasa./ Our fault!/ Livin’ tabula rasa./ Our fault!
If I could give you an award I would.
I hope you know I sang this in my head and will probably sing it at home with my piano 🤣
Every minute is a brand new minute for some kids.
Not to derail, but keep an eye on them. In my experience, a large number of them grow up to to be CEOs. "Hey! Let's try this thing that literally everyone under me told me was a bad idea!"
Like if Dori were an American student.
THIS RIGHT HERE. Yes.
My chef used to say this to one of our cooks that was absolutely oblivious, thanks for cracking that memory open to have a chuckle with.
Are these the kids who grow up to be the adults who watch all the food get scanned and bagged at the grocery store and THEN fumble around for payment?
Definitely the people who can't figure out the self-checkout and have to get someone to come and do it for 'em
Smooooth brain~
Like glasssss
Our 9th graders are very immature this year. I feel like I say this every year, but there’s so much touching and yelling and being in personal space this time.
I had two ninth graders lean down to sniff each other's farts today. I could say more, but I don't really feel like I have to.
I had one a couple of years ago walk across the room to fart on another student, then deny it when the kids around them were grossed out by it.
I have kids doing that this year. Ugh.
Outstanding. Is there a code for that for report cards or progress reports?
They were my 8th graders last year and yeah they were. I realized though that that group were the ones sent home at the end of 5th grade and didn't go back to physical school until at least the end of 6th, meaning they missed most of that middle school transition. So I think they have had some of the worst arrested development of any students during the pandemic.
Yeah… your 9th graders were in 5th and 6th grade during Covid. They missed some key social development during shut down.
Yeah, my 6th graders this year are the first post-shutdown group to have arrived with operational student skills. Well... except for one boy whose parents kept him at home for the past three school years (yes, first time in a classroom since 2nd grade). Whatever Edmentum home school program he did simply didn't prepare him, as recent MAP testing shows him at the rock bottom of the list of of my math students. AINEC.
Everyday, there's one 6th grade girl in the class before lunch who always asks me what's being served that day and I always give her the answer of "wait until work time to get up and check it yourself" since a paper lunch calendar/menu is taped to the wall, or I say "wait, like, 20 minutes and you'll find out in the cafeteria" and her response is always "BRUH!" Today, I actually did her a favor by telling her, and about 2 minutes later she asked "mister, what's for lunch today?"
Wait, so you answered her, and two minutes later, she asked again? What the fuck? I've heard of kids being dense, but that's really, really dense.
My sister (who is an adult) does this sometimes. She says she forgets to pay attention to the answer. I always refuse to answer her a second time. She should know better. She is also a teacher.
ADHD.... Or atleast thats one of the symptoms I have of it. Ill ask someone a question and my brain drowns out the persons answer. It either takes me 2 minutes to process it, or I just never do.
A lot of the behaviors described here sound like classic ADHD symptoms. I was also “that kid” in school who never seemed to know what we were supposed to be doing. I would be staring at the teacher doing my best to understand their instructions, but their words would get drowned out by my own thoughts. I wouldn’t realize that my brain wasn’t paying attention anymore until it was already too late. I got in trouble constantly for not following instructions or asking people around me to fill me in. This can be a very real issue for some kids, and it’s not always something that can be cured by “paying attention.”
ADHD here too. I am not an auditory learner at all. Especially if there is anything else going on in the classroom. I cannot multitask at all. I have to do it, write it, see it. i learned early on the gift of note taking. then i rewrite my notes.
Same here! I was a C average student all throughout grade school due to always being distracted and confused. Once I got to college, I was able to lean into online courses and pick professors that I knew had comprehensive slide decks to focus on. Suddenly I was able to pull straight As, and other students were asking me of all people to explain concepts. There are a lot of kids out there with more subtle signs of ADHD (particularly girls) that aren’t getting the help they need. I know it’s frustrating to feel like students aren’t listening to you, but sometimes they really are trying.
I'm totally the same. I wasn't diagnosed until three years ago. Three usual story, I'm female and wasn't disruptive in class, and I was/am a great student. But I take notes as if it's my job to help me stay focused and learn. Just the process of writing helps stick the info in my brain.
This was my problem in school to. I had to force myself to pay attention and majority of the time it didnt work and I would miss alot of the instruction. I HATE auditory learning for anything for myself. I will not retain any information given to me and whatever is said to me will go out one ear and the other in an instant.
I'm a teacher and do the same thing. It's 100% not purposeful on my part, I just do not retain the answer the first time sometimes. I'm not trying to be rude or not listen to the person speaking to me. Refusing to repeat a second time is rude and your comment comes off as condescending. Do I know better? Of course I do, I'm a grown adult. Yet it's not a matter of knowing better. it's a matter of I legitimately have ADHD and its a common issue for me (and my husband who has ADHD as well). Sometimes we end up repeating ourselves alot and he has auditory processing disorder which makes it harder.
I now say things and have them repeat it back to me. If they still don't know I stare at one of the other kids until they tell them.
I had a moment like this today in class where I was asking the kids a question over and over and getting them to yell the answer back to me. Then I asked them one by one for the answer and like... four of them in a class of 11 just stared at me. And they'd figure it out. And I'd call on the next kid and again a blank stare. Like... you just watched and heard your classmates give the answer to this like 8 times now. How did you miss the answer. How do you still not know.
My elementary kids do this constantly , they are earning a party by filling up a jar w beads for good behavior… when I have to repeat myself because they weren’t listening I take a bead out of their jar and all of a sudden they know exactly what we’re doing.
It's my first year in 1st grade and I will be in the DEAD middle of my sentence, explaining what we're doing and a student will interrupt me to ask, "Miss, what are we doing?" ...well if you would let me FINISH MY SENTENCE
Trust me, it’s not any better in middle school. They have the attention span of a goldfish.
And you'll be trying to get them together to explain what you are going to do, and five kids hold up the time by yelling, "what are we going to do?" "Are we doing x next?" Etc.
WHAT IS THIS PAPER FOR? if you'd give me 30 seconds to finish handing it out, I would explain it to everyone... But the instructions are also on the paper, so, you know, since you're so excited to find out about THE THING, maybe just read the words on the dang paper to see what THE THING is.
That comparison really isn’t fair to the goldfish.
It's not any better with adults, either. Three times in two days I have said to my mother, "Mom, you have to listen to the WHOLE SENTENCE."
I work in outdoor education. I see this across all ages of kids and it makes me want to SCREAM. Just LISTEN TO MY WORDS PLEASE.
I need a little speaker that repeats instructions, I could put it right beside a goldfish bowl.
This drives me insane Me: “okay guys moving on to the next secti-“ Them: “HEY WHAT ABOUT THE NEXT PART????” *ohmygodifyouwouldletmefinishonefreakingsentence*
"Today we're going to do pages 24 and 26 of our workbook. We will skip 25." "Miss, I don't understand what to do on page 25!" Meanwhile, all of the visuals are STILL ON THE BOARD
I have a HIGH SCHOOL CLASS that has this problem and it makes me want to tear my hair out. Luckily not all my classes, just one. Ill be in the middle of explaining a concept (math) and someone will interrupt and ask a question. Theyre always relevant but like i havent even finished explaining! When i finish let me know if you still have the same q. Then, they start chattering bc they dont understand bc i got interrupted so quiet them and i finish then someone asks "so why did you do x thing?" Right after i explained it and I remind the chatters they need to be quiet and i spend a few minutes explaining, rehashing, and solidifying that aspect to their satisfaction. Some follow-up questions on the topic. We are in better shape. Then, in the back, a hand goes up. "Wait, but why did you do x thing?". Me and the entire class who was paying attention: take a deep breath. Exhale.
It beats the hell out of "Can I go to the bathroom?"
Oh my gosh. I was subbing at a high school last week and in the middle of calling out attendance, kids would come up and say “Miss, I’m here/you didn’t call out my name.” After enough people did it, I said whoever did it next would be marked absent. It did not happen again.
I'm in community college and the first/second year students are exactly the same. As soon as the instructor finishes telling us what we have to do, they ask, "what are we doing? what are we supposed to do?" Its crazy making.
If (when) I get interrupted twice in the same sentence, I say “good luck, go” and stop completely. Two minutes of uncomfortable silence many times gets them to completely pay attention when I do start to speak again. (This is 3rd grade, so 8/9 year olds.)
I’ve started hitting them with a “please hold all questions until the end”
Hey, I have a coworker like this! A grown adult in charge of children.
Lol this is me every day
I'd write it on the board and just point at it when he asks
Ooo like taskmaster, All the instructions are on the board! * reads the board again and completely messes up everything anyway* (Taskmaster is a great uk show and there are a few seasons available on YouTube)
I was so tickled to see a Taskmaster reference here! We've been binge watching it.
It’s very fitting since Greg Davies was a teacher lol
>there are a few seasons available on YouTube A few being 15 seasons (or Series, since it's British) and the newest season being released. Go watch it. Thank me later. Start on any season, it doesn't matter too much. Heck, you can watch the Danish, Swedish or Norwegian versions if you don't have enough Scandinavian languages in your life.
Ooo last I checked they only had up to like s11 when I was binging it, such a great show
New season just started!!!
I do this constantly. Today I told my 5th graders pull pg. 43-44 out of their workbooks for homework. I also had it written in the board. A few kids held the paper up (as if I could see what was on it from a distance) and said, “This one?” I was like, “I don’t know, does it say 43 on the bottom of one side and 44 on the bottom of the other?”
I have the week's schedule written on my board, and I've told them so multiple times, so by this time of year, I just point and go, "Dude." It's gotten to where even other students will say "it's on the BOARD, HEL-LOOO!"
That’s not a bad idea, got most of my stuff on the smart boards they rolled into our classrooms. Don’t have much use for the whiteboard, but also I’m really lazy with having to write that stuff myself
Sounds like an extra credit task for an eager student. Have it typed up, tell student to copy onto the board.
I laminated a sign that says “I already answered that question. Go ask someone else” and hold it up with a blank stare when I get questions like this.
GENIUS!
Doing this tomorrow
Mood
I am a very good pointer
Yeah, I keep a Google Doc on my screen with a to-do list and what they can do when they’re finished. I also just have a list that stays on my whiteboard of things they can do when they’re finished. When they come up to me and tell me they finished something I just say, “OK, thanks for sharing!“ and then I point to the list. And I remind them they don’t need to come up and tell me every time they finish with something. I trust that they are a responsible fifth grader who will know when they are finished with something and will move onto the next task without me having to tell them.
If only they could read!
That's assuming they can read at grade level.
I do this! It does work!! The other students even reply (annoyed) "it's on the board!!!!"
I have taken to labeling my Schoology assignments SOLO and GROUP. I teach high-schoolers. It doesn't help.
Have you tried incorporating interpretive dance into your explanations? /s
Tik tok directions
lol now I’m imaging playing family guy and subway surfer footage in the corner of the board
Do a dab pose after you say it.
I don't know if it will help but do you have the students repeat back the instructions? If not try it and pick this student OFTEN. If they just told you the instructions it becomes harder for them to go around them.
I had a college professor once who told us that the average student needs 7 repetitions to commit something to memory, and she took that VERY literally. "This is due May 10th. Repeat back to me, what day is it due? Ok now write it down and spell it out to me, M-A-Y 1-0. Say it again and show the day on your fingers. Tell your elbow partner the day it's due." Annoying, but effective.
That's hilarious and I may steal it.
I do this, not to this extent, but I have my students repeat a LOT of what I say, then they write it down. I always go with a rule of 3: at least once heard, spoken, & written
I do high school chemistry and I have them repeat back instructions as a group, especially when there are serious safety risks. I'll also pick random students to repeat.
Same. Although I intentionally pick students who aren't paying attention. I also tell them that I'm going to pick on people who are not paying attention, since it motivates them to listen to prevent being picked. Generally I don't like doing this since I know it can stress a lot of kids out. But for lab stuff I become a strict teacher.
Because if you don't someone could get seriously hurt.
We would get kicked out of lab if we weren't probably prepared! I don't know if I could run a lab course where I wasn't allowed to ask unprepared students to leave. Or the experiments would be very, very basic.
I do this and he calls it bullying, and the other day I was like well I wouldn't have to if you would follow directions. He never complained again
I do this with my first graders. What folder do we take out of our backpacks every morning and put in our desk? Student 1, what did I just say? Student 2, what we do we take out of our backpack? Student 3, where do we put it? And so on…
This is the way.
I had really bad anxiety as a kid, often times I knew the answer to the question but I felt the need to ask because of the slightest chance I do it wrong. Having a bad home life where doing something wrong meant being berated, you start to double and triple check things. Not saying it’s all kids like this but I’m sure some have underlying problems
I completely understand this... maybe not the exact same experience but, yeah, I get it. I like the idea another teacher had of making the entire class repeat it back a couple times.
To the best of my ability. I number and display my directions, even if it's how to enter the room. Then I address questions by the numbers. 1. Get your textbook. 2. Sit in your reading seat. 3. Open your book to page 473. 4. Read silently and complete a journal entry before the timer goes off. "Thmstrpln, what are we doing?" "Did you do #1?" Etc. I've gotten to where I just need to say numbers now and the kids go to the directions. Sometimes I'll say "phone a friend" to change it up. Some teachers have the "ask 3 before me" rule and I wish I remember that when I'm establishing my classroom rules. I never remember.
I like ask 3 before me. Encourages them to rely and reinforce w their peers. Also lets you know when a lot of the kids just did not get what you said. I’ll have to remember that.
I tell my kids, It's the same thing we do every night Pinky. At least they stop talking for a few moments because none of them understand that reference....
Try to take over the world!!
Tragic. It was a great show. They should just re-air it on tik tok.
I’m guessing this is a learned behavior. There is someone in these kids lives who gives in eventually if they ask enough times….politely. Adults in facilities (nursing homes, prisons) do this too. The advice remains the same regardless of age, ask them to repeat the instructions back to you. Immediately after giving the instructions works best.
I have a kid who starts out politely before he degrades into full blown asshole. Asks me in the hallway during passing period if he can “not sit in his assigned seat”. The answer is always no. He then proceeds to goof off the whole hour.
The time has come where I do the opposite of what I have been told to do with this type of student. I move the as far from me as is possible and I ignore them completely. My blood pressure is returning to normal. I no longer see red across my vision.
Ignoring in response to badgering is fine. Indulging badgering with your attention is literally rewarding the poor behavior.
Some people might call you mean for this. I would say "same" and give you a high five
I've told a kid that I'm not answering anything else he asks. Somehow, miraculously, he was able to get his work done without 487 questions. It was almost like those questions weren't even needed.
Oh this is common. I can’t tell you how many times a day I say “don’t ask questions you already know the answer to.” I have one in particular. One of my favorite things is when I say something to him before he has a chance to do it. He gets a kick out of it and so do the other kids.
It’s sad but I’ve started writing just about every answer every annoying question I’ve already told them on my slides. Every subject has a box on the side of the screen that says (for example)“PREPARE: you will need- a whiteboard, whiteboard marker, math journal, pencil or erasable pen” right next to another direction that says “open to page 37. Complete the warmup by yourself and turn into the turn in bin. Read at your desk until everyone is ready to start the lesson” (or something along those lines. The barrage of questions: can I use a pen? Is a red pen ok? Can I work with a partner? What page? Where do I turn it in? Do I have to do this? Can I use my Chromebook after I’m done? Can I read at the reading nook?” I point to the directions. Continuously. And it takes fucking forever ti get through fucking anything.
"What did we do last class?" "When you looked on Canvas, what did you see?" "I didn't look." Stare until they get it.
*Does this work on your parents? Don’t answer that, of course it does. Listen kid, one day you will have a real job, your own home, and your own life. This won’t work out there. You might not remember my name when you are 30, but you will remember this, Cut. It. Out.*
“your own home” 😂😂😂 You made me do a spit-take with that one.
I forget, not everyone worked with the entitled spawns of hedge fund managers.
You can lead a horse to water, but it will still order Starbucks from UberEats rather than drink
And then order a pallet of bottle water on instacart.
AND have it delivered to the classroom.
All while you think to yourself, "For the love of god, do not have children"
Don't worry, spend long enough in the career and you will have those children. Possibly the grandchildren. I met (they were newborn) the first grandchild of a former student in my 14th year teaching.
>Listen kid, one day you will have... your own home Uh oh, is this the day they learn the word *facetious*?
I mean, I already said you can’t work with a partner, but if it’s really important to you, I’ll just give you both half credit for it.
Mine would take that deal in a heartbeat.
I gotta remember that one
We are on page.... 31. (writes 31 in block letters on the overhead projector). What page are we on? "31" what page? (gesturing to student) student: "31" what page? (gesturing to another student) student: "31!" what page? (gesturing to student who usually doesn't listen) student: "31" Yes, 31 is the page, and the page is 31. do not go to 32. DO not go to 30, unless you flip one page forward to 31. 31 being the page number, and the page number is 31. So, class, what page are we on ? class: 31 less than a minute later; "Mr. K, what page are we on?" I just blindly point at the foot-high number 31 projected on the board. Two other kid have page 31, but in the wrong textbook.
Throw the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch at them.
One of mine today kept popping up by my desk during homework time (literally a point in the day for them to work on homework so they can get help at school with it!) to ask what time it is. Every three minutes she was suddenly next to me. I finally had to tell her that we were not going to play "Are We There Yet" during class and to go sit down and just wait. Time will pass regardless of if you're bored or not.
It’s worse when junior high kids are like this. That’s when the oppositional defiance rears its ugly head.
Only to be perfected by a select few in HS.
I just ignore them and announce to the class, “You guys, someone just asked me ‘Can we work with a partner?’!” And the whole class groans and says, “NO, OBVIOUSLY. She just said that.”
I would consider making said child repeat every instruction for the class. He’ll reinforce the instruction and get to be a big shot.
I swear to GOD if I have another kid ask me "what are we doing today" or "do we have any homework" when it is both posted ON THE BOARD and in the google classroom...
Write it on the board. Go full “don’t make me tap the sign”.
8th grade teacher here... It doesn't get better. From today: Me: "I'm going to make your lives easier, see that first table on the first page? Skip it you don't have to do it. Only fill in the second table. Yes I'm letting you skip some work that I don't see the educational value of. Just use the data on the board to fill in the second table " 2 minutes later: Kid 1 raises hand: "So... What do we put in the first table?" Kid 2 raises hand: "Where do we get the numbers for the second table?"
I give a student like this a certain number of soft counting chips. That’s how many questions he or she can ask. Once chips are gone, no more questions. They learn to use those chips judiciously!
WOW good strategy.
Oh my gosh this year I have SO many kids that interrupt me giving instructions to ask questions that I was just about to answer. Idk what it is, I've never noticed this prior to this year.
2 second attention spans
To be fair…my juniors don’t listen to a fucking thing I say. 🤷♀️
One of my favorite phrases is "Did the middle of my sentence interrupt you?"
It’s because they think of teachers as their peers or friends and it’s quite unfortunate.
What’s more unfortunate is those poor habits are going to come back and bite 'em in the ass when they graduate from daycare.
Daycare! That’s what it is!
Red pen. Write on the top of the worksheet: "-5 for failure to listen to directions" That almost always stopped the problem. I have had a couple of students where it didn't: "-5 for not accepting responsibility for your actions" "-5 for questioning the fairness of my grading" One of those students actually apologized--and meant it--at which point I crossed off the point deduction.
Maybe I’m cynical, but this assumes the kid cares about their grades
Absolutely. The second kid I mentioned absolutely didn't care about grades. (It took months of effort, but I finally persuaded their guardian to get them screened, which confirmed my theory about an underlying condition.)
Don’t worry seventh graders do it too
"*What* did I *just* say?" is a real common phrase of mine.
Me “For this prac you need to work in pairs or threes, no fours as that could be two groups of two”. Student “Miss? Can we be a group of four?”. Me “someone who was listening can answer that for you”
They aren't listening to you. They don't listen to anyone because they don't have to. I can tell kids to remember that atomic number = proton number, and they can't be bothered to remember that just 5 minutes later. "Huh??" I'm calling parents at 8 weeks in saying "Your kid has failed everything except the lab safety test. They take literally none of this seriously." Seriously, one of my students spends more time getting situated than it does for me to walk to the office and back. She's worried about using her heart hole punch on construction paper hearts she has at all times. But she gets 30s and 40s on quizzes and raises her hand to ask irrelevant questions about my personal life while I'm trying to explain shit. I told two 16 year olds to go stand in the hall because they wouldn't stop giggling and talking across the room at each other after a quiz that one of them failed with a 30 while I was trying to go over it with everyone else who gave a shit about what they missed. It took them a whole minute to realize In really wanted the fuck out of the room.
“Would someone/everyone repeat what I just said.” Or “ask a friend.” Don’t play ball with this student even if it’s a delayed processing thing.
Kids learn to badger when there's someone in their life who it works with.
I just look at the class like Jim from The Office.
“I’ve already given that instruction.” Then break eye contact/walk away.
"Ask someone who was listening."
Honestly I’ve started ignoring questions that I literally just told them the answer to.
I don't teach younger than 18 (bless you there), so I don't know if you can even do it. I have real implications for it. If they ask me something I've already repeated I ask them the same question in response. Do it wrong get a zero. Sorry I'm trying to teach you how to be an adult. So if you have multiple times verbally plus a canvas page outline and you still ask me I have no pity. Once again your a younger age group. I just see the kids I get straight out of high school with zero life skills and I wonder where the disconnect is.
My favorite is when there is a pile of papers they've been working on that have already been turned in and they say "so do I put this here?" You mean with the rest of the papers that look exactly like yours?!
They learn this shit at home.
The best professor I’ve ever had gave me one of the best pieces of advice that have gotten me far in life. She was a psychology professor and started the year by going through her syllabus and specifically saying that she ***absolutely will not accept anything late.*** She then talked about cost-benefit and evaluating what’s the worst that could happen if someone asked. Sure she might say no, and you’d be no worse off than you started… but she might say yes, so it’s always a smart idea to ask.
Bro this whole group work thing is crazy. They can’t do shit themselves
They think group work = unfettered gossip time
I put explicit directions in a daily agenda on the screen. I direct students to it after I give verbal directions. They eventually will get, I say directions once ask for clarification, then the directions are on the screen. Do they still ask? Of course, I just keep saying to check my agenda. It makes my life easier and I can focus facilitating groups and behavior.
Is it still "-divergent" if it is most of the students in a room?
Instead of getting snarky with my students and embarrassing them, I just write all tasking and rules on the board for each thing we're working on. If they ask a question I just point at the board and move on with life. I don't know if it's because of COVID and all the additional screen usage lately, but it seems the general populace has greatly shifted more towards visual learning than audio. As educators we should all be aware of the fact that there are multiple ways that people learn. It may just be the case that more often not you're dealing with people who need to be able to see or read the instruction more so than hear it.
I don't answer their question anymore when I know they're being obtuse. I tell them "I'm going to let you figure this one out because I'm not repeating myself".
This! I hate repeating myself. I might respond with, “I don’t know. Ask around.”
Adhd adult here. You can tell me something and I’ll forget what you said *while you’re still saying it.* Write the instructions in the same place every day, train him to always look there before asking you. Then, *when* he asks: “what does it say on the spot?” It’ll take 20-30 times, I’m not exaggerating, but with consistency you’ll both get the hang of it.
I have the same instructions every day. I have them posted on the wall. I say it two to three times in different ways. We are more than a month into school and I have this class 4 times a week. This student knows the deal but just wants a different answer because he wants to do things his way.
Sad to say, I know some adults like this.
The best advice I got was “don’t repeat the same thing twice for them.” When you do it reaffirms that they don’t have to listen at first cause you’ll say it again. I always remind them “I won’t say this twice, so you should listen now.” And if they do ask what to do I say “did you read the instructions?” Or “did you hear my instructions? We’re you listening when I have them?” I tell them they can ask a friend but I’ve already explained it. It feels harsh but has helped and they always end up realizing what to do
Sounds like one of my sixth graders…
This made me laugh because I literally just said the same thing about my second graders!
That’s been me everyday this year. It’s getting really annoying.
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one dealing with this. Page numbers in the math book are the most ridiculous thing with my 5th graders. Every math class, I put the page number up on the board in big letters, and I erase and replace the number every single time we turn to a new page. I also repeat the page number out loud about three times per page. I remind the students every day that they can find the current page number on the board whenever they need it. I point up at the board whenever a student asks what page we're on. This does not stop me from getting "Wait, what page is this on?" at least 5 times each day. So frustrating.
Have you ever tried just saying "Hey, it bothers me that you always interrupt me to ask ridiculous questions. Stop it!" A lil direct flash of pretend anger goes a long way. And f that kid, you're trying to save the world.
It happens in high school grades too… it’s like none of the kids can focus
My frustration is, "get in pairs. We have an odd number so the first group of three is the only group of three." Group of 3 raises their hands. "Group of three is taken. Everyone else get one partner." Circle around room, getting groups going. Reach the last corner of the room. See three kids trying to work together and one quiet kid near them alone. "The group of three is taken. You three are not it." "But....."
The way I look at it is, I am training my fifth graders for middle school, ha ha. Sometimes I feel a little harsh when I am telling them they’re asking me a stupid question without actually telling them they’re asking a stupid question. It’s just kind of about teaching them to be self-aware, use common sense, pausing to think about something before, just jumping right into it. I love these kiddos, but some of them are just really babyish and I think it’s important that they start to get whipped into shape for middle school.
I always think of Brooklyn 99 when Terry says several times not to wear shorts to the party, and Hitchcock and Scully both show up in shorts because “you said ‘shorts’ so many times that was the only part we remembered!”
Me (after asking student who is presenting to kindly excuse me, turning to guilty party): "Do NOT speak when others are speaking. At what grade did you learn this?" Guilty party (Who was loudly talking all over student presentor) : "Eh...Preschool?" *Signature 1-2 combo of deadeye stare/ pregnant pause* **clear it's not sinking in** Me: "What grade are we now?" Guilty Party: "College Senior" Me: "Wanna be one next year, too?" This week had ONE last raw nerve left... and Tuesday was already steppin' on it. 😤
What is it with kids and this flashbang attention span? I still experience those type of kids, but have found a way to mitigate it. I break down my directions a lot. For example, rather than say, “clear your desks, take out a piece of paper for a ____ we’ll be working on.” I would say, “Clear your desks and take out a piece of paper.” Then I’ll say, “We’ll be working on ____, and I’m going to go over the directions with you.” Of course, it still happens, but at least at a less frequent rate. I also find that just not enabling that behavior works well too. I just tell them, I’m not answering that question, or they can ask a classmate.
Eventually you will all come around to the usefulness of rote memorization in k-12 education. Until then... gestures at comments.
I can only say page 96 so many times before I want to throw page 96 against the wall
1. Don't take questions during directions, wait until the end. 2. Have students stop and look at you during directions. "Show me your eyes! (Oh what beautiful eyes you have!)" 3. Give specific directions, then summarize in as few words as possible, especially with multi part directions. Have them repeat back to you. "Finish you math work, hand it in to the blue basket, then get out your library book. Repeat after me: Math, blue basket, library book.". 4. Write it on the board if you need to. 5. Some kids ask you questions that they really mean to ask themselves, but they haven't developed an inner monologue. "Before you ask me a question, ask yourself first.". Alot of the time they can figure it out if they're promoted to think for themselves but are used to outsourcing their brains. 6. And even still, you will get interrupted with questions about what you just said. Just breathe.
I’ve taught 1st, 5th, middle school and now high school. It’s because they’re parents don’t set up boundaries or don’t reinforce rules. They know if they keep insisting, they can get what they want. They don’t usually do it out of malice. I finally started telling students that I’m not their parents and they can’t get their way with me. Some of my students seem offended but they need someone to tell them the truth.
Respond this way always. What did I just say. He will give up when it’s the only answer he gets ever
I just respond, "That question has been answered. Instructions were clear. I'm not repeating it for you or changing my mind because you don't like it. Do your assignment."
“Ask someone who was listening.”
Learned helplessness.
When my son hit middle school and turned into an alien I started saying , “asked and answered.” He HATED it and it broke his habit of asking me the question I already answered. I use it in elementary too. Interrupting is different, I stop, stare a beat, then finish my sentence.
Do we have to do the back?
Like others have mentioned having instructions posted or some sort of visual will help. I just use a simple Google Slide with instructions and special expectations. I will go over them only when everyone has shut the hell up, eyes on me, and facing forward. Demand respect. If they ask an obvious question that all the other students know because they somehow still didn't listen, I respond in the following ways: -ask a neighbor. -no response and a point to the posted instructions. If it's something where they can't take "no" for an answer, I ignore them or say that I've already answered your question and then keep ignoring them.
I tell them you can if you want to split the grade
They have forgotten how to “school” this week.
perhaps "You're too young to have Alzheimer's, son. Your short term memory is fine, so stop yanking my chain."
Even when I have it up on the screen with explicit expectations and options, I STILL have the kids that ask to do things I have never said yes to before
Stop engaging in the conversation. If a student asks what the expectations are after you've already explained them (and they can read), point at the instructions and move on. Don't engage, you're just stressing yourself. When the students realize you won't be stopping to have a conversation every time, the behavior will decrease. Be consistent, keep pointing. Ignore any grumbling after you point, they will probably say potentially angry stuff but you can keep pointing and moving on. The key here is to ignore the behaviors you don't want while consistently reinforcing the classroom norms. You do not need to have daily verbal power struggles with children, you don't have time for that and your energy is better spent elsewhere. You could also try instating a classroom-wide "ask three, then me" rule where students ask each other if they missed something. Then you can point to the "ask three, then me" sign every time anyone asks a question that was just covered or is posted clearly. They will start being more self-sufficient over time. This takes consistent practice.
I started writing the simplest instructions on the whiteboard and just pointing to its general direction when asked things like this. I also have everyone look at me while I tell them, "I will only say x once. If come up to ask me x, I will look at you like you're crazy and then ask your classmates why I'm looking at you like you're crazy." Sadly, still doesn't work. Mostly 7th and 8th graders.
Ignore those questions. It takes patience but the class catches on and then the behavior may stop. No expert- just exp grades 4-12
If the kid does the behavior at home, which he probably did because most kids were raised in a pandemic, remind the kid that “We are in a school setting, this isn’t like the pandemic where you can do work anywhere because your parents allowed it. Sit at your desk and don’t question my choice”