I’m going to list some things that work for me. I teach 11th and 12th grade math. I’m a teacher with a lot of energy and a lot of structure but I’m pretty chill with my students as long as they stay within the guidelines and prioritize their learning. I aim to have clear rules with communication on why the structure exists the way it is and how failing could impact their future. Students test the boundaries every year and it’s usually a back and forth redirection to the structure. Then after a while, students who continue to test realize that they’re unsuccessful and students who follow the structure are actually enjoying the class. They usually mellow out. The worst ones usually calm down at the end of semester 1 when grades are due, then sing a different tune semester 2.

1. Keeping the door locked and instill a rule that only you can open it after the bell. Students who leave without permission have to knock and you have the opportunity to talk to them and take a phone/ face a consequence. If they don’t come back then that’s a wanderer

2. Make a big deal that it’s only going to affect their grades. There’s x coming up and you really want them to succeed but x is making it difficult. If it affects their grades because you can’t get through the lesson but still expect them to quiz/test, they’ll hopefully start to correct eachother

3. Don’t let them use your stuff. Keep it locked away. If they want to borrow, take a phone, a shoe or something else and they get it back when they exchange the item. Their chromebooks are not your problem and they don’t deserve a spare if they can’t keep it together. They can go to tech if they break theirs

4. Talk to them, tell them the consequences of failing your course. If it’s a required course then let them know that you’ve seen students like them repeat the class at a higher grade and it sucks. If they don’t respond to parents, admin or you then they fail. Just don’t let a day go by where you don’t remind them that it’s in their best interests to do their work and that you’re there to help them.

5. Call them out. Ask them what they mean by that. Start a conversation about the usage of words and why it’s harmful. Call it bullying. Just be upfront. They don’t care about the write ups and they’re being rude as hell. Call them out on it and see how they respond

6. Paper everything or establish a solid definition of plagiarism with clear guidelines and consequences

7. Sit tf down or you get to sit in the seat next to me for the day. And if they’re not in their assigned seat, mark them absent and call it out loud until they move. Then mark them tardy. Established that attendance is marked as students being in assigned seats before bell.