If you have taught Primary, you know that the kids have good days and bad days. There are classes however where it really is a struggle to maintain a positive learning atmosphere. If you are in a situation like this or you have a teacher who is struggling in this way there are ways to cope with the situation. My first primary teaching experience was pretty wild. I had a class of boys and one girl. They tried to climb out of the window. They would run into walls (on purpose) and they were pretty crazy. Now they are all coming back from their missions (makes me feel old). Here are a few suggestions.
1) If this class has a history of misbehavior, then they have likely been through quite a few teachers. Take time to get to know the students individually. This can make a big difference in the way that they respond to you. A visit to each of their homes and talking quietly can make a difference in how they act on Sunday.
2) Communicate with the parents of the students about their behavior. You should also find time to call and praise, especially if a normally rowdy student had a good week and was able to behave. This will result in praise from the parent to the student and will make a difference in future positive behavior.
3) Set up class rules and expected behavior. There is nothing wrong with promising free time or a game to play once you have finished your lesson, if they behave the entire time. You may also start a sticker chart, and have a class party once they fill up the chart or you could bring in a treat to class once they fill up the chart.
4) Change it up a little bit. My group of boys responded well to changing something each week. (This won’t work in all situations.) One week we rolled a ball along the floor to answer questions—you couldn’t talk unless you had the ball. Another week we sat on the floor. We acted out the stories when we could, and I added in details that the children might not know. It really helped to hold their interest.
5) Finally have a parent come and sit in the class with you. Often this is enough to quail bad behavior. If you need to you can also give warnings and have the child go to class with their parents one week. However, that should be reserved for extremely bad behavior.
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