The problem is easy to explain. First block is bigger - 19 students compared to 12. First block is earlier in the morning. There are more students in first block who are unprepared for this class - at least 10 in first block who just had abysmal math skill coming in, compared to only 2 in second block who I would put in that category. But the biggest difference is classroom management. My CM plan has worked fantastically well in my second block. We spend 92 of 98 minutes on task and engaged, they work quietly, they help each other, and we generally get along swimmingly, except when I make catastrophic errors in judgment and try to do something fun, like Jeopardy, which backfired tremendously on Thursday.
In my first block, things just don't work. Half the class comes in late, everyday, about half of them with late bus passes and half without. Some students sleep, and almost all the rest are openly hostile towards me. This has gotten a little bit better, but is still a huge problem. They refuse to listen to me when I teach, and then want help on the quizzes and classwork. That is, of course, unless they refuse to do the classwork.
I'm going to try dividing the class into two parts tomorrow - those that want to work and those that do not want to work. Teach all of them, then let the ones who are good - I'll call them group A or something - practice, while doing something much more structured, and silent, with group B. I'm honestly not sure how it is going to work, but I don't want to let this class ruin my year. When I start to think things to myself like "they are all just a bunch of jerks" I know that they are getting to me and I am starting to lose it. So I've got to get them under control. Hopefully this will do the trick.
Also:
I got back from the football game Friday night around 12:30 AM. While waiting for players' parents to pick them up, I saw one of my soccer boys, who had showed up at the school to meet one of my soccer/football boys, since they were going back to his house. I pulled the ball out of the back of the truck and we played for about half an hour, the three of us. I suggested turning on the lights and going out to the field, but NB noted that the sprinklers were on and so we were forced to abandon that idea. We are going to have a great season this year. Maybe we'll manage to sneak a few wins as well.
Grading proofs is annoying. But actually, it isn't bad, because my geometry kids can actually write proofs now. Seriously, they give statements and reasons and do things logically. It's amazing. I'm super-proud of them. They work really hard (usually) and so they deserve to do well. But it takes me way too long to grade these. I even had to make up a rubric to help.
Proof that my kids can write proofs!
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