I like that idea! If they can't engage with the fun activities we are trying to do, then they can sit alone and work!

One thing I've had to do this year due to boys' behavior is have a stack of worksheets on hand. If 1-2 are consistently disrupting the learning of others or not engaging w/me, I send them to their seats to do their learning on a worksheet instead of with us. Amazing how the others suddenly shape up.

They may not be learning "exactly" what we are learning at the time, but...they are still doing paper/pencil learning and I can tell you...I haven't had to send the same boys back to their desks more than 2x!

Thank you for your responses! They helped put things in perspective and gave me a few new things to try!

Well, first of all, it is not you! You have an uneven ratio of boys to girls, with two new boys upsetting what started out pretty well. You are doing everything right, and then more.

Perhaps pulling back to more structure (teacher-student) keeping movement breaks until they have earned the partner work, group work, etc. back by showing you they can handle those types of more independent learning.

Good luck! Your hands are full. You can do this!

You are doing so much already. All I can think of is to use some Love and Logic strategies and send a few kids to recovery when they disturb the class or resist following directions - perhaps even in another teacher's room. It sounds like the tipping point was reached 2 kids ago.

This is my 34th years of teaching and I feel like I've lost my 'touch'.....my ability to manage the classroom behaviors. This year I have 15 boys and 9 girls, and they are getting out of control. We are on Day 17 of school, and behavior are worse now than the beginning of the year. Things were under control until I got 2 new boys last week.....this seemed to change the dynamics of the class, and not in a good way. I try to focus on the positive (clipping up, group points, classroom money for our store, stickers, etc., instead of negative like clipping down). I've modeled expectations, had students practice, still have students redo when they don't do something correctly. We have a pretty busy, active day. I vary my instruction with seat instruction, carpet instruction, singing/learning songs and rhymes, hand/body movements that go with our learning, brain breaks, partner work, group work, independent work, frequent restroom breaks, etc. I'm having a hard time getting students to participate when I ask them to do the hand motions/movements for our learning. I'm frustrated, and I know that the students who do participate consistently are frustrated, too. Any advice that you can give would be greatly appreciated!