Motivating the Bad Attitude Kids is a valuable resource for all high school and middle school instructors, including first year teachers, veterans, and everyone who is burned out and sick of dealing with difficult students.
Author Terrill Smith brings thirty-six years experience teaching the most difficult students; the ones who simply "don't want to be there." In Motivating the Bad Attitude Kids, Smith shares the secret survival tools used by master teachers. Some of the topics covered include:
- Making your personal work space at school more inviting
- Ways to make the entire year run as smoothly as the first few days
- What to do when your class is out of control
- How to deal with the most difficult types of students, including the Disruptive Jimmy, Tattle-tale Martha, Susan the Drama Queen, Henry the Comedian, Sexy Sally, Jean the cheater, Sneaky Sam, Perfectionistic Paula, and the gang kid.
- Classroom Survival Forms - Creative ways to keep your work manageable
- How to fix mistakes made in the classroom, with the administration, with colleagues, with students, and with yourself
According to Smith, when you understand the students and respect them, the feeling is usually reciprocated. It allows a light touch of humor and gamesmanship - powerful tools denied serious teachers who are prime candidates for burnout.
