How do I stop the DRAMA? Middle school girls are SO MEAN.............?

Question

I am a 7th grade teacher. There are 60 kids in our 7th grade - it's a small school. There is ENDLESS drama and meanness among the girls. It is making me INSANE. Not only do the girls themselves get involved; parents also call the school, expecting us to resolve things. I barely have enough time in the day to teach what I need to, academically speaking -- I don't have ANY time at all to deal with this psycho-drama. What can I do? Every day, we have girls BAWLING, writing nasty comments in the bathrooms, putting up anonymous signs to each other in the hallways ("Stop the drama! Girl X and Girl Y, say you're sorry and make up!") etc. It's completely nuts and wearing me out. I find myself having trouble conjuring up the energy to teach, let alone deal with this nonsense. Any suggestions? Thanks tons in advance.

Answer 1

I hate to ruin your outlook on your profession, but there is nothing you can do if you wanted to. I take it you haven't taken too many political science classes. Kids at that age are vying for the top spot in the school "Most Popular." With that title they get the hottest boys, invited to the best parties and they are the most admired kid in the school. The downside the competition will do anything to bring them down including mudslinging, and spreading false rumors about a girl, like she did that with this boy under the bleachers after school yesterday, she is a tramp.
Boys will just fight it out for the top spot. How do you stop the Drama try identifying the people involved and use the democratic process to determine who is the most popular. Have a series of debates and allow them to make posters asking people to vote for them.

Answer 2

As the mother of two girls who had to live the drama thru middle school with them...my sympathy.

It is an awful age, for girls particularly, as they can be vicious with each other. It's about "who's in and who's out" and everyone wants to be in and wants everyone else except their "bff" out.

I think the only thing you can do is state that you understand what's going on at the age they are at and what you are and are not willing to put up with in your classroom. You can't change the behavior 24/7 but you can set guidelines for the hour a day you have them in class. Try to make your class a "time out" from the social chaos that is happening...and let them know that's what you are doing. And then, be interesting so they appreciate being there. (not that you aren't!) Let the parents know that discipline begins at home, and that's where their little darlings will be if they can't behave at school.

The 9th grader who answered your question has a lot of insight and gave great advice!

Answer 3

Since you are teaching 7th grade, I take it you have children changing classes every hour(+/-). If you want it to stop, you have to set a precedent in your room...it is martial law and you will not ALLOW or PERMIT some things. You are hired to teach and BY GOLLY TEACH you will. That's my attitude and trust me, after about a week of GENERAL MEANESS on YOUR part, you will get a new reaction in your class. Can't you remember that one teacher you had that never had to raise her voice? Just one slick comment and the whole class was quivering with fear? That's gotta be you babe! We live in a world NOW where we have no choice. Either YOU are the boss or they ARE the boss. YOU gotta decide which it will be.

Answer 4

i'm in the ninth grade and my sister and her friends are 7th grade age so i know what you mean. they act like their grown and think that they are the center of the world my sister is mean to others mostly when she is around her little friends. they are just trying to be like each other. it all starts with one person they act like other peole are inferior to them so they will be accepted by the 'cool people' . then come the others. they want to be like the first person so they act snobbish wanting to be like the other girl. then it becomes a massive snowball affect of acceptance and then it gets into their personality and they become mean so here now you have a leigion of snobby girls who will try to act twice their age wear make up and will try to date 16 year old guys. but the best way to try to deal with them is to tell them what they are doing to themselve and everyone else. dont be a pushover (not saying you are.) i had a teacher who was a pushover and the girls tore her apart. but on the other hand dont be too mean. i had a mean teacher and one day i was too mad to control myself and i let her have it (verbally) then i found out later that she was crying i felt bad and apologized and since then she was not so mean. but what i'm saying is to talk to them and let them know their place and that they need not to be so consious of every one else because they are at school to learn friends are secondary. if you do your best it might work. i know it is akward hearing this from a 15 year old freshman guy but its true.

p.s. is it not true that hitler was mean, that his being cruel to others inspired his hatred and is it not that hatred that fueled the holocaust? people hating each other and being mean is no laughing matter.

Answer 5

Ryan I accept as true with you. in basic terms finished midsection college. boys are so advise to females because of the fact curiously they think of that females desire to be taken care of that way. they're particularly the essential ones. yet thinking you in basic terms finished 6th grade you're nevertheless new to the midsection college settings. progressed warning midsection college females are gonna start to rigidity you into the two desirous to grow to be somebody with the help of putting out with the undesirable boys who're not something yet difficulty or being a nerd/no person. have faith me i understand. i replaced into considered a no person truly yet human beings knew me. for boys its particularly they're particularly labeled because of the fact the "basic Jocks" and "Nerds". for women i think its "basic Cheerleaders" and "reliable females". anyhow thats tremendously plenty a reason. Boys in midsection the two have no understand what so ever for women or they do and that i think of you already know who people who dont are and people who do.

Answer 6

Show them this video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=K0Wl41pHQls

And say that one of them will kill themselves if they don't stop.

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Hehe, IDK, it's natural for these girls to have drama its not just middle school or just kids or even just girls its everyone drama's just a fancy word for conflict the only problem is we don't realize what the outcome of this conflict can become. If we educate ourselves about the outcome, than we stop it. That's just my theory of course.

Answer 7

take some self deffence lesson
and beat the bitches down.