Disorder in the Classroom: Or a Firsthand Account of Substitute Teaching in the Chicago Public Schools System

Believe it or not, the experiences related in "Disorder in the Classroom" are unbelievable but true. They occurred from October 2007 to February 2009 and offer a glimpse of what student behavior is like inside the classroom from the author's perspective. The book is a chronicle of a substitute teacher's assignments with a focus on student behavior. Being new to substitute teaching, this author had little preconceived ideas about what to expect, but rather through a process of interaction and assessment drew some very disturbing conclusions. In sum, the conduct of the students was not good and it seemed that no one in a responsible position was willing to acknowledge or do something about it. The whole school system seemed to be in a state of flux. CPS was and is going through a dramatic change. The certification process for teachers, including substitute teachers, has become more difficult for those coming into the profession. Schools are being closed and some tenured teachers find this to be a threat to their livelihood. And at least for the schools where the author taught, classroom behavior is a serious problem. This subject is certainly controversial and timely. The range of bad student behavior is broad. One can only imagine what this teacher came up against in the act of teaching children.