What is it like in Mr. Bolland's Classroom?

I gave each of my students a survey as a bellringer.  I asked them not to write their names on it, but some did anyway.  Below are the complete, unedited responses that I found most amusing and/or eye-opening.  I also tries to omit any responses I felt weren't honest (especially if they wrote their name on it), regardless of content.  Enjoy:

1. Describe Mr. Bolland.

"Well Mr. Bolland is cool as long as you do what you are suppose to do.  Sometime he can be unfair like he get mad at you when someone else is doing something."

"Mr. Bolland is a good teacher.  I feel that he doesn't have to explain hisself to these children for what he does.  Also that he doesnt' have to put up with these children and give them all these warnings, but overall he is a good teacher."

"strict, steady, doesn't let Trival thing get in the way of teaching, keeps personal and Job life seaperate."

"A teacher that has a great personality but gets very angry when his class gets out of control.  I also feel he has trouble w/ controlling his class."

"cute smart annoying annoying irritating annoying childish short vanilla Robin Thicke crazy smart did i write annoying."

"a unhappy person"

"Funny, he always happy"

"Mr. Bolland is a very nice person, maybe even too nice.  He seems so patience with these kids.  He's not so very tall but not so short.  He dresses nice everyday."

"complex"

"Nice (no homo) don't be tripen alot"

"He is a good teacher, but he never smiles, is to proffessional and acts older than he is"

"he eats alot of apples"

2. Describe Mr. Bolland's teaching style.  How does he teach?  What does he do that helps you understand things?  What does he do that doesn't help you?  How could he do better?

"He gives us worksheets and we have test.  I really dont understand what he talks about.  If he talks about the chapter and explain it more."

"He is a good teacher.  I actually like learning in his class at times."

"Good, explain, not enough questions, ask more"

"He teaches indepedently if you don't want to learn he wont fault you.  I really don't understand cause he doesn't teach well to me.  He don't communitate with you.  He can do better by trying harder."

"It be hard to learn.  Give you the paper and say do it.  You be kind of sleep.  With ex work to get grade higher."

"borning.  He teach like we are in jail.  Gives us detenction.  Gives me the answers.  Not to give me bad things to work on.  Like hard work."

"He teaches tot eh best of his abilities.  We work individually with each student and answer all questions.  Fuss all the times and don't let us work in groups.  He is doing the best he can but let us get in groups."

"He is a good teacher like the way he gives us study guide to help us do well on our test and how he answers any question no matter how stupid and immature it is"

3. Describe the way that students act in his classroom.

"Students in his class are really bad.  They seem to run Mr. bolland instead of him running them.  They talk while he is takling, they eat candy, they curse, they rap, etc.  They are just bad."

"They act like children suppose to act.  They dont suppose to just sit there and be quiet cuz Imma talk reguardless.  And go to sleep too."

"Some of the one's like myself act very well educated, others act like zoo animals."

"A butch of clowns"

"We be acting a donkey sometimes we show no respect we talk lound sometimes quiet"

"They go crazy like they would at a zoo or some."

4. Describe Mr. Bolland's classroom.

"mr Bolland's classroom is not structured at all.  It has no speafic way of targeting all the individual students individually."

"Well it boren and all he ever do is work us and go over stuff can we have a little fun every now and then"

"crunk as h***"

"It's big but he needs to change his functuay.  Also do some good cleaning-up.  Or but up more posters of science things so it won't look so empty and boring.  Lighten it up!!!"

"it a fixer uper.  we need new sets and books"

"spacious, could use sweeping and mopping"

"Its like a normal science class except the handful of students he has to deal with from day to day.  It would be better if he got rid of them the first day."

"cold"

After reading all of the responses, I have come up with a few general points.  First, the student's view me very differently in different classes.  The more well behaved the class, the happier and nicer I appear.  Students in my worst behaved classes were more likely to report me as being mean or "snapping" on them.  Most students who commented on the decor of my room said it was plain and needed more color.  Also, when I could tell who's survey it was, I noticed that the well behaved kids almost always commented on how disrespectful or poorly behaved the other students were, whereas those who were less behaved said the kids acted fine.

I knew before this that my classroom management is by far the weakest part of my teaching.  It seems that many of the kids are also aware.  For the most part, I got positive reviews on my teaching style, once I was able to execute it.  I'm a little bit surprised that the kids care so much about how plain my room is.  I knew it was plain, but I've never been much for interior decorating.  Hopefully between now and the beginning of next year I'll get an opportunity to rearrange and liven up my room some.