Can they handle it? Can I?

After spending my weekend grading papers and trying to plan out my week (Literally, I was out of the house for about 9.5 hours, for the entire weekend), I realized that my geometry kids just weren't getting this triangle stuff. I made the executive decision to stop. To stop teaching new things and circle back. I also decided I wanted to try something new, no more worksheets and me talking at the board all day--let's do some group work and have them teach each other.

The question in my head was, can they handle it? Can they work together? Do they have the discipline to work instead of chat about their weekends? Do they know enough collectively that they can do these worksheets?

Decidedly, NOT. Well at least first period. I heard about how Brenna farts when she's nervous, the football team's loss on Friday, who went out with who, who's phone has a picture of a skeleton on it and of course that no one was going to pass this class because it was too hard and the teacher isn't helping them enough.

Amid F-bombs and N words, I would try to come over and help students with their problems (mind you, I gave them about 3 each and figured it would take 10-15 min to complete them, they took 45 and did not complete them.) When I would be there trying to help one, the other two would be talking about Brenna's farts. While I was standing a foot away from them. Seriously. At least I wasn't standing near Brenna. And then I would tell them stop talking and they would ask me why I didn't tell the other 24 people in the room talking to stop.....

So the gallery walk did not work. The groups only worked on their little piece of the puzzle and did not have a chance to learn from the others. I doubt they even learned what was on their paper. So I wasted 90 minutes of instructional time trying to remediate and failing miserably.

How do I get them under control? How do I help the understand this tough material?

Oh, did I mention their warm up today was a relatively easy Algebra 1 worksheet--a class they all should have passed to be in mine. NONE of them could do it. They all whined and complained that they did not remember how to solve equations with one variable.

50% is not proficient.