Spend the first week building a "Class Constitution" together. Ask them: What does respect look like here? What happens when someone is having a bad day?
You cannot "fake it" with this group. They have a built-in radar for insincerity.
For a misfit, knowing that one adult "sees" them can be the difference between showing up and dropping out. Summary for the Term 1 : The Misfit Class's New Term
Share your own quirks or a time you failed. Be a human first and a teacher second.
Misfits often act out because they feel "cast" in a certain role. Giving them a new character to play allows them to drop the defensive armor. 2. Radical Authenticity Spend the first week building a "Class Constitution"
Find out one non-academic interest for every student (gaming, skating, obscure anime, etc.) and check in on it weekly.
Don't just hand them a list of rules. Misfits naturally resist top-down authority. You cannot "fake it" with this group
Start Day One by explicitly stating that last year’s records don't define this year’s potential.