I'm three weeks in and already calling for help with these guys/thinking I might need a miracle worker with them.  I have 4 classes of first grade boys, 4 classes of first grade girls.  The girls are fine - I'm often left alone with them and have no problem controlling class, but the boys are absolutely wearing me down.  They generally don't want to participate, they talk constantly (even more than the girls - I didn't even know that was possible) and are disrespectful often. 

And it's not even all of them; I was recently told by my 2nd grade co-teacher that each grade were divided in to groups by gender (1-4 being boys, 5-8 being girls) and then interest (1 & 2/5 & 6 being not scientifically/mathematically-minded and 3 & 4/7 & 8 being scientifically/mathematically-minded), meaning that four of the eight classes are the "less motivated" students.  Part of the issues stem from co-teachers as well; one of my coteachers tends to sit in the back, fall asleep, stare at me like I'm an idiot, etc. 

Has anyone had any experience with 1st graders and what to do with them?  I'm dying for ideas here - everything short of bomb games tends to give me an unruly, awful class.

I use a strike system, after the third strike I stop the class, and make EVERYBODY write long, long English sentences: "I'm sorry teacher, I was bad, I will do better next time." I start at 50 lines and add a line for every time a students talks. It's very effective.

Because it's been three weeks, it's going to be almost impossible to change their behavior now. The best you can shoot for is that it doesn't get much worst than it is. But the lesson I learned working in Korea is always, always, always bring worksheets to class for the students to do. If you're doing that already, then my advice is useless. But my first year teaching here, I didn't use worksheets, and each year since I have, and even the worst classes are significantly better if, on the very first day, I introduce worksheets, and keep it up the entire semester. It keeps the students in their seats, and it keeps them doing *something*.

Since Korean kids don't take notes in class in English class (not having notebooks and all), it leaves too many of them idle, and idle hands are the devil's workshop and a teacher's nightmare. Twenty minutes of worksheets, twenty minutes of verbal activities is a good recipe for a better class experience, and I use this for kindergarten, first, and second grades, as well as the higher grades. Don't let anyone tell you that kids that young can't write. They can and they will if you present it to them as if they can. Just keep it simple but keep it time consuming for at least twenty minutes.

I should have been more clear - when I'm referring to "first graders," I mean first grade high schoolers (freshmen).  As great as these suggestions are, even worksheets/candy/etc. aren't efficient motivators for them. :/

league of legends videos are good motivators. I give up 5 minutes of class at the end if they behave. They get a warning and then no video. If no video I try to embarrass a few of the trouble makers by making them do charades (ballerina, rabbit, kangaroo, etc) and have the class laugh at them. In the long run I try to befriend these students and have them control the class for me. I had a student tell me "go away, I understand, I understand" two minutes later his group mates were hitting him for making them lose. I never really gave candy out and if I did I only gave 2 pieces for the winning group and they had to rock paper scissors for it. General class for me goes something like vocab guessing game (what's the word), review of last lesson, quick high energy activity, the actual lesson, a group activity, league of legends video/review.

Yeah, I rarely and randomly give out candy. I'm not going broke feeding the undeserving..and I don't want them to think that I have to give them candy in order for them to do anything. 

Sounds like you got a crappy break, OP.  They separate the kids by level at my school as well, so, all of the unmotivated bad students are in the same class.
It was rough at the beginning of my first year, but I just had to constantly be on them till they broke. 

Since your co-teacher is in the room with you, I might check with her to see what you can do to punish them. 
The worst thing the co-teacher could do is reverse whatever punishment you give them.  It makes you look even weaker than they already may think you are.
And you gotta have something that's doable and follow through with it.
If you tell a kid to write something 100 times, and he tells you 'no", then what?

I think it's of course easiest and best to set this ground work the first week, but I dont think it's too late at the 3 week mark. 
I'd stop the lessons for a week and have "serious talking time" with the classes that going forward things are going to be different.

I recommend employing Sun Tzu's The Art of War to your classroom management.

http://www.artofwarsuntzu.com/Art%20of%20War%20PDF.pdf

I used it when I first came to Korea. At that school, I had a similar system - kids split up on skill and behavior.  I had the lowest or the low.  It was not easy.  But I tried to adopt basic strategy from this book and had success.

Hey - what's a good punishment for students who DON'T do the worksheets you lay in front of them?

Any ideas? My 3rd grade MS and 1st grade HS students especially.

I'm glad I am not the only person with this problem. I am in a Technical HS and the first graders are a nightmare. Not all of them but the majority. They do not listen to me nor to the CT. I do not want to lose sleep over this but I do not like feeling that I have accomplished nothing after a day in school.

Some of your advice is fantastic guys, thanks a lot. I will devise a rules sheet with the CT and make them agree with it.

It can be seriously demoralizing dealing with students who only seem to want to be there to make your life difficult.

Videos do work but I do not want to be a 'youtube' teacher! Any more ideas about how to deal with these classes would be so appreciated! Thank you!

I'm at an all girls high school and my classes are split similarly in the fact that classes 1 and 2 are not science or math based and class 3 is. However, I don't think it is set up as a bad/unmotivated class vs a good/motivated class. It was explained to me as a split based on interests more than motivation and attitude. I have students in all three classes that are great kids, and ones that are bad kids, and the majority of them are average in behavior and motivation.

So far, what I have found in my experience as well as from other teachers who I have spoken with, finding the topic of interest will be the first stepping stone for managing them. I carry around my daily planner and i keep notes for each individual class on what seems to keep their interest, what doesn't, even the kpop artists or songs or sports that a class likes more. It helps me to keep a better idea of what I can use for examples and what not, even if I am teaching the same lesson and material to each class. Boys are always hard, no matter what you do, but interest in the at least the subject matter of the lesson, if not the goals or grammar or basics of the lesson, I think is a good place to start.

I recommend employing Sun Tzu's The Art of War to your classroom management.

http://www.artofwarsuntzu.com/Art%20of%20War%20PDF.pdf

I used it when I first came to Korea. At that school, I had a similar system - kids split up on skill and behavior.  I had the lowest or the low.  It was not easy.  But I tried to adopt basic strategy from this book and had success.

Not sure if trolling... or absolutely brilliant application of a method to control adults used in a public school setting...