What do you do with students who chronically disrupt your class? (public school, cafeteria) - Education -universities, high schools, elementary schools, teachers... - City-Data Forum

antredd · 01-19-2009, 03:28 PM

Any experienced teacher knows, we all have at least one, two or three students who chronically disrupt our classrooms. This year, I have some severe discipline problems with students who won't STOP TALKING, STAY IN THEIR SEATS, nor STOP ARGUING WITH EACH OTHER, and I ONLY TEACH 4TH GRADE. This is what some teachers call their class from hell.

I have 16 years of experience, and with all of my experience I feel like I have exhausted all of my resources in helping my disruptive students stop being disruptive.

I have point system in place, have rules and procedures in place, provide engaging instruction and classwork, called parents many times, set up parent conferences, timed students out of my room, moved students around, even placed high achieving students next to low achieving ones, and have a reward system in place where my students can earn special privileges for learning in my class.

Thank God for my principal, she's very understanding and very supportive. But after a child has been suspended several times, you start to think what's the point in suspending that child again because when he or she comes back, the behavior is going to continue. All that I am getting is just a temporary break from them. Any suggestions?

golfgal · 01-19-2009, 07:19 PM

You have a 4th grader that has already received multiple suspensions

. It sounds like junior needs some help. Do you have an alternative school in your district? Has the child been tested? What are the parents like?

antredd · 01-19-2009, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by golfgal

You have a 4th grader that has already received multiple suspensions

. It sounds like junior needs some help. Do you have an alternative school in your district? Has the child been tested? What are the parents like?

Yes he has been tested, and mom appears supportive. She's willing to start a behavioral contract. I haven't done that, and I will be starting one this week.

emh · 01-19-2009, 09:54 PM

Without knowing more details, it's hard to know how to respond. My first question though is whether this is new behavior for these kids. If they've acted this way with prior teachers, I'd start by talking with them to see what they've found to be effective. If it's new behavior, then the question is...what's changed that's brought out these behaviors?

Brian.Pearson · 01-19-2009, 10:34 PM

When I was in school, a trip to the principal's office for such behavior meant ten licks. Since that seems to be illegal, now, all I can say is that if I were a student, I would want the behavior stopped permanently. There is a limit to how "understanding" a principal, or teacher, can be.

booker_one · 01-20-2009, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by antredd

Yes he has been tested, and mom appears supportive. She's willing to start a behavioral contract. I haven't done that, and I will be starting one this week.

parents usually don't follow through on stuff like that. more often than not kids act that way because their parents are worthless. i have had it out with parents before because i tell them what is on my mind most of the time.

Skatergirl · 01-20-2009, 07:20 AM

This is a book for parents and educators: "The Explosive Child" By Ross Greene. It gives very specific help. It gives a lot of examples on the variety of kids it can help, but really it's a great tool to use with regular kids who may be testing the waters, too. Google it on amazon and read some excerpts to get an idea of the book.

cellogurl23 · 01-20-2009, 07:53 AM

Walk over to them, bend over and whisper in their little ears: "You'd better straighten up or ELSE!"

Seriously, I did some public school teaching in the inner city school districts of Memphis, Tennessee. Classrooms were typically +/-40 students, building run down, bathrooms filthy, and kids so angry and antsy, it was nearly impossible to teach them. Lots of babies with babies (middle school!), mom and/or dad in prison, lots of marijuana smoking (you could smell it), and very, very bad attitudes.

One time the kids got my wallet out of my purse somehow and passed it around the room. Bad language. Snotty attitudes. Teachers who teach in these venues are saints.

A lot of the kids assumed because I look white, that I was racist. One kid quoted the Godfather movie: "Give it (it being hard drugs) to the 'black people' (not the words used) - they're animals anyway." I had to tell him, no, I think you're precious children of God. That seemed to calm him down.

I had one kid tell me he wanted me to sit on his face; I literally threw him into the principle's office and had his mother come and get him. He reeked of marijuana smoke. And he didn't graduate. Mom was single mom, working in a cafeteria. But she was polite.

Anyway, sometimes it's too much sugar, oftentimes it's no home environment. It's tough, dealing with these kids. And it's not their fault.

Keeping a notebook with parents' email addresses and cell phone numbers often helps. The kids may not be afraid of you, but sometimes they're terrified of their parents, or losing privileges at home.

You have my sympathy.

momof2dfw · 01-20-2009, 09:49 AM

How do the parents of the kids that are not the problem feel?

We had a discussion this year already w/ the principal and all of our 4th graders teachers because of the problems. She had one kid she was stuck sitting beside caring on all during a test, shaking the desk, throwing his pencil, talking, hitting his head, etc. I told them my child had the right to GET UP and go find somewhere else to sit. Somehow our daughter ended up in the class w/ a good bit of the discipline problems this year. URGH!!!

Since nothing else is working here is one tactic although the behavior contracts are good the parents have to stick to it as does the school. I'd make sure grades were a part of it. No letting things slide from getting a bad grade because they were out of the classroom due to one of their episodes. They don't get the assignment because they were not in there due to their behavior........ too bad. What I would do is EVERYTIME you have to stop instructing to get onto one of them...... call the parents RIGHT THEN. Or make THE STUDENT call the parents and explain what is going on. At my other daughters school they had a system where on the 3rd behavior issue that was bad enough the STUDENT had to call mom/dad RIGHT THEN and tell them what was going on. Stop sending notes home to the parents about the issues going on. Make the student call and tell them what is going on and INTERUPT THEIR DAY!!! Once mom/dad gets enough calls and disruptions maybe they will see just how severe the problem is and put their foot down w/ jr/princess at home. If mom/dad complain ONE BIT about the disruptions then calmly explain that is EXACTLY the problem. Their child is causing this many disruptions in YOUR JOB and keeping you from instructing the students that are willing to behave and learn. This might be the ONLY way to get the parents to get the picture just how bad their child is acting.

cellogurl23 · 01-20-2009, 10:17 AM

Yes: call the parents RIGHT THEN. Doesn't matter if they're at work (that's better really). If mom and dad (or often, grandma) doesn't care, then public services need to step in.

I put kids in "time out" (big kids) and then send them to the principal's office. Sometimes they accosted me in the hall: "You got me kicked out." Well, no: you got yourself kicked out.

Image a classroom with 40 kids like this, sitting on desks, necking, looking at you like you're interrupting their day. Teachers who work in these tough schools have weight problems, very frequently, and higher incidences of cancer. Sure, there are a lot of ignorant, mean, rather stupid teachers, but there are a lot of good ones, too.

Please be compassionate toward the teachers.