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I spend a lot of time getting to know my problem kids. And I mean a lot.
Kid walked in this year, and just as I'm starting my "Everyone is successful in my classroom!" first-day speech, he interrupted me with, "Whatever miss, I don't like English."
I flashed him a million-dollar smile. "That's okay, because English likes you."
He looked totally confused, and totally confused every day afterward when I greeted him by name (with a handshake!) and handed him paper and pencil. After whole-group instruction, I would plant myself right next to him during pair/group/individual work time. We talked about why my class is important, and why he needs to know the stuff, and how I am the most qualified person to teach him. It took a while, and I know everyone else was listening - but they got the idea real quick that they're not just going to sit there and do nothing - not without a fight from me! (Ioverheard this at open house: "My English teacher is weird. If you don't do your work, she sits there and talks to you about it. GOSH!!!") Even though it took several weeks to get him to even look me in the eye, he did eventually start to do work.
My daughter is in the 8th grade and this is the second time she has had this teacher. Even in 6th grade the teacher's choice of punishment (for the same two or three boys who consistently cause trouble in the classroom) seems to be cancelling gym, for example, for the ENTIRE class. What kind of ridiculous tactic is this? Maybe, once upon a time, this method would have prompted the "innocent" kids to complain and tease the trouble makers into feeling badly for making the innocent pay, however it isn't working since, as I said, the same three boys have been causing trouble for everyone consistently for the last three years. I don't know why this teacher has a problem with singling out the culprits and having them sit on the sidelines and WATCH everyone ELSE having fun during gym class. Perhaps writing lines while they wait "I will not disrupt the class", five hundred times. I don't get it. What the heck happened to discipline and having the kids take responsibility for their OWN actions? Meanwhile, the rest of the class, eager and excited about LEARNING has to pay for the actions of those boys. ABSURD.
When I taught high school, I had an african american female, who would sit in her desk, with her legs spread out wide. She managed to make a school uniform of white shirt, and blue skirt look like a hootchie mama hooker outfit. She did not do any assignments, and was as dumb as a rock. She would make derogatory comments to me about my clothing, and once asked during class when the last time was that I had "any"...When I sent her to the Dean for that remark, she stated she was just asking about any pencils, as she needed one. Then, when I flunked her, she stated that I called her a "dumb N-word". We had to have a meeting with the school principal and her Mother, and this girl flat out lied about me. Guess what? She was passed in the class, and I was written up...It was the last straw of a 20 year teaching career. I decided to leave...and don't regret it at all...
How very, very sad. This is precisely the problem; taking the side of the kid when there is only ONE side -- YOURS. I cannot understand why there is such a laid-back approach to discipline. Then we wonder why these kids end up talking in class, disrupting the class, causing trouble for the ones that are indeed there to learn, etc. It's because they've learned there are absolutely NO CONSEQUENCES to their actions. None. Instead, we have great teachers who leave the profession because they're frustrated and overwhelmed. So sad.
My daughter is in the 8th grade and this is the second time she has had this teacher. Even in 6th grade the teacher's choice of punishment (for the same two or three boys who consistently cause trouble in the classroom) seems to be cancelling gym, for example, for the ENTIRE class. What kind of ridiculous tactic is this? Maybe, once upon a time, this method would have prompted the "innocent" kids to complain and tease the trouble makers into feeling badly for making the innocent pay, however it isn't working since, as I said, the same three boys have been causing trouble for everyone consistently for the last three years. I don't know why this teacher has a problem with singling out the culprits and having them sit on the sidelines and WATCH everyone ELSE having fun during gym class. Perhaps writing lines while they wait "I will not disrupt the class", five hundred times. I don't get it. What the heck happened to discipline and having the kids take responsibility for their OWN actions? Meanwhile, the rest of the class, eager and excited about LEARNING has to pay for the actions of those boys. ABSURD.
This happens in my childs class as well. I have explained to him that in life sometimes it's up to all of us to correct the problems. That all of the kids whom are well behaved need to stick up for that right and not let the one disturbing the class effect what they want to do. They will have to deal with this in the work place as well, or at an event. I think that the child acting up needs to learn this too. That others won't like it, and they will not be able to scare people into changing a direction. The good need to learn to have a voice early on, and not fear the one or two kids that cause disruption.
I'm not sure this is what the teachers direction is, but this is how I view it.
There are a lot of lessons at school, if you chose the path of group education you are going to be teaching more than school subjects you are going to be teaching life skills as well.
I just wish teachers were aloud to be more honest with parents and they could stop fearing the administration and rules recently set by the governments. It's to the point were it's getting to personal and causing a loss of confidence that teachers and parents need to make a school run well. Either overhaul the system or don't mess with it. It seems we are trying to fix it one domino at a time and right now it is in transition and isn't working, for the parent or the teacher.
This was a great year for me as far as working with a teacher, I think it is because my child is in a "gifted only" classroom. The teacher seems to have more freedom to be honest with us. For instance, our program is in constant danger of being taken away, so, it needs to work. That alone makes parents behave differently. My sons teacher has no issues with telling us that she will teach in order to keep the program alive, her job essentially. With this information it's a totally different ballgame. I now tell my child that his teacher will not put her job in jeopardy for a child that refuses to learn or has no respect for a teachers job. That her job is important to her and deserves respect. My child seemed to understand this better as well. That way it isn't "why is she doing this?", and you don't get parents trying to decipher whats wrong in the classroom. It's clear, and if you come, you don't jeopardize the program, if not, there are others that will take your seat, no hard feelings.
I think she is allowed to be this way because of the nature of the class, but, it has made me realize a lot of flaws with the regular classrooms, administration and the fine line parents and teachers have to walk. It needs to change, right now it's not set up for respect. It's low paying, and the teachers are not taking their right of honesty, and at the same time parents are limited by laws that make them hand over responsibility of their child to the school, the ones trying to take responsibility get insulted. It causes conflict, we can't save everybody, some just won't make it. Let them go, it is not beneficial to hold on to them. It does no good, you can't save a child you hate having in your classroom. It won't work that way.
We have to come to terms with this.
Sure, there will be some of those teachers who can do it all, as well as some of those parents who do it all right but far more in between, and it isn't working out. It's about time for there to be a serious effort to get it right.
It would be nice to see more teachers unions involved, why aren't they? I'm just curious why there are no outraged teachers marching? Respect is an issue here, demand it then. This obviously isn't a "working system" of things. Why not change it? Demand that there be separate classrooms for the kids who can't be taught under normal conditions, get them out of your room. If you can't teach with them in there, then get them out of there. Pay the teachers of those classrooms a lot of money and let them teach labor skills. Or let those kids homeschool, I home schooled 2 children that learned differently. Have a full time counselor to work out the reasons why, and be done with it.
This would solve a lot of problems.
This happens in my childs class as well. I have explained to him that in life sometimes it's up to all of us to correct the problems. That all of the kids whom are well behaved need to stick up for that right and not let the one disturbing the class effect what they want to do. They will have to deal with this in the work place as well, or at an event. I think that the child acting up needs to learn this too. That others won't like it, and they will not be able to scare people into changing a direction. The good need to learn to have a voice early on, and not fear the one or two kids that cause disruption.
I'm not sure this is what the teachers direction is, but this is how I view it.
There are a lot of lessons at school, if you chose the path of group education you are going to be teaching more than school subjects you are going to be teaching life skills as well.
I just wish teachers were aloud to be more honest with parents and they could stop fearing the administration and rules recently set by the governments. It's to the point were it's getting to personal and causing a loss of confidence that teachers and parents need to make a school run well. Either overhaul the system or don't mess with it. It seems we are trying to fix it one domino at a time and right now it is in transition and isn't working, for the parent or the teacher.
This was a great year for me as far as working with a teacher, I think it is because my child is in a "gifted only" classroom. The teacher seems to have more freedom to be honest with us. For instance, our program is in constant danger of being taken away, so, it needs to work. That alone makes parents behave differently. My sons teacher has no issues with telling us that she will teach in order to keep the program alive, her job essentially. With this information it's a totally different ballgame. I now tell my child that his teacher will not put her job in jeopardy for a child that refuses to learn or has no respect for a teachers job. That her job is important to her and deserves respect. My child seemed to understand this better as well. That way it isn't "why is she doing this?", and you don't get parents trying to decipher whats wrong in the classroom. It's clear, and if you come, you don't jeopardize the program, if not, there are others that will take your seat, no hard feelings.
I think she is allowed to be this way because of the nature of the class, but, it has made me realize a lot of flaws with the regular classrooms, administration and the fine line parents and teachers have to walk. It needs to change, right now it's not set up for respect. It's low paying, and the teachers are not taking their right of honesty, and at the same time parents are limited by laws that make them hand over responsibility of their child to the school, the ones trying to take responsibility get insulted. It causes conflict, we can't save everybody, some just won't make it. Let them go, it is not beneficial to hold on to them. It does no good, you can't save a child you hate having in your classroom. It won't work that way.
We have to come to terms with this.
Sure, there will be some of those teachers who can do it all, as well as some of those parents who do it all right but far more in between, and it isn't working out. It's about time for there to be a serious effort to get it right.
It would be nice to see more teachers unions involved, why aren't they? I'm just curious why there are no outraged teachers marching? Respect is an issue here, demand it then. This obviously isn't a "working system" of things. Why not change it? Demand that there be separate classrooms for the kids who can't be taught under normal conditions, get them out of your room. If you can't teach with them in there, then get them out of there. Pay the teachers of those classrooms a lot of money and let them teach labor skills. Or let those kids homeschool, I home schooled 2 children that learned differently. Have a full time counselor to work out the reasons why, and be done with it.
This would solve a lot of problems.
I think I understand what you're trying to say about "teaching life skills", etc. This teacher's method might be teaching the other kids to speak up when they feel they're being unjustly punished for the actions of others, but what, pray tell, is it teaching the kids that are committing the ill deeds? Is it teaching them that no matter what they do, they will never be reprimanded directly and individually? Letting them get away without their just desserts is far more harmful than punishing them. I don't know why or when the school system started doing away with proper disciplinary actions, (and I'm not referring to the paddle) but I'm pretty sure it probably coincided with these kids starting to (and knowing that they can) get away with murder. Today's approach really undermines the hard work and consistent parenting that some of us moms and dads put into teaching our children right from wrong. Eventually, though not in all cases, the kid no matter how well reared sides with the majority of the kids who get away with everything and the kids who know that no matter what happens, even if the parents get called in, those idiot parents side with their kids almost 99% of the time.
About the unions: The union isn't there for quality of education my friend. It never was and never will be. The union is there only to push teachers to strike for greater pay/pensions etc. which ultimately has no bearing on the quality of instruction our children are getting today. Once upon a time, teaching was a vocation. Now, it's a job like any other and in these parts, they're paid handsomely for a 7 hour day. I say 7 hours, but it's 7 hours minus 1 hour for lunch; minus 30 minutes for two recesses, minus 40 minutes for music; minus 30 minutes for French and minus 30 minutes for Italian. (these classes are taught by other teachers therefore during this time, the teachers are relaxing and sipping coffee in the staff room while the school board has to pay outside individuals to monitor the school yard during lunch and recess) And let's not forget 1 week for Winter break, 2 weeks for Christmas Holidays, "Professional Development" days which account for far too many 4-day weekends, plus Easter and 2 months off (with pay) for the summer. Not a bad gig, huh?
I work at a private school that exclusively enrolls students with behavioral issues. Most are autism spectrum disorders and are referrals from public districts who are not equipped to meet their needs. But we also have students whose behavioral concerns don't stem from ASDs. Overall, though, most of our students are at our school because their public schools did not have the appropriate resources to handle their extreme behavior.
I'm not a teacher yet. I'm planning to do Middle School history/English. So I know I will have kids with issues. All teachers do. My Mom teaches early childhood special ed. I admire teachers who teach only special ed students. I'm not sure I could handle having a class full of student with behavior disorders. I'm sure I could learn to handle a few (you have to expect a few), but a whole class full would be mindblowing.
I really admire special ed and alternative school teachers. It's very hard work.
In one of my observations I did see a student taken outside and then to the office because she was mouthing off. It was interesting. It's good to see the teacher immediately go back to the lesson and not let the girl completely disrupt the class. I saw another student get talked to for not turning assignments in for two weeks. He had to call his Mom and tell her that he hasn't been turning in his homework. I've learned a lot in my observations. I've enjoyed my 2nd and 4th grade observations, but Middle School is more where I belong. I like a challenge.
Depends on what you like. I've worked in various branches of education, and have found working with disabled and behaviorally disordered students to be the most challenging and rewarding. Not everyone has the patience or temperament for it, though. At this point in my career, I have no doubt that if I went back to teaching g/t students, neurotypical learners, and/or students without behavioral disorders, I'd find myself a bit unchallenged.
I teach high school and have 90 students each day. I have 1 REALLY disruptive student(Student A) and one or two who can be a pain in the rear occasionally but nothing major. Daily I spend at least 10 minutes of class having to deal with Student A's behavior. He has been referred to the office multiple times for various things but our county has made it VERY difficult to have students removed from the traditional classroom and placed in an alternative education situation. For now all I can do is document his behavior, follow the discipline policy(phone calls, letters home, detentions) and make referrals. This student has been suspended 4 separate times already this year and in the past 3 years accumulated a huge file of constant disruptive and threatening behavior. We cannot send a student out of our room to the office so he has to stay in class, my only option is to send him to another teachers room but no one else wants to have to deal with his behavior either. All my fellow teachers have helped but have now made it very clear he will not be sent to their classroom during their prep time due to his behavior anymore.
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