Students hanging out in your room

[uptown_urbanist]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm assuming that most of the people posting here were referring to casual conversations between teachers and students, and talk about home lives as in "I did X over the weekend," not the real serious stuff. I would assume that most teachers do take the time to talk with the kids about any serious problems, and to get them the help they need. I'm not a teacher, but in my student-related jobs we've had training in the basics of what to do with some of those issues; there's the basic ethical and moral issues, of course, but there are also legal implications, and teachers are aware of that.

I think teachers need to have time to interact casually with students, too, and to build better relationships with students, but it's reasonable that teachers also have a few minutes alone to finish up work and to have a little breathing time before returning to the busy daytime schedule of teaching. That doesn't mean they care any less about the students or don't want to be accessible. Being inaccessible for non-essential situations for a short burst of time in the middle of the day doesn't mean the teachers don't know how to be around kids or don't want to hang out with the kids.

It's been my experience that the majority of teachers really do care about their students and fully realize their impact on their students' lives. Don't let posters on this board change your feelings about teachers in general.

[kek1993]

Originally Posted by sskkc

Wow... as a parent who volunteers in the schools a lot, this is very disturbing. Kids I don't know (and neither do my children) come up and ask for (or just take) hugs and want to talk about their home lives. The kids that are doing this have problems at home... serious problems. Knowing that teachers are just doing their best to ignore these kids, instead of referring them to a counselor is very disturbing.

I think teachers need MORE training on how to be around kids... perhaps those paid summer months should be spent doing something more useful than complaining to everyone that your 12 month pay (for 10 months work) is too low.

I never thought I'd say this... but the longer I belong to this forum board, the less respect I have for teachers in general. I know there are always a few bad apples, but perhaps if more time was spent say... getting papers back to students in a timely manner... and less time complaining on~line about their lack of time, these situations could improve.

Teachers should not HUG kids, EVER. If you have a teacher that is hugging kids, that is a problem. Volunteer parents should definitely not be hugging kids.

The issue of kids hanging out in a classroom, is boundary issues, teachers need to maintain respect, order, and not allow kids to take over their space. It is too easy to let kids hang out in your room, and talk about their problems at home. They need to be referred to the school counselor, who is specially trained to deal with students having emotional problems, you are not being unsympathetic, you are helping the student, and protecting your job.

Sorry, been there, and guess what, if anything happens in that classroom, you will be hung out to dry. If you are not actively teaching, keep that door shut, and locked. Do not have students who come to your room looking for "attention" who are alone. Make sure your door is open if a student is in your classroom.

I used to have a study group after school, and taught math for an extra hour a day as a tutoring session, on my own time, until students were too disrespectful, eating in my classroom, making it messy, they wanted it to be chat time, not serious time for studying math to pass the comp tests. So, I ended it.

[Emma_Laya]

I know at my daughter's previous school... students could get there anytime between 6 AM and 8:15 AM. If rooms were unlocked... they were allowed to be in them without teachers or anything.

Teachers had offices if they needed them. And if the rooms were locked, they could ask another teacher to unlock a room for them.

At the high school level, they were allowed to be in any room at all times. In middle school, after school, they had a study hall.

As far as tutorials and stuff... if students were finishing up tests or something... the students would tell ohter students to "Shut up or get out." That seemed to take care of the problem.

And teachers were required to hold office hours from 3-4, where students could come in for tutorials. Most teachers were available for much longer than that though, including before school, lunch, and as late as 11 or 12 at night for some teachers. (More the math teachers than anyone else!)

So if a kid got kicked out of a classroom, then they'd just roam and find another empty one...

But this was a small private school. 150 kids in grades 9-12.

[Naomi Manischewitz]

if it is before or after school and they arent rowdy, i am okay with it. however during my breaks, i do not want any kids in the room. thats my alone time lol.

[riverbottomkidok]

I am not a teacher but in my experience with the 500+ students at my school there is a time to work and a time for play. My best friend and I are in charge of the cafeteria. We have policies in place concerning drop-offs before and after school. Our morning cook does not have to let children in until at least 7:30, but she opens up the minute she gets there for any students that may dwindle in. We have an after school program for 8th and under until 6 p.m. High school opens the gates and the gym.

Our students know that we have an open-door policy. If these kids need us we're there. However, long ago, these kids learned the difference between work and play. Teachers and workers that open their hearts and doors for their kids allow them to flourish in that environment.

You may try adopting something like a red-green system. Something red (such as a scarf, square piece of construction paper), anything to represent stop and the same thing in green, to represent go. Red for work, green for play. Post it somewhere noticeable. Just a suggestion.