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Re: Needy Students Driving Me CRAZY (long)
Posted by Kim in CA 4th grade on 7/23/08


I notice that the original poster talked about a period of direct
instruction and of practice, but do you have a chunk of time
dedicated to the students showing you that they can master the
concept before they move on to the independent practice. Have you
thought of using whiteboards? In math especially I teach the brief
lesson- broken into steps like you mentioned. After that we
practice together- I'll do a problem and pick a non-volunteer or two
to randomly to fill in parts that I leave out- usually on the
overhead or main whiteboard. Then I give them some work to "show
me" that they've got it. When I can see most of them have finished,
I say "1, 2, 3, Show me." This prevents them from copying. In that
brief couple of minutes I can see who's got it and can set them
loose on the independent practice while I work with the small group
that didn't get it yet. If more than about 20% of my class doesn't
get it, then it is my fault and I repeat the steps, we do another
problem together...etc.

As far as the interrupting situation, I usually joke with the rest
of the class about it. Something like a think aloud, " Hmm, this
morning when I awoke, I only had one shadow, but now it seems I have
two... I wonder why that is... hmm." I continue to go about my
business as if that student doesn't exist until they go back to
their seat and raise their hands at which point I acknowledge them
with a joyful response to their concern. Usually after one or two
attempts at getting in my face to get the information, the rest of
the kids in the class will call out the word "shadow" and they get a
kick out of it while the realization that this is a behavior that
even their peers don't condone makes them stop altogether.

We also have a rule in class that states that students are to be
problem solvers. This means that if they have a problem with
something and didn't do all they could to solve it independently,
they'll have a consequence for it. I repeat a little rhyme :Ask
three before you ask me. This means they need to try to figure it
out with the help of three students in their immediate vicinity. If
those students can't help them, then I make it a point to do it
myself.

On 7/19/08, Susan wrote:
> On 2/27/08, MMM 2nd grade teacher Florida wrote:
>> I'm in my second YEAR of teaching (2nd grade this year) and this
>> EXACT situation fits me to a T.....I have kids that CONSTANTLY
>> get out of their seat to interrupt me, EVEN WHEN i'm talking to
>> an ADULT>..and i find myself snapping...explaining how
>> inconsiderate and rude it is to interrupt ANYONE..let alone an
>> ADULT..and how they are also breaking one of our class rules and
>> the AGREEMENT we signed at the beginning of the year...One of
>> the consequences is to put their name on the board and if they
>> end up with 2 checks they will miss our FUn friday celebration.
>> I have tried so many things with this class..that Positive
>> reinforcement is the closest thing to working that i've
>> gotten...and we're already 3/4 of the way through the school
>> year....and i'm seriously losing my mind too. I also pass out
>> gold coins to reward positive behaiviors..and the students can
>> cash in their coins at the end of hte week in the treasure box
>> if they have a total of 10...otherwise htey have to be saved for
>> next week. (Sorry about the typos...i'm typing extremely fast
>> right now)

>>> On 2/22/08, Gayle wrote:
>>>> I need help!
>>>>
>>>> I just finished my fifth week student teaching in a 4th
>>>> grade classroom and I'm losing my mind. I've worked with
>>>> students K-2 and middle school before, and I feel like
>>>> these 4th graders are the neediest kids I've ever met.
>>>>
>>>> During many lessons I walk students right through many of
>>>> their homework problems as examples, and always ask if
>>>> anyone has questions. Once they start working independently
>>>> on questions, five kids in the class always raise their
>>>> hand and say to me, "I don't get it!" very whiny needy
>>>> sounding. Usually I give them a couple of prompts to get
>>>> them started on the problems and they do fine, and then I
>>>> encourage with "You knew it all along!" but day after day
>>>> they will just sit and stare at their paper instead of
>>>> trying it on their own because they "don't get it." There
>>>> is no motivation to finish assignments, so if they don't
>>>> get it, they just don't bother.

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Posts on this thread, including this one


• Needy Students Driving Me CRAZY, 2/22/08, by Gayle.
• Re: Needy Students Driving Me CRAZY, 2/23/08, by Kristy .
• Re: Needy Students Driving Me CRAZY, 2/27/08, by MMM 2nd grade teacher Florida.
• Re: Needy Students Driving Me CRAZY, 4/02/08, by Angie- 2nd Grade.
• Re: Needy Students Driving Me CRAZY, 4/21/08, by Joey.
• Re: Needy Students Driving Me CRAZY, 4/22/08, by Darlene.
• Re: Needy Students Driving Me CRAZY, 4/23/08, by Darlene you left no message NFM.
• Re: Needy Students Driving Me CRAZY, 5/22/08, by Diana.
• Re: Needy Students Driving Me CRAZY, 6/16/08, by Dani.
• Re: Needy Students Driving Me CRAZY, 7/19/08, by Susan.
• Re: Needy Students Driving Me CRAZY (long), 7/23/08, by Kim in CA 4th grade.