Help! Difficult class!

by Mary L

Oct 4, 2012

I love teaching. I have taught 10 years. And this year, I have already been in tears several days after work! I have 7 kids who scored FBB on the test last year, 5 reading at a Kindergarten or 1st reading level (yes, I teach 4th!), and worse, I have several who are so disruptive that it makes it difficult to get through all my lessons each day. Classroom management has always been the easiest part of teaching for me, and this year transitions take too long, many aren't responding to positive rewards or negative consequences, and I would love someone to share an idea with me! I had parent night tonight and only 19 of my 34 parents came. So disappointing. Any helpful ideas? Thanks!!

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Sara On 10/04/12, Mary L wrote:

Some schools allow grandparents to volunteer as classroom aides - if your school does, you might try that though everybody needs clearances in these times. You can't really increase the involvement of parents. Do you have 16 students in your class? In any case, the first issue is settling the class - put their r...See MoreOn 10/04/12, Mary L wrote:

Some schools allow grandparents to volunteer as classroom aides - if your school does, you might try that though everybody needs clearances in these times. You can't really increase the involvement of parents. Do you have 16 students in your class? In any case, the first issue is settling the class - put their reading skills and anything else on the near to back burner for now because nothing else can be accomplished until you get the disruptive kids more settled. I've never found positive rewards and negative consequences to necessarily be a cure all - some kids are jaded beyond that. I try to stress that we are a community and one that I care about and look forward to being with each day. I tell the hard truth that - no matter what and no matter how much we might wish it - we have a long school year ahead of us. I tell them I didn't invent school, I just teach it and that I want each day in school to be as good as it can for them. I tell them that I know every moment isn't fun but that I definitely want us all to have some fun every day but of course we also have work to do to grow our skills.

I emphasize the idea of skill building to them - I don't emphasize the idea of work for work's sake. Work should have a purpose and I avoid busy work at all costs because it undermines what I'm trying to accomplish. I read aloud every day and if that doesn't work, then I get hold of tapes of very good short stories read by professional readers. I want to try to intrigue them - some kids have just had it with school even by 4th grade. Some kids find school an odious process and it makes them sad or sometimes angry. I try to fashion a school day that leaves them wanting to come back the next day.

I will go out on the playground even if I don't have playground duty. It builds a sense of community between me and my students. I will go into the lunch room even if I don't have lunch room duty. I don't want them to think that I think I'm above being with them and that I'm only with them when I have to be. I do try to put some fun activity into every day - all work and no play makes Jack and Jill both very dull and something angry and unhappy.

I don't leave art just to the art teacher because I find art is soothing to some of them. Finger painting even - I will hang their finger painting on the walls and the bright colors lift all our spirits. Why would they settle down if everything in school feels just awful to them? I try to encourage them to see our class as a haven - but - I need their help to make it so. When a child speaks in a disruptive way, I ask why. I ask why do they speak that way when I don't speak that way. It's a fair question. I shower praise whenever I can.

I try to make time to speak to the disruptive ones - one by one. I ask questions like 'what is wrong?' Why do you interrupt? I want their answers and I explain again what I'm trying to do which is fashion a positive day for all of us. I acknowledge openly they might not like school but that I'm not empowered to do anything about that - I can't cancel school but I can make our classroom as pleasant a place as possible - with some help from them.

I don't know if that helps you but that stance and those things help me with my disruptive kids. > I love teaching. I have taught 10 years. And this year, I > have already been in tears several days after work! I have > 7 kids who scored FBB on the test last year, 5 reading at a > Kindergarten or 1st reading level (yes, I teach 4th!), and > worse, I have several who are so disruptive that it makes > it difficult to get through all my lessons each day. > Classroom management has always been the easiest part of > teaching for me, and this year transitions take too long, > many aren't responding to positive rewards or negative > consequences, and I would love someone to share an idea > with me! I had parent night tonight and only 19 of my 34 > parents came. So disappointing. Any helpful ideas? Thanks!!

Oct 7, 2012

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Mary L Sara, thank you for your response! I have 34 students, by the way. I appreciate the heart you have for teaching and I did get many helpful things from your thoughtful reply. I am trying and will continue to try! I also forgot to mention that half of my kids are EL learners and one is also autistic. He cries loudly most mornings. :) Thanks again

Oct 8, 2012

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Sara On 10/08/12, Mary L wrote: > Sara, thank you for your response! I have 34 students, by the > way. I appreciate the heart you have for teaching and I did get > many helpful things from your thoughtful reply. I am trying and > will continue to try! I also forgot to mention that half of my > kids are EL learners and one is also autistic...See MoreOn 10/08/12, Mary L wrote: > Sara, thank you for your response! I have 34 students, by the > way. I appreciate the heart you have for teaching and I did get > many helpful things from your thoughtful reply. I am trying and > will continue to try! I also forgot to mention that half of my > kids are EL learners and one is also autistic. He cries loudly > most mornings. :) Thanks again

34 students with 1/2 English language learners and 1 autistic child? There is a place for you in heaven but you're already doing God's work on earth. How lucky is your district and our country to have someone like you willing to take on such a challenge. I have retired teacher friends who like to volunteer and they have their clearances - they love going into a class one or two mornings a week. There's a 'volunteer match' website - maybe you could post there or - why don't all our schools make better use of education majors? A volunteer college student could get the benefit of experience and a written recommendation from you if they would volunteer one morning a week. Even someone to read to one group while you work with the other.

The autistic child - what's his history? I work now in a special needs school with many high-functioning autistic children. They're frightened and the loud noises and rapid motions of many children are too much for them to process. My autistic children often have something they carry through the day that helps them to calm. They 'stim' or engage in a soothing repetitive motion that does soothe them. Can you sit the autistic child by your desk with a warm smile and keep him there? Not as a punishment but as a safer place to be. He might benefit from an IPOD playing soft music so he could put that on once in a while and block out the other sounds.

We need quiet games - let me check online for sit still quiet games. Whisper Down the Lane is one. Sit Still Simon Says is another - with things like look up, look down, turn your head around.

Good luck with this - keep a journal if you possible can find time to do so and you should publish that journal! A Day In the Life of a Teacher Trying To Do Her Best For All.

Oct 9, 2012

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Allison I just wanted to commend you on this difficult situation. Sometimes it just helps to explain what you are going through. Its also comforting to know that other people are struggling with the same issues. Keep working hard!

Nov 3, 2012

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