I am a new teacher who needs some help. I have a new student this year who has been late 39 out of her 40 days in my classroom. She is late anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours. Our entire school is aware of this and our social worker and vice principal have talked to the mother on numerous occasions. However, I feel as though nothing is being done. Should I call the police? What authorities need to be involved? DCFS is already in this families home. I don't know what to do!
On 11/21/09, Bosley Sock wrote: > I am a new teacher who needs some help. I have a new > student this year who has been late 39 out of > her 40 days in my classroom. She is late anywhere from 15 > minutes to 2 hours. Our entire school is aware of this and > our social worker and vice principal have talked to the > mother on numerous occasions. However, I feel as though > nothing is being done. Should I call the police? What > authorities need to be involved? DCFS is already in this > families home. I don't know what to do!
What do you imagine the police will do? Sadly and inconveniently, this is not going to be resolved. Why is DCFS already involved? Because something is wrong in the home.
Family dynamics change slowly if they can be helped to change at all. Does the mother drink? Possibly but there's likely nothing that's going to change. Be glad this child is coming to school at all and try to provide some sense of haven from her - welcome her warmly when she gets there cause she likely doesn't encounter much warmth at home. You have a GREAT opportunity here if you can rise to the challenge of it. Here's a kid with nothing. You can spend the rest of the year remonstrating about how inconvenient this is, how detrimental is it to the child, or you can do the little you can do and be something positive in the child's day even if her day gets off to a late start every day.
Worse things are happening to this kid than she's late for school - keep that in mind and it may help you to smile and make the best of it for the child's sake.
Thank you both. I feel so overwhelmed with this whole ...See MoreOn 11/22/09, Sara wrote: > On 11/21/09, Bosley Sock wrote: her day gets off to a late start every day. > > Worse things are happening to this kid than she's late for > school - keep that in mind and it may help you to smile and > make the best of it for the child's sake.
Thank you both. I feel so overwhelmed with this whole situation. It's tragic on so many levels. Unfortunately, I am encountering all sorts of tragedy in my new career as a teacher.
It messes up my morning somewhat because they miss vital lesson information and sometimes what sets the tone for the entire morning...to allow me to have the children working independently so I can pull small groups...
I found comfort in Ruby Payne's book about Generational Poverty for this really relates to my population...
You have all the right people involved. The thing I try to do is making school so rewarding that the child wants desperately to be there; therefore, comes...and earlier. I have been doing this for years at my current school...and the problem just hasn't gone away. Each year it is different students, same situation.
Teaching is challenging. This is the most challenging assignment I have had in my decades of teaching. It hasn't really gotten any better, I have just become better with dealing with it...I wish you luck. Relax some, take a look at what your most important objectives are and then adjust to you kids--but don't lower your expectations.
On 11/21/09, Bosley Sock wrote: > I am a new teacher who needs some help. I have a new > student this year who has been late 39 out of > her 40 days in my classroom. She is late anywhere from 15 > minutes to 2 hours. Our entire school is aware of this and > our social worker and vice principal have talked to the > mother on numerous occasions. However, I feel as though > nothing is being done. Should I call the police? What > authorities need to be involved? DCFS is already in this > families home. I don't know what to do!