Job Discussion Forums

[powerrose]

Hi,

I teach first grade at a private school, and I'm really hitting the wall with them. Here's some of my observations:

1. kids still unable to function in a classroom after 7 months, i.e. wander around, talk, don't do classwork, unable to do things like stand in line or take an easy test (letter recognition)
2. kids not making any progress with letter recognition (kindof hard to tell because of 1, but I haven't seen any signs). Other students have progressed to very easy reading.
3. Violent and destructive behavior including choking, hitting, kicking, spitting, destroying school property, and vandalizing chairs and tables
4. Extremely short attention span (relating to 1 again). Wandering out of time out, wandering off during reading time, etc.
5. Better behavior and attitude with play-based learning, like pretending to be monkeys, gluing macaroni to paper, etc.

I will fully admit that I don't have a lot of experience with this grade, which is why I've been going with the flow on this. But the other teachers have more experience and they're still struggling with teaching the kids how to form a line, how to do the alphabet, etc. Plus, you can see that half the class seems to be able to handle a classroom (until one of the younger kids punches them in the head) and is reading and writing words.

Some of these kids also have problems at home (bad divorces) and I really suspect 2-3 of them might have mental problems, although I really have no experience diagnosing special needs kids. The other teachers DO have experience and seem to be struggling still, even though they claimed the kids "would be fine by December". Actually, today they destroyed a really nice display an older grade had created in my class and I had to have a long cry in the bathroom over it. I really want to say something about all of it, but I feel at a distinct disadvantage since I have the least experience. Is this just normal for a first grade?

[Sashadroogie]

I blame the parents. Bring back smacking, that's what I say. All these classroom problems disappear instantly. Old-fashioned idea, yes, but so is proper discipline.

[Chancellor]

Sounds like a classroom management issue. Here is some material worth exploring:

http://www.classroommanagement.com/

http://teachers.net/gazette/wong.html

http://www.webenglishteacher.com/discipline.html

And here's one you should definitely invest in: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-First-Days-of-School/Harry-K-Wong/e/9780962936067

[powerrose]

It's possible, but 4 different teachers having the exact same problems?

I found most of the links you posted a little too geared towards older children. For instance, my students can't read, so I can't put up a list of rules. I did buy a couple books on classroom management, but it just does not put a dent in these trouble kids (versus the "normal" kids and my older kids, who respond well). In terms of classroom management, I've tried probably well over a hundred things with this class, including: star charts, behavior charts, a routine, singing, discussing the rules as a class, 1-2-3 discipline, time outs, lectures, prizes, timing drills to get students to do certain behaviors like coming in and sitting down faster (it was in the NYTimes Build a Better Teacher article), "fun time" with bad kids not allowed to play, picking them up and talking into their face, kneeling and talking, yelling, not yelling, pretending to be various animals (oddly successful), every single kind of class activity including playing outside, singing, reading, watching videos, art projects, board games, computer games (christ, the expensive destruction that was), and coloring, in addition to their long abandoned textbooks.....

I really think that it might be that the school has no testing/screening for incoming students. Shouldn't someone do something when kids are still peeing their pants and wandering around after 7 months?

[Chancellor]

[johntpartee]

I would never recommend corporal punishment. I came very close one time to striking a child, but I controlled myself. I called a meeting with the parents and the children, got all of the parents permission to mete out ANY punishment I saw fit (including hitting) and made sure the children understood that I had the parents permission. After that, all it took was raising my voice (sometimes to insane levels) or slapping the table or desk in front of the offenders with my open hand. Let them THINK you will hit them and practice your "war face". It works.

[powerrose]

Alright, I'll definitely read it. I think what I'm getting at is to what degree do I hold the school responsible? The school had some sort of scandal with the psychologist and has been in a holding pattern when it comes to diagnosing/treating kids for the past three years. They also don't have any sort of school consequences for behavior, calling a parent is the most extreme, even after near fatal violence. We're having a meeting next week and I'm thinking of bringing up my three concerns:

I feel that at age 5, some of the kids are just too young for a full-time school environment

Some of the kids have serious behavioral and learning problems that might stem from undiagnosed special needs

There needs to be far more serious consequences for things like destruction and violence

But I expect that the response I'll get is that I'm "overreacting" to "normal" first grade behavior. Am I?

[johntpartee]

[powerrose]

BTW, John, I think their homeroom teacher uses that method a bit too much. The kids are really numb to yelling and loud noises and physical restraint, etc......

[Chancellor]

[steve69]

you could do things like the nuns in my catholic school when i was a kid. they used to like to use rulers on the knuckles. especially the one named sister mary burner and boy did it .


just kidding(although the nuns did do that)

[johnslat]

Dear steve69,

Here now - we'll have nun of that.

Hail, fellow Catholic School Survivor (they pulled ears, too.)

Regards,
John the Apostate

[powerrose]

Well, just in the past month, a girl threw another girl down the stairs leading to a big gash in her head (but no brain damage/hospital visit) and another one slammed his classmate's fingers in a door. Frankly, I don't even think that school in 'Ninja Assassin' would impress these kids.

[Master Shake]

As others have mentioned, powerrose, your likely dealing with the results of bad parenting and disfunctional families.

What's more, in some asian countries parents don't involve themselves in school dicipline matters. It's not part of the culture. The parents see it as the teachers' sole responsibility to look after the kids when they are at school. All problems are brushed under the rug and if the parents do ask questions about incidents at school, they are lied to.

This was common practice when I was teaching at a big primary/secondary school in Bangkok, Thailand.

So you can either make liberal use of your ruler, try and ride it out and experiment with other dicipline techniques, or look for another job.