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GhstDreamer · Sep 11th, 2009, 08:49 PM

Originally Posted by liz4382

Any seasoned teachers have any similar stories to share? It will make me feel better to know that I'm not alone in my disorganization.

Actually for a teacher I am a very disorganized person. I have misplaced assessments before but I get over it - you always have other assessments you can use for their evaluations or reports. Today, I even forgot to bring my daybook to school...thank goodness I rarely count on it anyways and the principal didn't check out daybooks today!

ash14vwb · Sep 12th, 2009, 10:26 AM

Okay all, first week of year 2 went MUCH better than last year!!! I came home very tired every day and continued with work at home, but was HAPPY. I am still excited about my classes, the students, and see a great year for us all. I was very nervous that this year would be a repeat of last year (awful year for me, like a deer in the headlights getting hit by a car every week, lol). However, I have some bright students, many eager to learn students, and some tough ones, too- but who doesn't?

I guess my only vent is that I'm up to 31 students in 2 of my classes, and we're on a block so I have them for an hour and 20 minutes. We'll just do lots of group activities, which they like more than listening to me, anyway.

I hope everyone else's "back to school" was successful. I know this is a honeymoon period, so we will see how it is a month from now. Still, I'm relieved and excited.

exotikittenx · Sep 12th, 2009, 10:33 AM

What grade do you teach? ^^^ PM me if you want any tips or ideas for specific activities! :)

MichelleD · Sep 13th, 2009, 03:43 AM

Not a teacher here but a clinical social worker (supervisor) for a private foster care agency (and former therapist). My 2 sisters are teachers and while I'm not in the classroom, I am all too familiar with the drama & frustration therein (from my sisters, my staff/foster parents/former clients). I truly feel your pain perhaps from a different perspective.

The kids (and some of their parents) these days will drive you to drink....

So, here's to us all....

PrettyInPink · Sep 13th, 2009, 04:05 AM

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for making this thread!!!!

I'm a preschool teacher... studying to be an elem ed teacher. And, this year I have a boy with ODD who is an absolute nightmare. It is one thing after another with him... he is so extremely confrontational. Not only to other students, but to me and my TA as well. And, it seems like... his mother doesn't care at all. I am SO struggling to work with the other kids in my class because he is such a disruption.

I don't even know how to handle him because he can be extremely violent on top of his outbursts! I believe he needs to be in a special needs school, but his mother refuses.

Worst of all, I feel TRULY sorry for this kid... because I know it's not his fault that he's like this.

fabae · Sep 13th, 2009, 04:44 PM

^ I have one like that this year (but he's 7!) He makes creepy faces, grinds his teeth, clenches his fist, breathes heavily through his teeth, and crosses his eyes when he gets angry. Weird. I've never come across a child like that. Actually, last year he got so angry at a sub that he punched her in the stomach (and she was pregnant!) I think something needs to be done with him, but I also really do think that it all stems from his parents, who are simply not in-charge enough. His anger runs their house.

Angelfangs · Sep 13th, 2009, 05:13 PM

So I'm not sure what the big deal is here. I mean, it sounds like you took the appropriate action in emailing the parents. As a parent myself, I too would acknowledge the email then get my childs side of the story BEFORE I initiated any discipline FOR THE ACTUAL CAUSE. Don't misunderstand me....I would address the aggressive behavior as a saparate issue........clarify for me why you are upset w the parents response?

GhstDreamer · Sep 13th, 2009, 05:55 PM

PrettyinPink and fabae: I've came across a number of young children like the ones you described (specifically worked with kids with behavioural disorders). Everybody needs to be on board is it's a continuing and escalating problem - the whole point is something at the administrative level must be done if he/she is harming themselves or others. Actually for the board I work for, hitting, punching and kicking are suspendible offenses regardless of age.

I had two 6-7 year old students (last year) who engaged in a lot of violent behaviour, i.e. smearing blood on the walls, stomping on another student's head, throwing rocks, punching volunteers, swearing, etc. it took a team of parents, myself, administrator, social worker and school psychologist to sit down and talk about what's going on. If both of your situations are similar - you need to start looking towards some approval for paperwork to get social work evaluation (especially if you already assessed the students and they do not have any academic problems that can be related back to any designated disability). Most children won't be designated with ODD until much older so for a number of young children, it could be simply be developmental - they haven't been socialized or taught rules of engaging in appropriate play, respect, etc. at home.

Anyways, for my students, I came up with a behaviour program book (a yellow happy book with a smiley face on it which I named it the ________'s Positive Book. Each day gets broken down into 25 minute time slots in which he/she gets a smiley face or a sad face from the teacher. At the end of each time slot, I (whoever is teaching him/her) conference with the student why he/she got a sad or smiley face. At the end of the day, there is a note for the parents and we also use that as a communication book. There is a total of smiley faces at the end of the day. After a couple of months in and the student is getting the hang of it, I changed it up. Now he/she prints a checkmark next to the smiley/sad face. A checkmark if he/she thought that they engaged in appropriate behaviour during that time slot and no checkmark if they didn't think so. It's important that they feel they have some control over the positive book and there are many times, what they thought they did inappropriately was not at all and vice versa. They count how well they did at the end of the week and if they did really well - they get a high-five from me. It has to be stressed that there are only intrinsic and intangible rewards.

It worked extremely well with one of the students who was always angry and had unchecked anger management issues - with this program, plus social work and parent involvement, he actually started having friends by the middle of the school year. It was so bad before that his cousins weren't even allowed to play with him because of his violent temper.

PrettyInPink · Sep 13th, 2009, 06:11 PM

^^The problem is in my situation the parent is SO not cooperative. I am going to try some alternative methods to help him do better in class.

It probably doesn't help that I work in a low-income area... and most of my students are English Language Learners (my certification has to do with ESL students.)

ARGHHH! So, add a language barrier on top of everything else. It's just a nightmare.

GhstDreamer · Sep 13th, 2009, 07:00 PM

^It takes a long while before parents usually will jump aboard. I know with the two students' parents refused to acknowledge any problems which stemmed all the way back to junior kindergarten.

I know what you mean when working in a low income area - I've worked in those schools that are very transient. It is difficult setting any paperwork done on programming when a lot of these kids transfer after a couple of months.

lurkernomore · Sep 13th, 2009, 07:12 PM

Hi, just found this thread, and I will be visiting frequently! I teach 6th grade at an inner city middle school. This is my 7th year, and I love my job. Some of my students break my heart, it seems like each year we get more and more kids who are just not loved...

But my vent is - I had a mother call last week to ask if I was going to show the Obama speech. NO hello, nothing, just " I need to know now because I have to go to work and I will keep my daughter home if YOU are going to show the speech." At that point my district hadn't made a decision on what we were supposed to do, so I told her very nicely to call Central Office. She asked me for the number, I said I didn't have it (which I didn't). I gave her nothing. I was pretty pissed considering that it is the beginning of the school year, and I have way more important things to worry about (we have
the mr cluster this year).
Jeez, I never tell kids my religious beliefs or my political views, and I just didn't get what all of the fuss was about...
wow! that felt great! Thanks!

lurkernomore · Sep 13th, 2009, 07:23 PM

Actually - I was going to start a thread, but maybe this belongs here.
I am Student Council Advisor, and for the last three years I have rented out a theater for the kids to see a newly released movie. I have always been charged a flat fee ($300 the first year, and $500 the last two), and I sell the tickets wicked cheap to the kids, and pay the difference out of my budget. We go at 9-9:30 in the morning, and we are out by the time the theater opens. The kids spend a ton of money on concessions (middle schoolers don't care what time it is - they just want junk!). I call a few days before, tell them how many kids, and they have a theater ready for us (there are 12 different screens).
Last year as we were leaving a new manager came up to me and insisted that I had to charge $5.00 a student. I asked him why, and he said the old manager shouldn't have been giving me the flat rate.
To me, what difference does it make? If I sell tickets for a couple bucks to 100-200 kids, and they buy food, and play in the arcade, and teachers chaperone, what is the big deal? He says I can rent the theater for $500 dollars, but any kids over 100 have to pay $5.00 each. This makes no sense to me - we are filling an empty theater! Yesterday when I went to talk to him, we saw Extract, and there were 10 people in the theater!
So, should I pursue this and call their corporate office, or should I try another theater? Either way, it seems like a lot of work for something that should be a fun day!

GhstDreamer · Sep 13th, 2009, 07:45 PM

^I'm wondering why do you have to rent the entire theatre? I mean if you're only bringing say 30 something kids with you more or less and have some parent volunteers to watch a movie, is it necessary? Usually we just bring our students to watch a movie without renting out the whole theatre. Basically they just pay for a part of the ticket (since it gets subsidized) and for busing. Unless if it's the whole school going then I that makes sense to rent the theatre? It just seems pricey.

lurkernomore · Sep 13th, 2009, 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by GhstDreamer

^I'm wondering why do you have to rent the entire theatre? I mean if you're only bringing say 30 something kids with you more or less and have some parent volunteers to watch a movie, is it necessary? Usually we just bring our students to watch a movie without renting out the whole theatre. Basically they just pay for a part of the ticket (since it gets subsidized) and for busing. Unless if it's the whole school going then I that makes sense to rent the theatre? It just seems pricey.

We do this as a Student Council activity, so it is open to the whole school. The student council students pick the movie (with a little persuasion from me

), they design a ticket, sell the tickets, and it has turned into a yearly event. Due to our demographic, we only sell between 150-200 tickets (although our school has over 1,000 kids), and we get the theater to ourselves.

GhstDreamer · Sep 13th, 2009, 08:51 PM

^That's cool! Hopefully you can still book the theatre! Is there a way to fundraise the rest of the money so that the kids don't have to pay the $5 each?

Sep 12th, 2009, 10:26 AM	#17
ash14vwb praline heaven ♥ Joined: Jun 2007 Location: jersey girl Posts: 1,642	Okay all, first week of year 2 went MUCH better than last year!!! I came home very tired every day and continued with work at home, but was HAPPY. I am still excited about my classes, the students, and see a great year for us all. I was very nervous that this year would be a repeat of last year (awful year for me, like a deer in the headlights getting hit by a car every week, lol). However, I have some bright students, many eager to learn students, and some tough ones, too- but who doesn't? I guess my only vent is that I'm up to 31 students in 2 of my classes, and we're on a block so I have them for an hour and 20 minutes. We'll just do lots of group activities, which they like more than listening to me, anyway. I hope everyone else's "back to school" was successful. I know this is a honeymoon period, so we will see how it is a month from now. Still, I'm relieved and excited.
	__________________ read the article @ marie claire... http://www.somaly.org/ ^and then please help!

Sep 12th, 2009, 10:33 AM	#18
exotikittenx Ooh la la! Joined: Jan 2007 Location: The City of Plain 'n Proper Posts: 6,094	What grade do you teach? ^^^ PM me if you want any tips or ideas for specific activities! :)
	__________________ Check out my new and UPDATED collection!!!

Sep 13th, 2009, 04:05 AM	#20
PrettyInPink <3 Joined: Jun 2006 Location: Hockey Town! Posts: 1,445	THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for making this thread!!!! I'm a preschool teacher... studying to be an elem ed teacher. And, this year I have a boy with ODD who is an absolute nightmare. It is one thing after another with him... he is so extremely confrontational. Not only to other students, but to me and my TA as well. And, it seems like... his mother doesn't care at all. I am SO struggling to work with the other kids in my class because he is such a disruption. I don't even know how to handle him because he can be extremely violent on top of his outbursts! I believe he needs to be in a special needs school, but his mother refuses. Worst of all, I feel TRULY sorry for this kid... because I know it's not his fault that he's like this.
	__________________

Sep 13th, 2009, 04:44 PM	#21
fabae OP Member Joined: Jun 2006 Location: The South Posts: 1,636	^ I have one like that this year (but he's 7!) He makes creepy faces, grinds his teeth, clenches his fist, breathes heavily through his teeth, and crosses his eyes when he gets angry. Weird. I've never come across a child like that. Actually, last year he got so angry at a sub that he punched her in the stomach (and she was pregnant!) I think something needs to be done with him, but I also really do think that it all stems from his parents, who are simply not in-charge enough. His anger runs their house.
	__________________ Banned? I haven't bought a bag since August! Though I am getting weaker.

Sep 13th, 2009, 05:13 PM	#22
Angelfangs Member Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 65	So I'm not sure what the big deal is here. I mean, it sounds like you took the appropriate action in emailing the parents. As a parent myself, I too would acknowledge the email then get my childs side of the story BEFORE I initiated any discipline FOR THE ACTUAL CAUSE. Don't misunderstand me....I would address the aggressive behavior as a saparate issue........clarify for me why you are upset w the parents response?
Angelfangs Member Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 65

Sep 13th, 2009, 03:43 AM	#19
MichelleD Member Joined: Mar 2008 Location: DMV Posts: 1,855	Not a teacher here but a clinical social worker (supervisor) for a private foster care agency (and former therapist). My 2 sisters are teachers and while I'm not in the classroom, I am all too familiar with the drama & frustration therein (from my sisters, my staff/foster parents/former clients). I truly feel your pain perhaps from a different perspective. The kids (and some of their parents) these days will drive you to drink.... So, here's to us all....

Sep 13th, 2009, 05:55 PM	#23
GhstDreamer Lady Philosophy Joined: May 2008 Location: Where gavagai roam Posts: 2,407	PrettyinPink and fabae: I've came across a number of young children like the ones you described (specifically worked with kids with behavioural disorders). Everybody needs to be on board is it's a continuing and escalating problem - the whole point is something at the administrative level must be done if he/she is harming themselves or others. Actually for the board I work for, hitting, punching and kicking are suspendible offenses regardless of age. I had two 6-7 year old students (last year) who engaged in a lot of violent behaviour, i.e. smearing blood on the walls, stomping on another student's head, throwing rocks, punching volunteers, swearing, etc. it took a team of parents, myself, administrator, social worker and school psychologist to sit down and talk about what's going on. If both of your situations are similar - you need to start looking towards some approval for paperwork to get social work evaluation (especially if you already assessed the students and they do not have any academic problems that can be related back to any designated disability). Most children won't be designated with ODD until much older so for a number of young children, it could be simply be developmental - they haven't been socialized or taught rules of engaging in appropriate play, respect, etc. at home. Anyways, for my students, I came up with a behaviour program book (a yellow happy book with a smiley face on it which I named it the ________'s Positive Book. Each day gets broken down into 25 minute time slots in which he/she gets a smiley face or a sad face from the teacher. At the end of each time slot, I (whoever is teaching him/her) conference with the student why he/she got a sad or smiley face. At the end of the day, there is a note for the parents and we also use that as a communication book. There is a total of smiley faces at the end of the day. After a couple of months in and the student is getting the hang of it, I changed it up. Now he/she prints a checkmark next to the smiley/sad face. A checkmark if he/she thought that they engaged in appropriate behaviour during that time slot and no checkmark if they didn't think so. It's important that they feel they have some control over the positive book and there are many times, what they thought they did inappropriately was not at all and vice versa. They count how well they did at the end of the week and if they did really well - they get a high-five from me. It has to be stressed that there are only intrinsic and intangible rewards. It worked extremely well with one of the students who was always angry and had unchecked anger management issues - with this program, plus social work and parent involvement, he actually started having friends by the middle of the school year. It was so bad before that his cousins weren't even allowed to play with him because of his violent temper.
	__________________ On those nights full of sad omens, just run through the darkness. Wishlist: Goyard Boeing 30 in Black and Guccissima Icon Bit Boston ~I really really need to be on a ban~

Sep 13th, 2009, 06:11 PM	#24
PrettyInPink <3 Joined: Jun 2006 Location: Hockey Town! Posts: 1,445	^^The problem is in my situation the parent is SO not cooperative. I am going to try some alternative methods to help him do better in class. It probably doesn't help that I work in a low-income area... and most of my students are English Language Learners (my certification has to do with ESL students.) ARGHHH! So, add a language barrier on top of everything else. It's just a nightmare.
	__________________

Sep 13th, 2009, 07:00 PM	#25
GhstDreamer Lady Philosophy Joined: May 2008 Location: Where gavagai roam Posts: 2,407	^It takes a long while before parents usually will jump aboard. I know with the two students' parents refused to acknowledge any problems which stemmed all the way back to junior kindergarten. I know what you mean when working in a low income area - I've worked in those schools that are very transient. It is difficult setting any paperwork done on programming when a lot of these kids transfer after a couple of months.
	__________________ On those nights full of sad omens, just run through the darkness. Wishlist: Goyard Boeing 30 in Black and Guccissima Icon Bit Boston ~I really really need to be on a ban~

Sep 13th, 2009, 07:12 PM	#26
lurkernomore Member Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 303	Hi, just found this thread, and I will be visiting frequently! I teach 6th grade at an inner city middle school. This is my 7th year, and I love my job. Some of my students break my heart, it seems like each year we get more and more kids who are just not loved... But my vent is - I had a mother call last week to ask if I was going to show the Obama speech. NO hello, nothing, just " I need to know now because I have to go to work and I will keep my daughter home if YOU are going to show the speech." At that point my district hadn't made a decision on what we were supposed to do, so I told her very nicely to call Central Office. She asked me for the number, I said I didn't have it (which I didn't). I gave her nothing. I was pretty pissed considering that it is the beginning of the school year, and I have way more important things to worry about (we have the mr cluster this year). Jeez, I never tell kids my religious beliefs or my political views, and I just didn't get what all of the fuss was about... wow! that felt great! Thanks!
lurkernomore Member Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 303

Sep 13th, 2009, 07:23 PM	#27
lurkernomore Member Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 303	Actually - I was going to start a thread, but maybe this belongs here. I am Student Council Advisor, and for the last three years I have rented out a theater for the kids to see a newly released movie. I have always been charged a flat fee ($300 the first year, and $500 the last two), and I sell the tickets wicked cheap to the kids, and pay the difference out of my budget. We go at 9-9:30 in the morning, and we are out by the time the theater opens. The kids spend a ton of money on concessions (middle schoolers don't care what time it is - they just want junk!). I call a few days before, tell them how many kids, and they have a theater ready for us (there are 12 different screens). Last year as we were leaving a new manager came up to me and insisted that I had to charge $5.00 a student. I asked him why, and he said the old manager shouldn't have been giving me the flat rate. To me, what difference does it make? If I sell tickets for a couple bucks to 100-200 kids, and they buy food, and play in the arcade, and teachers chaperone, what is the big deal? He says I can rent the theater for $500 dollars, but any kids over 100 have to pay $5.00 each. This makes no sense to me - we are filling an empty theater! Yesterday when I went to talk to him, we saw Extract, and there were 10 people in the theater! So, should I pursue this and call their corporate office, or should I try another theater? Either way, it seems like a lot of work for something that should be a fun day!
lurkernomore Member Joined: Jul 2008 Posts: 303

Sep 13th, 2009, 07:45 PM	#28
GhstDreamer Lady Philosophy Joined: May 2008 Location: Where gavagai roam Posts: 2,407	^I'm wondering why do you have to rent the entire theatre? I mean if you're only bringing say 30 something kids with you more or less and have some parent volunteers to watch a movie, is it necessary? Usually we just bring our students to watch a movie without renting out the whole theatre. Basically they just pay for a part of the ticket (since it gets subsidized) and for busing. Unless if it's the whole school going then I that makes sense to rent the theatre? It just seems pricey.
	__________________ On those nights full of sad omens, just run through the darkness. Wishlist: Goyard Boeing 30 in Black and Guccissima Icon Bit Boston ~I really really need to be on a ban~

Sep 13th, 2009, 08:51 PM	#30
GhstDreamer Lady Philosophy Joined: May 2008 Location: Where gavagai roam Posts: 2,407	^That's cool! Hopefully you can still book the theatre! Is there a way to fundraise the rest of the money so that the kids don't have to pay the $5 each?
	__________________ On those nights full of sad omens, just run through the darkness. Wishlist: Goyard Boeing 30 in Black and Guccissima Icon Bit Boston ~I really really need to be on a ban~

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