Here's my addition:Name: Karen
Job Title: Special Education Teacher Moderate/Severe
Grade: High School Transition Program 18-22
How Long I've Been Teaching: 10 years
Advice: I guess my best advice is to never let them know you're scared, lol. I am very firm with my kids, but also very loving. I think some of them are even a little afraid of me the first couple weeks, but it works (at least for me). I have had kids who needed restraining the previous years but when they get to my class and they find out that I won't put up with certain behaviors, after a short time the behaviors seems to just disappear. I had one boy last year that I really thought was going to hit me (a few times). I let him have his behavior and anytime he showed destruction I was very firm with him but then went back to what I was doing and ignored him. After the behavior was over and he was back at baseline, I would do something fun with him to build his trust. It took about 3 week to taper off his behaviors and then we never had a problem with him again the rest of the year even though they had experienced these behaviors for years prior. That's not to say I didn't have to give him "the look" every now and then. I guess since I raised 4 kids of my own I kind of treat my students like I did my kids (minus the occasional cussing, empty threats, and brief rages), firm but loving.
Thanks for the Bloghop Jamie!!!
HERE is the link again!
I agree. I have found that once kids know that they are expected to follow the same rules as everyone else, they usually conform. They really want a place they feel safe, are happy, and accepted by others.
ReplyDeleteHi Karen! Thank you for joining in on the bloghop! Great advice for dealing with problem behaviors. It is so important to get that trust back!
ReplyDeleteAlso to make a button work, after you add the graphic there is a button in the toolbar when you are editing the post that says link. Click on the graphic, then on the link button and type in the link to where you want the graphic to go. It should work, if not let me know and I can try to help more.
Jamie
Tales of a Carolina Girl
Yea, it worked! Thank for the help Jamie!
ReplyDeleteLife in special Ed- they really do love me, lol. My kids are NEVER absent!!
I love stopping by all these Special Education bloggers! Great advice. A gen ed friend of mine had a saying "be mean until Halloween". I liked that mantra. It wasn't necessarily about being mean to your students, but being firm and standing your ground the first few months of school. Then you can relax a little and be a little more flexible with your rules. Great advice!
ReplyDeleteErin
You AUT-a Know
Great post and advice! I completely agree and follow a similar approach. I have very clear and consistent expectations and consequences. My kiddos know that I will follow through on what I say and that good stuff happens only when they are behaving.
ReplyDeleteSo glad I found your blog!
Pam
MrsPSpecialties
I love love love your advice! Can you come into my room and help me with my behavior kids?! :) I feel like I'm firm but when they still refuse (like today when a student wouldn't put his pants back on...) what do you do?!
ReplyDeleteBrie
Breezy Special Ed
They sure like to challenge us don't they? Not sure of the level of your kids. Mine are socially around the age of 4-6 so they "get" it. Have you tried peer pressure without directly talking to him? My kids respond to that. Something like "Ok class, I have something special to tell everyone but i can't tell you until everyone has their pants on is sitting in their chair and listening". Honestly i'm not sure I could say that with a straight face tho. Keep the hype up "we're almost ready, only one more" sometimes being told and encouraged by their peers helps.
ReplyDeleteOR... now you have me thinking! Not knowing his currency. Could you have had him run an errand? Still not mentioning the pants, im thinking "Oh man, I needed you to run some super important paper over to room 6 for me, do you think you can handle it? it's very important". I would just state that he needs to get ready (if he bites the bait). I have found that when I continue to repeat what it is i want, sometimes it's just the attention they want, it never works. To redirect them in a way that they don't know what hit them works with the right kids.
ReplyDeleteI am firm as well. Love the part about building trust again. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLittle Room Under the Stairs
Totally agree that most children want a set of rules they can understand and know what they do has an effect. It helps them to know that they are in control of making choices that have a consistent consequence. This can be a good effect (they followed the rules and are rewarded) or a bad effect (they did not follow the rules and here is a consequence). We use the "Good to be Green" behaviour management chart at my school over here in England and it seems to work really well for most children. Thanks for visiting my blog - lovely to meet you :-)
ReplyDeleteSpecial Teaching at Pempi's Palace