I ask because after reading a very long thread, I started thinking about how many of us have different experiences in our corners of the world. Have you or your coworkers been called bad names, cussed at in a general ed or special ed class? Have chairs and objects been thrown in your school/ class? Had very disturbed kids who kicked, banged doors, screamed, threw all out fits? Banging heads on glass mirrors....running off campus? I never dealt with any of these problems until a few yrs ago. I think there may be a divide too between special ed teachers and classroom teachers nowadays too although I do not think it is discussed much. Yrs ago, I loved our sped teachers. Then we got a new crew that view the world through a different lens than most classroom teachers. To be honest, I think they are 3 fries short of a Happy Meal and 1 of them probably thinks I am the B word. I just was never willing to give 1 kid all of the attention to the determent of the rest of the class. Here is another wonder I have....If you are a sped teacher, did something really impact your life deeply that led you to that field? I ask because our Sped Dept truly considers "their kids"- their words as more important than regular ed kids where I am at....
This happens almost daily in many of our schools. We have 2 classrooms in my school that are evacuated about once a week or so because of a student acting out physically or having a violent episode. Violent incidents in our classrooms are rising while support staff are being cut. I'm looking forward to retiring after 2 more years.
When I worked in a public school there were no kids that behaved like that. I did hear about kids in other local schools that had those types of behaviors and were taken out of the school and put into alternative schools. It just wasn't tolerated. That was almost 20 years ago so I'm not sure what they do now. I work in a special education school and my students come from schools where their behavior can not be managed in a traditional setting. The behaviors you are describing occur in my school on a daily basis but they should not be occurring in regular schools where students are trying to learn and teachers are trying to teach.
It happens daily here with more than 2 students. I hope you make it to retirement. I am an early out.....When you have that kind of thing going on, it is hard. I never signed up for it. I think teachers should get hazard pay too. I know someone who got clobbered a few times this wk.
I think I might have been able to deal w/ that, but every single day is just too much for me. I do not know how the special school teachers keep their sanity. I know 1 who does PreK behavioral, and she has the most wicked sense of humor. She thinks of some of the funniest things.
True! I have no clue how you all do it either. Hopefully, you have a tight staff that pulls together.
Maybe once or twice a year, thankfully. It’s not a common occurrence where I teach, but I teach in a high SES community. I know there are plenty of teachers who need to deal with this type of behavior regularly.
The students who were put into the alternative school in the district I once worked in were not sped students. They just exhibited behavior that was not acceptable in a traditional school. I don't even know if that school is still open. I imagine it would be bursting at the seams nowadays.
It's difficult and right now I have staff that is very helpful (although some days you get TAs who just sit there like a bump on a pickle). They cap our classrooms at 6 students so we're not overwhelmed but some days it really is just hard to make it to 3pm. If we have a day where nobody hits, cries, throws things, flops on the floor or steals food...it's a great day!!
While I have dealt with these issue it wasn't a regularity. Though a teacher in my school deals with this regularly-not sure why it seems like she has kids who display this behavior several times a week while the rest of us only see this a few times a year.
We have 1 of them in our school that is not sped. He is very bright and manipulative. He has been diagnosed w/ a disorder, but I think it is bs. He is spoiled, his parents blame everyone else, and let him get away with murder. I have actually seen the mom turn to the side and let the kid keep hitting her. She believes that giving no attention to it will decrease the behavior.
You are fortunate. Where I taught before, it would not have been tolerated either. It may be different because of culture, philosophies, availabilities to go to special schools. I really wish I had the answer to what was making these kids so off the wall. I get part of it, but there has to be more to it.
OMGoodness! I can't imagine 6 of these terrorists being in 1 room. It only takes 1 to destroy it. I'd be banging my head on the wall if I had to chase down and tolerate 6 who might blow a gasket at any moment. I don't think some people ever see the type of kids who do this stuff day in and day out. Others obviously have. Some who have never seen it would probably assume it was bad classroom management. Before I ever saw it, if someone had told me about it, I am ashamed to say, I would have wondered about the class environment. You have my utmost respect if you can deal w/ 6 of these extreme types and maintain your sanity!
I think it depends on if it is the same kid when you look at different teachers. The kids I am talking about could blow a gasket several times a day and destroy everything in your classroom including, but not limited to your computer! I think some are called Cyclothymic w/ other words added. Then another is the Explosive type.
As a teacher of students with disabilities in a separate school, my class is highly structured, and students are on a strict routine. Yes I see behaviors, but they are dealt with swiftly by a team of highly trained staff. I, maybe, have to do a room clear once a year. (Sometimes it's easier to have the disruptive student leave instead of having the class leave. This does happen more frequently but usually as a preventative measure to de-escalate the student). Most of our students thrive in this environment, but failed in a traditional school environment. It's not the battlefield you are making it out to be BECAUSE of all the extra supports that are built into a separate school environment.
When I was a classroom teacher at this same school (for 4 years) clearing the room was one of the techniques our principal used. This was done if a disruptive student wouldn't respond to redirections, and he was sent out from the classroom. They would just sit there and enjoy the audience the other students provided so it was fun for him. It was easier to ask everyone to step out for a minute. This didn't happen too often, maybe once or twice a year, but I've learned this can be effective in this situation. During my last year old classroom teaching at this school we had a new principal who to put it frankly didn't know what he was doing and most of the kids didn't listen to him and didn't respect him. We had one student who I had known for years by then and although he had many, many issues, he was getting better as he was maturing. However, he had detested out principal, so clearing my classroom was happening more often and it was a waste of time. Most of the time it had nothing to do with me, he would come in through the office and already got into it with someone over dresscode or being rude and then the P would come in during my class wanting to call him and to talk to him, he wouldn't, even would say profanities to him. My whole class had to be cleared just to walk out and then walk back in because once they were removed my student no longer cared. It was such a waste of time.
I believe you!!! With a highly trained staff, structure, small class, and support in a special school, some of these kids would thrive. It is good you guys can deal swiftly with problems.I wish I could send a few to your school for society's and their own well being. I know it is all about $$$, but dang, they do not send kids here to schools like that here.
It is about the only way some teachers here have to deal with it. Unfortunately, it happens daily. (Wasting time the others could be learning.) It sounds like that P of yours was more hinderance than help!
There are several types of behavior disorders-the ones I am most farmillar with are oppositional defiance disorder, conduct disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, and disruptive mood disregulation disorder. All can create havoc that is a threat to safety and a lot of property destruction. We have those kids at my school as well but not many-just a few per grade. It seems like they have more room clears in the grade below me but regardless I only have a couple each year and we manage to de-escalate before it gets to major destruction/violence for the most part. I will say though that the strategies that mostly work to deescalate are highly time consuming and take a lot of teaching time away from the class instruction. Sure they are most often effective but when they take up so much time everyone loses out on learning-either because I'm too busy deescalting to teach or because I don't spend enough time deescalting and then we are left standing outside waiting for it all to be over so we can start having school once again. I wish there was a magic wand to keep me teaching and the students learning.
All it takes is 1. I used to know the DSM 1V, TR really well, but it has been updated w/ new disorders since then. I have not kept up. We don't have a lot of these kids either. It is just the ones we have, I've never seen anything like them before. Yeah, we usually can deescalate too before a room gets destroyed or someone gets hit. It is very time consuming and takes a lot of time away from the kids who want to learn. It would definitely be nice to have that wand! Yeah, maybe some teachers clear the room more often than others due to their own personalities. I feel so bad for 1 of the teachers this year especially. She tries so hard to do things right, but it seems like whatever she does, makes little impact. He comes to school, probably after being rushed by parents, in a nasty mood often.
I've never had to clear the room or been cussed at etc. I don't know how people deal with that daily. Unbelievable.
My advice is this, if you ever have to deal with it: 1. don't take it personally 2. make sure there is an appropriate punishment each time. Cussing you out should be a non-negotiable if you want it to stop. 3. act like it didn't affect you, but in my opinion it is ok to show your human sides and let them know that it's not ok, and it's hurtful. I would sometimes ask: "if this how to talk your mom? [no]. Well, I'm someone's mom, and I haven't done anything to you!" or "what did I do to deserve this??" You shouldn't show that it bothers you so much or that it got you mad. Never, ever look mad, but it's ok to ask these questions calmly. Of course it depends on the situation. If the kid is on his way out the door, calling you every name in the book, just keep a straight face and follow up with your consequence. If the moment / situation allows, ask him / her these types of questions. Of course, there is still a consequence, but maybe you can open his eyes that it's not ok to take his anger out on you.
I had never experienced anything like it either in almost 30 years until a couple of yrs ago. I dealt w/ it as best as I could and decided to retire early. I ended up w/ a job offer for this yr that is a cakewalk, but it is only for this yr. So I am retiring this yr for sure early. Oh, if you could see the kids who do this in action, your jaw would drop. Mine did when I 1st saw it! It is unbelievable!
1. For sure, it is nothing personal. The 1 I dealt w/ loved me 1 minute and out of the clear blue, would flip out for no apparent reason. 2. I definitely learned how to show zero emotion because the kid thrived on any reaction he could get. If you even tried to talk him down, he'd call you every name in the book. I learned to end communication of any type when he was on the edge. In order to cope at times, I'd envision an old teacher we had who would have shoved a bar of soap in his mouth, and I will admit, it gave me a smile. ( I know...time to retire...) 3. The most insane part is the kids we have that do this ( a small handful) are exempt from any consequence because sped calls any consequence a punishment. Natural consequences are not even allowed w/ them because they say their behavior is due to their disability. The Sped Dept doesn't even pull the kids. An example of this is a fun activity is planned. The kid terrorizes the class. When he sees that the fun activity is going to happen soon, he gets it together and is allowed to attend. I think our Sped Dept is just stupid. The P and Sped Dept just do not want any hassles or documentation on these types. Everyone just wants to make it to retirement. All I can think of is that they are afraid of being sued. I am not dealing w/ it anymore, but feel bad for a few friends who have a lot of yrs until they can retire.
With all due respect.... As special education teachers, we are trying to get you to understand that these are FEDERAL rules and guidelines that must be followed. It's a hard place to be in as the special education teacher as well. Always remember, we don't choose who comes to the school. sigh.
The LRE a child can be successful in is not a regular classroom when the kid flips out like described above. Not even regular ed kids can be successful when things are thrown around the room, and they are listening to screaming, swearing and threats. If a kid does this daily , that child is not being successful. Least restrictive environment is about saving money some places. Where you are they have a self- contained class.They don't in many places. So those kids are shoved in regular ed classes, and they call it LRE w/out adding the part about that they can be successful in. If they were given the education you describe, they'd be in a self-contained class. It is more appropriate. If I went into further details about the behaviors, you'd hopefully understand the type of kids I am talking about. They are probably like the kids you have in your self contained room.
