I am a para. In the morning I work with a 1st grade boy who is labeled EBD. Lately I have been trying to punish him at recess like any other student who would do that behavior. For example last week, he kicked a ball away from the group of students he was playing with. He than ran in the tall grass, which is an out of bounds area. I told him because of the ball he needed time out which caused him to run into grass. I told him that if I had to come get him, he was going inside. Well, I had to go in and I brought him inside. Once he got inside and saw the EBD teacher, he wrapped himself around me and started to kick at me, missing me and I was able to get him off of me before it got bad. Today at recess, he was on the merry-go-round (I disagree there is one there, but that is another post). Multiple times he was warned that if he continued what he was doing that he was going to have to get off and reminded of the proper way to ride on the merry-go-round. I finally told him, he needed to get off because he was going to get hurt. I counted 1-2, and he got off (usually it takes until 5). He layed on the ground crying for 5 minutes and then he ran to me and wrapped himself around me and then started to kick and hit me and wrap himself around me to get better leverage. Myself and another para got him off of me and calmed down. How do I deal with these issues, like all the other kids, but without the violence??
I have a student that is ODD in my regular classroom this year and can understand your frustration. Recess is a particulary hard time for him because of the lack of structure. This summer I read "Teaching with Love and Logic" and that book has been a God-send in dealing with this child (as well as my whole class!!!) Here are a few things that I use with my student's behavior lapses: 1) speak to him in a VERY low and quiet voice. Never showing any anger (even when I am angry!) 2) Always insist that he speak to me with respect. (My catch phrase is "I'll be happy to speak with you when you're voice sounds like mine". It took a while to get him to speak to me calmly at first, but now I don't often have to say it to get him to calm down) 3) Catch the behavior before it escalates. In other words, if you see him heading towards the out of bounds area, walk up to him and in a conversational voice discuss why that's not a good choice. Get him BEORE he gets in trouble. 4) Let him have choices...lots and lots of choices. Discuss with him what should happen if he does something inappropriate, and let HIM decide what the consequence should be. A big factor with my ODD child is that he feels a loss of control when he's "told" to do something. Giving him choices all day long has helped him feel that he has some sense of control about what happens in his day. 5) Be sure to make sure that the choices you give him are both choices that you can live with. For example, when he does something that is inappropriate, I have him tell me what happens when he makes that kind of choice (something we've talked about and agreed upon beforehand), and then he's given a choice as to "where he does his time out...by Mrs. ___ or Mr. ____". He's still going to time out, but he has some control over it. Don't lose heart. The child that is in my class was not allowed in the regular classroom because of behavior outbursts/problems except for about 30 minutes a day last year, but this year, he is in my room all the time (except for the times when he's pulled for individualized instruction). He has been a real success story, and I know that it is because of "Love and Logic"! Good luck!!!
maybe instead of telling him what to do or else, give him options. You can say, what you're doing is not safe, please use the merry go round this way, or go play on the monkey bars. Then if he still doesn't listen, remind him that you suggested something safer to do. Our school has tickets for when a kid gets caught doing something good. Before recess maybe you can tell him about a new game or new plan you made up. If he gets 5 tickets in a week he can pick from a prize box or get a piece of candy. Everytime he listens he gets a ticket. You could also make a little yarn/ribbon necklace and attach a card that you punch holes in to. Instead of the ticket, punch holes. Good Luck
Catch him being good! I do this with all my kids. I give them stamps, when they get their stamp card filled they get a pencil or a pencil topper. They love it! I give stamps for having planner signed all week, being on time to school (we have a tardy problem), working quietly, extra good behavior. It really motivates the kids.
