Criers & Name Calling- Help!

[Kristin]

Please help me with the following two situations in my fourth grade class. How can I keep these situations from spreading?

1) On Friday, a very quiet girl was sitting in the back of my classroom crying. When I asked her what was wrong, she said that nobody likes her.

2) One of the boys in my class is constantly making fun of the smaller students. His name-calling often provokes fights.

 

[saralara]

Classroom Community

Both those situations are very troubling, I agree. It is very hard to respond to specific situations with specific children without knowing the children involved, so I can only suggest you talk to the children involved, their parents as neccessary and deal with them individually. I'm sure you have probably already let your children know that name calling is unacceptable period and will not be tolerated in your class.

I find it really useful to spend some time, especially early in the year, focusing on creating classroom community with my students. Even my little kids are old enough to understand what hurtful speech is and that it is unacceptable, not just because it is against the rules but because it makes people feel bad.

Doesn't it always seem like this time of year everyone's worst comes out? I think that we have just been cooped up together too long through the winter and everyone is a little bored. Good luck.

 

[LBear]

similar problem

I had a similar problem with a new boy in my class this year. He came mid way through the year and didn't speak English very well. He was not being included in "free time" games, or recess activities. I had the social worker pull him for a "getting to know you" session... while I held a class meeting with my class and discussed how they feel when everyone else has a partner except them some times... or if they come to recess late and the game has already started and no one wants to let you in...
Then I brought up our new student and explained that he was, by nature, a shy person and needed to feel included.
They really listened to everyone's comments and somehow, I got through to them because from that day on, someone is always checking to make sure that no one is a loner in our classroom.

Sometimes, such an opportunity is not possible and then I would discuss this little girl's comments with your school social worker and see if she can pull her for some strategies on making friends and/or determine if she is being bullied.

 

[Red Sox Girl]

2 words ...

Responsive Classsroom. I do not have these issues, ever.