Dreading tomorrow -

[TrekBikeWife]

Background - a student who is CD, functioning on about a mid-K level, 7 years old (did K twice) and who has behavior problems (severe!) was pulled out of my classroom to another school in the district bc it was learned that he wasn't in our attendance area. Now, he and his brother (also on an IEP) would have been okay to stay if parents could have found transportation but no bus could get him here from where he now lives. So, as of last Tuesday, he was supposed to be at this other school. Well, the principal over there was fighting it big time because he felt it wasn't a good fit for his school. Umm, our principal actually did try to get him to stay but transportation wouldn't do it.

So, he and his brother were just sitting around at home all last week and today. It became a contest to see which principal would get their way. Our principal was following policy but the other principal was pushing back, like I said, big time. The other principal "won" and transportation has been arranged (at what cost to our district???) which is why I am just dreading tomorrow!!!

This child, with severe behavior problems, anger management issues and who really doesn't like school in the least little bit, is coming back tomorrow after having been in his own personal heaven all week long doing nothing at home. Ugh! How do I transition him back into the classroom? Business as usual? My stomach hurts just thinking about it!

 

[Miss C]

I would say....

Business as usual most definitely. It will help him remember the stability of the environment and know that things are going to be the way they always were. Sorry you're dreading it! Hope it goes really well. Who knows? Maybe he'll be tired of sitting around doing nothing and really be ready to work! Keep us informed!

 

[marguerite]

feel your pain

I feel your pain. I had a severe behavior problem who moved. When he went to the new school in the district the new principal convinced the mom to transport him back and forth to our school every day so changing schools would not be disruptive to his learning. He was early every morning and picked up late every afternoon to accomodate the mom's schedule. I was never so glad that June finally arrived.

Every day I'd repeat to myself "you only have him til June. the parents have him the rest of his life".

 

[TrekBikeWife]

Update - I'm dreading tomorrow

Well, he came in fine. Kids were happy to see him. In the morning anyway. His behaviors starting at around 11:00 (we've noticed a pattern with this) made the kids move away from him again.

He joined Morning Meeting fine, did his morning question work fine, went with the specialist fine. Came back around 10:30 - did some work with us. I'm thinking - great! My fears about the worst weren't coming true! Well, then he went to reading group in another teacher's classroom, came back in a funk. Wasn't sure why at the time but carried on with our normal stuff. He was sulking and refusing to work.

Turns out, he had attempted to steal the other classroom's quarters they'd brought in for popsicle Tuesday and the other teacher called him on it.

So, he missed recess to write his "think note" about the incident. He sulked through math, refused to work (yes, I'd leveled the work), kept talking through self selected reading time and ended up getting pulled again at the end of the day right before specials with the specialist.

I just don't know what to do with him. I got so much done with my other kids last week since I didn't have to be in crisis mode with him pretty much every afternoon. We're supposed to have the team meet about him tomorrow so we'll see what kind of plan we can come up with. I can't make it the rest of the year on high alert like this, though.

Ugh.

 

[avalon]

Meds?

Just a thought.

As the childs behaviour appears to deteriate around 11am, I was wondering if he was on meds? If he is, then his parents should be notified in writing and his doctors advised so that a change in dose of med. type can be made!

 

[TrekBikeWife]

I wish!

No, not on meds. Mom wants him retested for ADHD but has to wait on insurance to kick in.

 

[Amy L]

Any chance you can 'share' him with a teammate? Maybe he can spend some (short) time with another teacher, taking his assigned work with him? Sometimes a change in scenery helps. I had a first grader with some pretty big issues, and my team teacher would let him sit in her room when he was losing it in my room. He generally did very well, and we all stayed calm...maintaining a positive relationship. Of course, this
'sharing' students went both ways...I was lucky to have such a great partner.

 

[Amy L]

Of course, getting to the bottom of any behavioral/learning issue is most important, but this might help in the short term.