Bad Behavior

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Home : 2002 : December : 6

Bad Behavior
By Heather

I was in the same boat that you are in now. My suggestions to you may or may not work for you. What I did was use the Love and Logic procedures my first two years. With being familiar with all the processes, my third year
was totally out of hand. Love and Logic didn't work. Yelling didn't work ( and wasn't an option for me).
I didn't let them see me get upset or mad about anything. I always looked calm. I had to be strict, and consistant. I never gave into a rule, or negotiated anything. It was hard at first, but they got use to it. The only problem is that when they go to special area like

Art or P.E., it is still hard to get them settled back down, because those teachers are more of they type to not have strict rules ( in my school anyways).

Just be consistant with your rules, make them known and tell them the consequences if they are broken. I do that about 2 times a week, just to refresh their memories. Stick to what you say. If you don't that gives them the idea that they can continue to do what they want because you are never going to call parents, send them to the office, etc......

Love and Logic really does work, but with that group of kids, it didn't. Parent involvemen has alot to do with behavior too. I went as far as calling parents, and asking them to pop in on their child between certain times. That way they see first hand the behavior that the child is demonstrating, and the disruption that it is causing. I love my room because it is set up so neat.

When you walk in, you come into a small room (maybe 10 by 7). Then you wakl through that door, and there is my class. I usually keep the first door open and the 2nd door closed. Anyways, there is a dark titnted window where you can look through to my class, and we can't see you. That is usually where I tell my parents to stand for a couple of minutes before coming into my actual class, because once they see their parents, 9 times out of 10, they straighten up.

In order for them to straighten up when you discipline them, it has to be effective. Sneding them to the time out room is a vacation for most of mine, but having parents come in (that means that they miss work, and they aren't happy about that either), is. Sending them to the office can work, only if administration works with you, and follows through with what they should do (in my school, they do sometimes, don't sometimes) Remember, they have alot to do to, and to have your kid be the 15 th that day, they may give them a lecture and that will be it. That doesn't work with mine.

This year, my kids are great. I have a few simple rules, all I have to do is remind them of them when they start acting up, and that's it. I have maybe 3 out of 170 (8th) that are real bad. There is nothing that you can do with them, because parents don't care.

I hope that I was helpful. I think that I was rambling on and on.
If there are any errors, please excuse them, trying to type fast because my break is almost over)