Question by Susan S: Teaching strategy help? (First Grade) Teachers only please!!!?
Please help me. I have a very difficult class this year, which is compounded by inept administration. I have four kids who have major behavioral issues, and the other kids ?feed? off of this. This class have been out of control for three years before this, and this year two Additional ?troubled? kids were added. My assistant and I are at our wit?s end. My administration feels that we should offer the children choices, basically making the class montessori. Choices such as: Where to sit, which assignment to do in which order, how to do assignments, etc. I don?t agree with this, but want to please my boss. So, I need ideas for offering choices that are least disruptive. My last question is I have several children that are completely belligerent to both the other kids, and even to the teachers. My assistant and I have never encountered this kind of belligerence before and are totally clueless as to how to deal with them. (Sending to office, guidance, and detention are not options.) My administrator favors the most beliigerent one, because his parents went to the same prestigious college as her.Please no silly answers. This is serious! Please help !
Thanks Yam and Rei. I agree with both of you. I see where choices can be given in some intances (which journal topic, for example) but I think what she is proposing will lead to (even more) chaos. Our school is very small, so I?m the only first grade teacher. My coworkers know my boss is insane, they don?t know what to tell me.
Best answer:
Answer by Rei
Wow, what a class! I feel for you. Firstly, I don?t think it is fair that the children can choose where to sit. One of the main strategies of dealing with a difficult class is having a seating plan in place. I think you can give the students choices in other ways and I?m sure your boss will be fine with that.
For example, if the class is splitting up into groups, students can raise their hands in order to say which group they would like to be in (giving them the choice) but you have to take control and pick say 5 kids or whatever to go to each group, and explain to the students that next time they can get to do that activity. If the students know that everyone will eventually ?have a turn?, they will respond ? it also teaches them common courtesy and patience.
The main idea is to make them THINK they are making decisions, while you?re still in control 
because that is your role as a teacher. You are there to guide them to make the right decisions. Plus, they?re in grade one for goodness sake! They can?t be free to do whatever they please! The place will be a zoo! Surely your school?s admin can see that.
Coming back to the seating issue, what you could do is divide the class up into groups or ?mini houses?. Say you could have the red, blue, yellow and green groups. These groups would be set for the year. I don?t know how your desks are set out, but if you have them in groups you could have the blue group at one table, red at another etc etc? but the kids can choose which seat they want to sit on at that table. This way they have the choice, and there is order seeing as you would spread the ?troublemakers? across the groups.
Okay with the belligerent children, I think the best way to deal with them is to form a sort of rewards system. The best way would be to initially try to connect with each of them and find what their interests are and use that to your advantage. You need to be firm with them and consistent with their punishments if they break the rules. I would recommend making a ?bullying? theme or something for a week and raise the awareness in the class. Make colourful posters with the children. Sit them down and make the class make up a list of 10 classroom rules or something and stick it up on the wall so the children can see. When someone breaks a rule, ask them ?What did you just do?? Make them tell you that they were in the wrong. Don?t tell them off. The last thing the naughty kids need is someone telling them what to do. They need to be aware that they made a mistake. After they have said what it was they did ask them ?What are the consequences for your actions?? Make them sit in the corner or something when it?s play time. It really works.
I?m a middle/high school teacher but I have done some work with primary/elementary. I have found wit hthe older kids it is great to make them sign a behaviour management contract and make them glue it in their books. I usually make up 10 rules. Rules that are positive so rather than ?Do not talk while someone else is talking? I would write ?I will be quiet and show respect while others are talking?. This promotes a positive attitude.
Well, sorry for the long answer ? but I hope it helps! Good luck with it all
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Source: http://www.qiyic.com/archives/7424
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