bscaca
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Running out of strategies... help please!Ok this is the situation. I have a boy in my class who is of average to above average ability and no strange disorders who peristently misbehaves. I have followed school behaviour policy to the letter to no effect. I have tracked poor behaviour and it always starts in Numeracy ( his weaker subject) when he sits slumped in his chair totally disengaged despite several reminders from me; he never works wth his partner in paired work nor does he answer questions either voluntarily or directly. When it gets to independent work he either says ' i do harder work than this at Kumon' or 'I don't understand because you haven't explained it properly'. I have worked with him individually and he just refuses to even think. Then he starts to get disruptive - he has a range of tactics ususally involving noise EG humming, singing, talking in a silly voice. The more I ignore him the louder he gets. I have sent him out and the Head sends him back. I spoke to his parents and they don't acknowledge there is a problem; their view is that he has 'special abilities which mean the system doesn't suit him' and that we need to change the system to suit him.
This often continues into the afternoon. He has a long history of this behaviour and everyone tells me he is much improved but he is totally doing my head in. Does anyone haveany ideas? BTW he hates stickers and reward systems, cetificates in assembly get thrown away (by him). Help!
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Knightrider
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Is there anyone you can send him to with his work? So you set up some kind of deal with him where you make plain the terms under which he stays in the room (and therefore can receive help) - if he breaks the agreement he leaves the room to work unsupported. Obviously break etc only happen if he has achieved a certain amount of work.
Have you asked him to show you what he does at Kumon? Maybe if he thought you were showing interest in what he can do.....
Can you tell I'm clutching at straws a bit!
What is he like with younger children? Could he go and "help" elsewhere for a lesson a week, just to give you a break?
Is there anything that does interest him? What system do the parents suggest you change to?
Good luck and let me know how you get on!
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bscaca
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We are a small school and i am 'the scary teacher'. He likes working with the younger hildren and I arranged for him to go and help there as a reward earlier in the term which he enjoyed, however he doesn't see that as an incentive any longer. Mum showed me the kumon stuff - its all timed mental strategies for the 4 operations but he opts out of our OMS no matter what i have tried. His parents believe we have to change our behaviour policy to suit him!! I have sent him out of the room to work unsupported; he then goes and tells anyone who will listen that i don't explain things properly. He told a member of SMT this, she looked at the work (converting cm to mm and vice versa) and told me the work was too difficult for Year 6 because she couln't do it!
Thanks for your thoughts knightrider!
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Night Garden
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I had a child who lot the maths was easy as he did Kumon stuff but there were gaps.
I'm not sure what you can do if you have tried everything. I know these types of children really do test us.
Maybe a reward system? no doubt you have tried that in that so many miutes working gives him a chance to do something he likes.
I do think you need more backing from your head or SMT to help you through this.
As KR said, try and find an interest that you can talk about. At the moment you are both finding each other hard work and he can sense this.It will take a while but try to turn everything into a positive.
Don't focus on him but what the rest of the class is doing as this might make him think.
I have had children like this before and it is hard work. It took me a while term once to get a child to actually do more than 15 mins work in one go!
When I think of others I will get back to you.
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bscaca
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Thanks for the positive thoughts and support nightgarden.
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Chilli Queen
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How old is he bscaca?
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Knightrider
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Can the parents say what they think the behavioural policy should be? Once they've tried to work it out and you've pointed out why it's impossible, they might become a bit more understanding?
Am I right in thinking you're year 6? How about the getting ready for secondary school angle? I use that one when I'm being a cow - sorry - I mean extremely firm but fair. "I'm just helping you (or your child) to be ready for what they will have in less than 10 months time... Do you know which secondary school he will be going to? Can you find out what their behaviour policy is? (Either from year 7 liaison person, SENCO, or in our case our TAs whose children go there). Perhaps you could persuade the parents you're working to the secondary school policy, and they might get the idea that a whole secondary school won't change for them and their precious child.
I think getting the parents on side - by fair means or foul - is a big part of the battle. It sounds as if he knows that they think he can do no wrong and that they won't back you up. At which point, you're fighting a loosing battle in my experience so you might as well give up and buy a set of ear plugs...
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smallholder
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Hmmm. You say it always starts in Numeracy which is his weakest area. Sounds like behaving badly and escalating this is a decoy designed to save face. Anything you do sanction wise may be 'better' in his eyes than having others see his problems in this area. Have you talked to him away from the others not about his behaviour but about his maths?
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Knightrider
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Very wise comment Smallholder - when I worked in an EBD school, we received pupils who had kicked off in mainstream as a way of disguising the fact they couldn't do the work.
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bscaca
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Today he was absent allegedly ill but actually Christmas shopping with Mum. I had a lovely day with the class who wanted to work undisturbed and they did some of their best stuff this term!!
He is 10. I did try the secondary school angle but the parents didn't really buy it; they have an older child at the school and have decided that its not doing a proper job with her. I taught the older child who is mousey but wellbehaved and perfectly nice as is the younger sister. dad is domineering and Mum is not allowed to work by Dad; quite old fashioned set up.
Last year at sports day Dad came to watch and the child was a little angel wich suggests to me that he probably is ok at home and saves it for school which is why they think his behaviour isn't a problem. At parents evening they did say he is happier with me because 'I am more like a man'
I think part of theproblem with his maths is that he has kicked off in the past and been sent out and therefore has odd gaps in his grasp of some of the basic concepts. He told me that 'decimalsfreak me out' but he often kicks off before he knows what we are doing that lesson. I have no support in Maths lessons which doesn't help.
Thanks for your thoughts. Just typing it out has helped to get hings in perspective. Will talk to him again about Maths; just need him to tune in whilst i do whole class stuff, then i can give him some individual attention.
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sweepings
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Are you doing the one to one tuition thing (sorry not sure of it's official name) - could you pick him to try to raise his confidence with maths.
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bscaca
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Great idea sweepings but our one2 one places were sorted out in the summe term and we have no more funding; in fact we have been told we may lose one of them and there are only 2!! Don't know how we'll sort that out if it comes to i!
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sweepings
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You're obviously much more organised than us!!
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bscaca
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Friday he returned to school making a miraculous recovery from his high temperature! According to little sister they went shopping and went to see granny. Anyhow he behaved today because during numeracy i gave them an old SATs paper to have a go at; he got 24 out of 40 which isn't too shabby at this stage in year 6! Anyhow thats my answer daily Sats papers!!!!
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smallholder
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So what was it about the layout and format of a SATs paper that gave him the structure and confidence to feel he could do it? This makes me suspect that either the language/mathematical vocab/format/social context/auditory memory requirement of the usual classroom tasks he plays up in might be the reason for his behaviour - making him feel deskilled compared to the kumon tasks which may be laid out in a way he feels he can cope with.
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smallholder
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Gosh that was a long sentence!
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bscaca
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Part of me thinks it was the total silence. I think this because last year when he used to get sent to me for bad behaviour with his previous teacher, he always said he liked coming into my room because it was silent and he could hear himself think. A bit difficult to teach in total silence though! I did think of putting him in booster group for maths but he has never behaved for the person who does our booster groups and she won't have him; so i tend to work with him on a 1 - 2- 1 basis that morning but it is only once a week.
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smallholder
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Does he prefer silence for his other work though? Or is it just Maths? Maybe you could talk to him about this.If it is just Maths this could be that as he is working at something he finds difficult the extra noise/talk/instruction overloads him so that he feels he can't do the work. I am someone who likes quiet when trying to concentrate on something I find difficult. If anyone interrupts me during this I can get quite grumpy!
If you find he needs silence you could try....
Quiet booth made from screens away from other kids to work?
Headphones?
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bscaca
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Thanks smallholder; will talk to him next time i'm in school - got a course on Monday then ppa Tuesday am!
can i wear the headphones???
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smallholder
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