Help!! i need to know how to deal with some children in the classroom?

Question

i am doing internship for 1st graders. there are some special education kids who are out of control. they run and talk alot. what do i do?

Answer 1

I'd drop them from the course, if that's not an option remove them for the day each time they disrupt the class, if they refuse to leave call the police.

Answer 2

First of all, where is the reg. ed. teacher when you are doing your internship is there no extra support in the classroom?  If you are providing education to the children with special needs (please note they are not "spec. ed. kids"), are you familiar with their IEPs.  

If there are no behavior plans in place, then you need to confer with the special education teachers/dept and principal about these behaviors that are being shown and request more support in the classroom.  Ask that they provide you with training and information on how to address these behaviors, that is part of the special education teachers/dept's job.  Ask for help, for yourself and the children.  Because the children may not be able to ask for it themselves.    

These children are missing out on educational time, moving them to a corner by themselves defeats the purpose of "INCLUSION".  Segregation can happen even in the general ed classroom.  

I hope you can get the assistance you need.  Below are some links for you to look up some info.  This is good stuff to know because even if you don't chose to become a special education teacher, you will no doubt, have some special needs children come into your classroom.  Being knowledgeable will help you, help them.

~dla

Answer 3

talk to the sped teachers, it is their responsibility. No help? then talk to the principal

Answer 4

You need to find out the reason for the behavior.  Are they doing this just because you are a new person and they want to see if you will set limits or just let them go crazy?  Are they doing this because the lesson you are teaching is at an inappropriate instructional level for them?  Are they doing it because nobody has ever expected them to actually sit and attend to the lesson before?

You need to find out if any of these students have BIP's - perhaps there are interventions/reinforcers/consequences that work to prevent or stop this behavior.  You need to know the BIP backwards and forwards so you can implement it effectively and legally.

If they don't already have a BIP, you need to determine the root of the problem before you can fix it.  The important thing to remember is that these students are General Education students FIRST - not "special education kids".  Special Ed is a service they receive as part of their education - it is not a definition of who they are.

There should be people on your campus you can go to for support - the assigned classroom teacher, the SpEd case manager for the students, the counselor, and even the administrator.  

Don't allow the students to run the classroom - provide a structured routine with clear expectations and be firm.  If you let them control the room, no learning will take place for any of the students.

Answer 5

The first step is talk to the classroom teacher that is suppose to be helping you. There should be some form of behavioral program in place.

If there is no behavior management program in place, I would ask the teacher if you can come up with something.

It is important to understand that it's not the students fault. Children in first grade typically are very much into pleasing the adults in the room. Special education students are not, it is the adults in the room that set the tone for the room. Having a new adult in the room allows the student to see what you as the leader will tolerate. I am not saying it is your fault. I am saying that a new situation and a new person typically brings on a change of behavior.

It is important to remember negative reinforcement is even more powerful as positive reinforcement. So it is your job to help the students get more positive reinforcement for good tasks.

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/teachin...

http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/pub/eres...  ( I like the Secret Student)

http://www.proteacher.com/cgi-bin/outsid...

Answer 6

Try and keep them seperated in different parts of the room.

Ask about setting up a behavior intervention plan for each student that needs it.  It will benefit you and others to observe the behaviors and write them down in detail.  Also try and set up behavior contracts with them so they can earn priveledges for good behavior and following directions.   If the SPED children see the other children earning rewards they will try to earn them too.  Any positive behavior you see call them on it and let them know you appreciate it.   Can you also talk to the parents?  Most important, make sure they understand what is required from them.  This might require modifying the lesson plan to suit their needs.  They need to be able to complete the work assigned.  An example could be:  20 problems of math for the regular ed students and 5 for the SPED students.  Or,,,, changing the reading material to make it accessible to them.  It takes a lot of time and hopefully you have some support from others either in the room or more experienced teachers.  No matter what,,, DO NOT LOSE YOUR PATIENCE WITH THEM because they will always win.  Last measures may require them to be removed from the classroom and possibly placed in a more restrictive enviornment but you must try everything else first.  GOOD LUCK!!

Answer 7

Give them insentives.  Why are they doing this?  Why shouldn't they?

Make sure they have a reason to stop talking and listen, or to slow down and walk instead of run.  Most kids don't be naughty on purpose, and special ed kids find it dificult to keep quite ( if they feel the need to say something they say it).  Are you sure they are not talking about what you are teaching 'cos this may be their way of processing information.  Encourage them to put 'silent hands up' and wait to be chosen to speak.  praise other children for waiting their turn by giving them a sticker and the disruptive ones may realise that if they stick to the rules they might get a sticker.  It's suprising what kids will do for a sticker or a gummi bear.

I some times have trafic light coloured cards on th wall and print the kids names onto paper and cut em out and stick them on the orange card with blue tack. reward good behaviour by moving them up to green and telling them what they did that was good to get them there eg. hand up, walking sensibly and let them know that everyone on green will get a sticker at the end of the day.  Any undesirable behaviour can be ignored to a certain extent (let the desire to get stickers do the work), I would rather say look how nicely jonny is sitting (everyone else suddenly sits up straight!) than saying you over there stop talking.  Or you could say to a child are you going to sit  quietly so you can get on the green  for a sticker.  If needed  tell a child 'you are disturbing the other children listen properly or I will have to move you down to red and miss one minute of you play time!  Children then can 'choose' if they want to join in and be rewarded. they can move back to orange and then green if they decide to conform.

Do make allowances for those with difficulties though and reward their efforts rather than their answers.

Make sure you keep their attention by presenting things in an interesting way, and for example giving them chance to talk 'right, turn to a friend and you have two minutes to talk about what you already know about how plants grow'.  Then give them white boards to draw diagramms. kids that age cant normally sit and listen for longer that 20 mins.  

Walking with kids, I keep the ones likely to shout or run near me and do a saloute  'attention!', then whisper so they have to shush and listen and say 'right lets walk down to the playground like smart quiet soldiers'

good luck just keep on trying different things till you find what works best

Answer 8

Before you start looking at the students, you may want to look at yourself. Once you start blaming the kids, you are doomed. Check the following to make sure you aren't part of the situation:

Are you teaching the work at their level?

Are you asking the same of them as your regular student's?

Are you teaching to the IEP's goals?

Are you providing the accommodations that are required on the IEP?

Are you differentiating instruction?

Frequently kids will act up if their curricular needs are not met or if they cannot do as you ask of them. Remember, you wouldn't ask a person with one foot to run a mile in six minutes and you can't force special ed kids to do more than they are capable of doing.

Next, look at your behavior management

Are you providing all of your attention to problem behaviors? Then that is what you will see because you are reinforcing them.

Are you providing a great deal of attention to positive behaviors?

Are you inconsistent in providing consequences?

Do you let some behaviors happen sometimes and correcting them at other times?

Are you practicing and teaching routines and providing reinforcement for doing them properly?

My suggestion is that you go to Dr. Mac's Amazing Behavior Management website to find out more about how to handle children.

I kind of take offense to your saying "some special ed kids" like they are from a different planet. These kids are as individual as your "regular" ed kids and you need to address possible issues that you may have regarding having special ed kids in your classroom. Though I am not personally completely in line with inclusion, you may as well start regarding them as "your" kids, because they will always be in your classes.

One of the best things someone ever said to me was, "don't blame the learner' and they were 100% right. As Behavior Analyst, I can tell you that of the 100's of classes I have observed, the problem behavior is almost always a result of teacher behavior. Please investigate what is going on and read up on behavior management.

Answer 9

I'm not an expert but I would think that if only some of the children are special education then maybe some of the students should be separated into different classrooms so that there are no distractions to take away from their learning abilities, while the special education kids would be able to have all the time and special attention they require.  

     If you are not the only teacher in the class maybe some kind of group separation would work.  

     If this isn't possible then possibly, and don't take this the wrong way, but maybe 1st grade isn't your thing.  You know 1st graders can be a handful even in small groups.  Please don't give up, this country needs more good teachers.  Maybe you could break yourself in with a higher grade then come back to 1st grade later on?

     Also maybe you could try asking around at some of the different schools in the neighborhood, or just observing from a far to get some ideas.

     GOOD LUCK BLUE!