Special Ed Teachers?

Question

This is my first year as a teacher and I'm teaching students with behavior disorders. I am about ready to have an emotional breakdown. My kids are horrible. I get hurt everyday. The throw chairs, they won't listen even for rewards and punishment. They run up and down the halls. My paras are worthless. I really don't know what to do. Was your first year like this?

Answer 1

try talking soft to them and but be strong y are the teacher and show them you care more than the schooling  try being a friend too  kid have alot to say

Answer 2

No, I was in a high school with a lot of special ed kids in gangs, but we had detention, in school suspension, out of school suspension, and alternative school to help deal with their choices.  They may not have been labled as having behavior disorders, but they had them none the less.  Suspensions sure get the parent's attention because then they have to deal with their kids instead of you.  

You have to have consistent but mild consequences, things they don't like as negatives and things they really like as positives. If they're elementary kids, take away recess, make them sit at the lunch table with you, and make a big deal of kids doing what they are supposed to be doing, giving them positive recognition, points toward rewards, etc.  I called a mom once when her kid was actually good for a change.  She was so surprised and responsive to me after that.  It also went a long way as far as a change of attitude in him toward me.  

I have several behavior disorder kids in inclusion classes now and one has been placed in alternative school due to fights.  She has no one to socialize with there or fight with.  The isolation has really brought about a change in her.  She actually does her school work and when I come by to see if she needs help, she's prepared with questions, knowing I'm available for a very limited time.  I have a second child who just had a switch in his LRE to alternative school for the same reason, physical fighting, and he has become quite tame and respectful.  

The alternative school setting does not allow any social interaction between students, they are isolated in cubbies or spaces distant from all other students.  They work with materials at their independent or instructional level rather than participate in any large group instruction, and there are immediate consequences for any infraction, including extending the number of days spent in ISS or alternative school.  

You should not ever tolerate getting hurt.  Press charges if you have to.  No child should ever think he or she can get away with physically injuring adults, whatever the disability is.  Students who threw chairs in my schools were given in school suspensions.   Get a police officer to come in and speak to them about the consequences of causing others harm.

Answer 3

I am not a special ed teacher, but I do babysit a special ed child.  It can be very difficult and I am sorry that you are getting hurt.  Talk to the person that runs the school you work in and ask for help.

Answer 4

that sounds like my fourth block class in my school

Answer 5

You are teaching one of the most difficult classes in special education. It is very hard to do that in your first year of teaching, because you are still learning to teach subject matter, let alone behavior. You may want to consider moving to a different job for several years until you get a handle on things. It takes about four years to really learn to teach.

However, since you are stuck, here are some of the suggestions that I use to help teachers in your situation. Unfortunately, I can't be there to show you how to implement. I would call your special ed office and ask if they can send out a behavior specialist to help with your class. See if your principal will help with this.

At any rate, here is some advice. You may need to restructure your behavior management system.

First and foremost, have 5 rules posted for behavior. Review them often. Teach, practice and REWARD following the rules. For instance, if one of the rules is "Raise Hand to Speak," then devise some role plays with good examples and non-examples. Do this any time one of the rules is consistently broken.

Attend to good behavior. If I see one mistake that teachers make the most it is giving most of their attention to children who are misbehaving. The kids who are quiet, attentive and doing their work, don't get much attention. Turn this around immediately! Tell the students what you want them to do and then start praising the kids that do it. "I am look for students who are sitting quietly and looking at me. Joey is looking at me, great!

You must also provide some fun breaks throughout the day, if for no other reason, so you can take them away for misbehavior. However, kids need a break in instruction, but make sure these are structured also. Again use small game groups with an adult supervising. Have short board games, puzzles, computers or whatever.

Children with poor behavior must have some options for playing alone at their desks, such as a puzzle, coloring etc. Do not make the mistake of giving them nothing fun to do or you will see misbehavior.

Check the way you are managing instruction. Make sure you are NOT teaching whole group. Look at your IEP's and group the children according to academic levels.

When you teach to the whole group, two bad things happen that cause misbehavior. One, the children have a stage upon which to act. Two, if you teach something repeatedly that a child cannot do, they WILL act out.

Mornings are bad because kids dribble in and have no structure. Do two things. The first is to have some fun and engaging activity to do alone at their desks. Two, start each morning with a check in group and go over point sheets or star sheets or whatever. Divide the students between yourself and your assistants.

Have students give other students advice on how they can do better. Set goals for the day and review the schedule. Discuss behaviors that will be receiving points or stars or whatever.

Then break into academic groups divided between you and your assistants. If your assistants are really bad, give them some simple practice work for the children to do at their stations. This keeps the children from being in whole group.

Do your whole day like this until you get kids under control. When you switch groups, you may want to have the adults switch so that kids can't act up during transitions.

Provide motivation. People really think that this is bribery, but my answer is, "Is your paycheck bribery?" Some students are not motivated by grades or are doing so poorly, they never get good grades. What is in it for them? I often use a visual star system on the board. So many stars are required to do preferred activities like recess and computers. "I am looking for students who are working. Jennifer is working, there's a star!"

Also, have a visual hierarchy of consequences so that the students know what kind of punishments will occur if they get so many warnings, time outs or whatever.

Some teachers use a green, yellow, red system made with paper plates and hung in a row. Each kid has their name on a paper clip. After a verbal warning, their clip is moved to yellow and if the behavior does not stop, move it to red. Have privileges available for kids on green and yellow, but kids on red have no privileges. If a student is on red and continues to seriously misbehave, that is the time to ask for help or move them to time out.

Always link this system to your star system so that kids have the opportunity to work their way back up the chart. This way, if the kids know this, they won't completely melt down when they go on red. For instance you can ask for five stars in a row to move back to yellow and five to move from there back to green. Normally it takes two days to go from red to green, but you have given them hope.

Before you implement any behavior system, teach it and practice it. You will find that if children truly understand the system, they will give you far less trouble.

Do not make kids move their own clips. This is one of the most ridiculous practices that I have seen. Oh sure, it works well with mildly disruptive kids, but get a true behavior problem kid and you will start a battle royal. Pick your battles.

Finally, be very careful with your voice tones and facial expressions. Do not get excited when a kid misbehaves, even if you feel anxious.

First, just stare at the child, with absolutely NO expression. Then tell them what to do. "Please go back to your seat," in completely calm, even bored voice. If they don't comply move closer to them and use this as a broken record. You must remain expressionless. If after the third time you have repeated this, then move their clip and ignore them. Go back to teaching. Most kids comply after 3-4 broken records.

If you can implement these suggestions, your class should improve dramatically.

For more information on behavior management, go to Dr. Mac's Amazing Behavior Management website.

Answer 6

Hopefully, it will get better. When I first started working with children on the autism spectrum it was tough. I was, and still am, working with teenagers with alot of needs. I have been choked, slapped, scratched, bitten, tossed across the room, and slammed. At first I wanted to quit, move on and find and easier job. I stuck with it though and I find it so rewarding.

I was moved to a different classroom where the children's behaviors were less severe. This group still has behaviors, but it is nothing like the first group I was with. Sometimes, you just have to take a step back and say "do I really want to do this? Is my personal safety more important to me than this job?" I'm a petite woman and no match for a large teenage male h**l bent on getting me out of his way.

There is a chance it might not get better. Perhaps this isn't the setting for you. I'm not saying this isn't the profession for you. Maybe you need to find another school. I think you know best. Go with your gut. If you hate it, leave. Nobody should have to be abused at work.

Good Luck!

Answer 7

I'm studying to become a special education teacher and have heard of stories like your own. Just remember back when you were learning about this stuff how much passion you had for it. You are doing an extremely hard job that most people do not want. It amazes me the reaction I get when I tell others my major. Most ask why would you want to do that ? well my reason is because I know I can make a difference and I am sure you are doing that now. Just remember you might be the only one who is giving anything to these kids and do your best, that's all you can do. Good luck with everything !

Answer 8

Emotional breakdowns are common when first beginning work with ED students, if you can hang in there...you will see if you are really cut out for this population.  Behaviors can be handled with compassion, consistency, structure and rewards/consequences.  (Don't use word...punishment)  Things can get worse before they get better and it takes a while to develop an effective behavior strategy.  Talk to your paras...remember that you have to lead the flock.  Good Luck!!!!