Need Advice

[Leigh]

As you all know by now, I teach a group of 4th graders. (DUH:rolleyes: ) I am however having a problem. I had a child moved into my class from another class the 8th week of school. She was moved because she was a discipline problem. She has severe anger management problems. Several times now she has harmed the other children in my class. When she gets angry she goes off. She throws stuff (chairs, books, etc.) and she hits children and things. She has thrown a girl against the sink in the bathroom, she has grabbed a boy by the throat and slapped him repeatedly, and the other day when I had the workshop, she punched a boy on the crown of the head. The other children in my class are now scared of her, and they are telling their parents that they do not want to come to school now because of her. They are telling their parents to have them moved to Mrs. Sumner's (my team teacher) homeroom, so that they can have the same teachers, but they do not have to be in the same class with this little girl. I have expressed my concern to the administration, but the only answer I receive is lets wait and see what happens. Well, what happens is that this little girl continues to throw tantrums when she gets mad. :{ I plan on going to the administration again on Monday, but do any of you have any advice. I don't blame the children or the children's parents. I would not want my child in a room with this child either, but I think because I am a new teacher they are refusing to help. What would ya'll do? Thank you in advance!

[MaryL]

Has she been evaluated for O.D.D. ? (Oppositional Defiant Disorder)

[AnnW]

You mean the parents are waiting for you to do something?? I guarrandamntee you that I would be in that principal's face everyday till the situation was resolved if my child was terrified to go to school as a result of another child's violence!!!!
I would tell that principal to correct the situation NOW!!!!!

[jenni]

Oh my I feel for you. I think if I were you Every time I had trouble, I mean you are responisble for the safety of all of your children I would send this child out to the office. I'm sure if it inconveniences them enough they will do something rather quickly. (been there) It sounds like this is a case for your child study team and they shouldn't waste a minute. Good Luck!
Keep us posted!
~Jenni

[Diane]

I can't believe that they'd put a child, who's already had behavioral issues with dicipline, in your classroom and expect you to have to deal with it. It's not only unfair to you... but it's also unfair to your students and their parents. Children should not be afraid to go to school... and if they are, something should be done about it. She's a disruption to your classroom... and (it sounds like) a danger to the other children in the classroom. As a teacher... I'd resent it and as a parent... and siimply wouldn't put up with it. Each/every time I'd have issues with her... I'd bring her straight to the principals office... let him/them deal with her.

Are you in a position where you can refuse to have a certain child in your classroom? If so... I'd do that! You can't continue to allow her to disrupt your classroom or to harm the chldren in your classroom. This is their problem... and it shouldn't be made to be yours. Let them deal with it! Good luck... I hope you can get this resolved real soon!!!

Diane...

[littlesista06]

Whoa!! I'm with Ann. If ANYTHING like that happened in dd's class, that kid would be gone, or dd would!
Why is administration not controlling this? If anyone in dd's school lays a hand on another child, they are suspended or at least have in-school suspension, but not allowed to continue coming to class terrorizing others.

[darlene]

Originally posted by Leigh
I have expressed my concern to the administration, but the only answer I receive is lets wait and see what happens. Well, what happens is that this little girl continues to throw tantrums when she gets mad. :{ I plan on going to the administration again on Monday, but do any of you have any advice. I don't blame the children or the children's parents. I would not want my child in a room with this child either, but I think because I am a new teacher they are refusing to help. What would ya'll do? Thank you in advance!

Sorry Leigh, but you need to jump up and down and scream at your administration! :{ What the *&%* are they waiting for....for this little girl to cause serious or life threatening harm to another student! As a parent of one of the students, I would be in that principals office so fast it would make his head spin!
The fact that you are a new teacher has nothing to do with this situation! The girl has obvious problems and should not be allowed treat others as she has!

Have these situations been documented? What have the consequences been when she hurts a fellow classmate? Have the parents been informed?

Scream Leigh.....scream really loud!!!

:)

[Judy]

When the safety of the children is your responsibility, I'd certainly take things to whatever level necessary.

I would put in writing all the situations you can remember, and be specific in whatever behavior was exhibited, and if you can remember, what triggered it. I'd then send a copy of this, along with a request to the principle, child study team, and the director of special education to have the child evaluated.

The school dristrict is obligated to investigate the behavior this child is exhibiting. I'd also request they inform you in writing when you can expect to be part of the evaluation process.

Also, if you have a good relationship with the parents, you can also ask for their assistance in requesting the child be evaluated.

If you have a report with a member of the child study team in your dristrict, and you know what triggers the outbursts in this child, you can ask him/her to come directly to your class and see if you can trigger the behavior.

Not only is this a problem for the children in your class, but it is not your responisbility, nor do you have the training to handle this type of behavior which puts the entire school dristrict in a very sticky situation. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to respond to you.

Good luck.

[RCT]

OMG! This is NOT right, get the principal, superintentent, EVERYONE involved.....

[PamE]

This is the kind of thing that terrifies me to send ds1 to school. :\ Someone could be beating the crap out of him on a daily basis and I wouldn't know it.

It sounds like the school system has a huge potential lawsuit on their hands in that little girl. They're giving her power by not stopping her. That's very sad/scary/infuriating! This poor thing desperately needs help, but then so do the other children who have to deal with her on a daily basis. It just makes my blood boil that no one is doing anything to help you!!! :{

[Leigh]

Originally posted by MaryL
Has she been evaluated for O.D.D. ? (Oppositional Defiant Disorder)

Yes, she has been tested for various things and does not test into any.

[Leigh]

Originally posted by AnnW
You mean the parents are waiting for you to do something?? I guarrandamntee you that I would be in that principal's face everyday till the situation was resolved if my child was terrified to go to school as a result of another child's violence!!!!
I would tell that principal to correct the situation NOW!!!!!

Not to be ugly, but I have wound up with a group of children that come from a lower class setting, so most of their parents really don't make a stink about things. (That is another reason I think that this child was moved to my room)

They might tell their chldren that they are going to do something, but nine times out of ten, they don't. I just hate to think that the children in my room are coming to school in fear.

[Leigh]

Originally posted by jenni
Oh my I feel for you. I think if I were you Every time I had trouble, I mean you are responisble for the safety of all of your children I would send this child out to the office. I'm sure if it inconveniences them enough they will do something rather quickly. (been there) It sounds like this is a case for your child study team and they shouldn't waste a minute. Good Luck!
Keep us posted!
~Jenni

I send her to the office, but we don't have a time out room, so most of the time she comes back in just a short few minutes, and as I posted previously, she has already been through the child study team and nothing happened.

[Leigh]

Originally posted by Diane P.
I can't believe that they'd put a child, who's already had behavioral issues with dicipline, in your classroom and expect you to have to deal with it. It's not only unfair to you... but it's also unfair to your students and their parents. Children should not be afraid to go to school... and if they are, something should be done about it. She's a disruption to your classroom... and (it sounds like) a danger to the other children in the classroom. As a teacher... I'd resent it and as a parent... and siimply wouldn't put up with it. Each/every time I'd have issues with her... I'd bring her straight to the principals office... let him/them deal with her.

Are you in a position where you can refuse to have a certain child in your classroom? If so... I'd do that! You can't continue to allow her to disrupt your classroom or to harm the chldren in your classroom. This is their problem... and it shouldn't be made to be yours. Let them deal with it! Good luck... I hope you can get this resolved real soon!!!

Diane...

I am not really in a position to refuse a child, but I did tell the principal not long ago, that if another child was moved from my room, (since they have been doing that all year) I wanted it to be her.

[Leigh]

Originally posted by littlesista06
Whoa!! I'm with Ann. If ANYTHING like that happened in dd's class, that kid would be gone, or dd would!
Why is administration not controlling this? If anyone in dd's school lays a hand on another child, they are suspended or at least have in-school suspension, but not allowed to continue coming to class terrorizing others.

We do not have a time out or in school suspension room this year, and they are supposed to be suspended for putting their hands on another child, but they can only be suspended for 10 days out of the year, and she only has one day left.

[Leigh]

Originally posted by darlene
Sorry Leigh, but you need to jump up and down and scream at your administration! :{ What the *&%* are they waiting for....for this little girl to cause serious or life threatening harm to another student! As a parent of one of the students, I would be in that principals office so fast it would make his head spin!
The fact that you are a new teacher has nothing to do with this situation! The girl has obvious problems and should not be allowed treat others as she has!

Have these situations been documented? What have the consequences been when she hurts a fellow classmate? Have the parents been informed?

Scream Leigh.....scream really loud!!!

:)

The situations have been documented, and the office has told her that any of the children she has harmed has a right to press charges, but none of the parents have elected to do that. Her mom knows and the parents of the injured children were informed, and of course the rest of the children go home and tell their parents.

[Leigh]

Judy~ She has went through all of the testing and they found nothing.

Renee~ That is the next step I will take is to go above my principal's head.

Pam~ If any one of the parents wanted to press charges, they could, but they have chosen not to for the time being.


Thanks for all of your responses. I did not get a chance to talk to the administration today, but I am tomorrow without fail, and I will let you know how it goes.

[PamE]

Leigh, all I can say is I don't envy you in your position. :( I hope for your sanity and the sake of the kids that someone will wake up soon and take appropriate action. {{{HUGS}}}

[Leigh]

Well, I thought I would give ya'll an update on this child. After her having a few more outbursts, (no one was hurt but in one), and that was the one she had one this morning, and our principal saw it. She beat up a child in the lunch room for asking her to move up in line. The school has now decided to press charges and she is being moved to an alternative school. When he spoke with me about it, I told him, this is exactly what I have been trying to tell you. It makes me sad to know that she has so much anger inside, but I am glad that she should be getting help now.

Thank you all for all of your support!

[Leigh]

Well, I thought I would give ya'll an update on this child. After her having a few more outbursts, (no one was hurt but in one), and that was the one she had one this morning, and our principal saw it. She beat up a child in the lunch room for asking her to move up in line. The school has now decided to press charges and she is being moved to an alternative school. When he spoke with me about it, I told him, this is exactly what I have been trying to tell you. It makes me sad to know that she has so much anger inside, but I am glad that she should be getting help now.

Thank you all for all of your support!

[littlesista06]

That's a sad situation..... esp. if the parents don't give a rat's ass about her behavior.
I am glad for you and your class that she has been moved - hopefully, she can get some attention and straighten out.

[PamE]

I'm glad the situation was resolved for you. I hope the alternative school will be able to help her. It's a pity that it took so long for things to be taken care of.