Teachers and bullys

Teachers and bullys
Do teachers get bullyed? Yes!
In one large city classroom, I made the mistake of attempting to be democratic in my requests to students.
As a sub, I like to select different students to assist where it would be helpful. Not utilizing the same students all day

Sources of Bullys

Sources of bullys
As a teacher and substitute teacher, experiences with bullying students have been numerous.

Some staff can handle them successfully, others can not. They, also, are intimidated.
I have found bullys come from all walks of life. Some of the worst have been from school staff's families and others from the families of community leaders. Some of these were backed up by their families. Of course, others may come from other families and broken homes.

Either way, they need to be dealt with. But, sometimes they are and sometimes not.

Reasons for lack of reporting

Reasons for lack of reporting.
Do not depend on the school to make activities "right".

• Sometimes the scene is not quite in view of the supervisior.
• Sometimes, some other activity is claiming the supervisiors attention at that time.
• Serious bully's watch and wait for these situations and then act.

It is critical that parents follow up on any reports your child gives you when acts are made against them or another child.

• Get as much information as you can from your child, persons, place, time, etc.
• Contact the school supervisior, etc.
• Request a return answer as to what was done. I know schools do not always like these "interferences", but it is your child or your child's friend and should not be ignored.

As a teacher and substitute teacher, I have reported incidents and had them ignored. There will be further information on these later.

Do not let bullying reports "slip through the cracks".

Good Friends

Good friends become good groups.
As your child's friendship base grows, encourage your child to have the group look out for each other. Very seldom, will any of them be all alone at school.
Encourage the children to report any intimidation steps to an adult on duty. Also, to tell their own parents about the situation.
Sometimes, proper reports are not made and followed up on in a timely manner.

Confidence Building!

Confidence building through role-playing.
As school will some be starting, soon, it is a good time for you, the parent, to start teaching your child how to make friends at school or in social groups.
Teach your "lonely" child to look over the area and find another "lonely" child. The one sitting or standing alone, not playing with anyone, etc. They too, are bully targets.

Practice having your child approach members of the household or friends and introduce themselves, compare likes and dislikes, and build a conversation bank for your child to use at school.

Bullys!

Does your child have difficulty with bully's?

The well behaved child often does. The shy child having a difficult time making friends is often an easy target. The child with a learning or physical handicap is often a target.


As the children go into other classes, two problems can arise. They need to make new friends within the class. And, they often meet new bully's.


We are going to devote some space in this blog to the problem of bully's.


You are welcome to contribute experiences, suggestions, and ideas others can use. Student written contributions are also welcome.

Eyes Not Reading a Line

At times, the beginning reader will be picking words from the line above or below the reading line. Sometimes both.

This usually mean they are having difficulty focusing their eyes on the land. They
may need to see an eye specialist.

They may also need to use a card below the line.Extreme cases may require a slit be cut in a cardboard guide so they only see the immediate line.

A Second Grade Experience

I once had a seven year old student enter my second grade class at the beginning of the year. He was a non-reader. (Before the era of Special Education)

A month or two later, using the family methods mentioned in the previous post.
He offered to stand before his class and read a small book of about 12 pages with 10 different words.
Not an accomplishment to many of us. But I was very pleased to have my class of twenty plus second graders rise to their feet an one body and give him a standing ovation.

This class adopted their classmate and helped him to graduate from high school. Today, this very seldom occurs, but it is what special students need and do not get very often.
From this point, this boy went on and gradually expanded his learning, but it was never easy for him.

author of Stepping Stones to Navajo History

Who is the Real Teacher

The students in Special Education Classes have to struggle long and hard to make progress that other students make much more easily. It is frustrating and discouraging.

Who best to provide the encouragement than family and friends, in a non-threatening environment, at home? The same story can be read by different members of the family until it is nearly memorized.

To start this process, use a small simple book of about 30 pages. Use one with large print, bright
pictures and words repeated often, sometimes several times on one page. For some students, it may take a week for the student to get the idea.
Have your child look at this book list with you.
Children's Books
Find a book that interests them, the process will be lot smoother if they can choose the book themselves.
More choices available at these online book stores.

How to work with a Special School Program

How can you work with a special school program? Show your child that you have an interest in what they are doing in school. Make it a daily habit to have them tell or show you one thing they learned each day. Compliment them on their achievements.

There are many times each day you teach your child.
Some time ago, I entered a store just in time to hear an exchange between a five year old boy and it father. Father was reading a newspaper while waiting for his wife to finish her shopping. The boy said "What are you reading that for? The father responded,"When I read, I always learn new things that interest me."

This was probably the best lesson in learning that he will ever teach his young son as it will last all of his life.

Special Education School Records

I have found the use of plastic page protectors are an asset in keeping some school items.
They can be moved around and better organized. An inexpensive idea is to use the hole punched system in a 3 ring binder.
If your child deals with more than one school employee, request that all attend the meeting. Write information to be presented and receive feedback from the meeting.

If the meeting does not go well, it is possible to request a second meeting to settle differences.
There may be unresolved issues that may also require a followup meeting.

Don't just appear to be organized. Be organized. You will gain more respect and a more postive action plan from your school staff.

Avery Top Loading Non-Glare Poly Sheet Protectors 200 Count (74401)

Parent School Staff Meetings

School parent meetings can be scary for some parents. They may feel the school staff member knows so much more than they do. Education scares them?

Maybe the parent has had bad experiences from their own classroom experience?
The reasons could vary. But you are the expert on your child. It is your responsibility to show your expertize to the school. You know your child's strength and weakness's. Maybe the same are not being shown at school.

At school meetings, some of the best clues to a child can come from seemingly, unimportant statements made by the parent or child. A well trained staff member can pick these statements up and incorporate them into developing an improved program for your child.

Worried? Take a friend or relative that knows your child well. Take a notebook with notes of what you want to discuss with staff. Keep all statements short and to the point. Usually, two minutes or less will say a lot. Any longer and people lose their train of thought. Give pros and con's.

Make note of any comments of others that you can use later. You may pick up some
clues to discuss with your child after the meeting.

Hint: Dress nicely. Approach the meeting as you would a business meeting. You will be more organized and sound more professional than you feel.
Your child is your business.

A Parent's Experience

A few years ago, the parents of a 2nd grader was notified by their school, plans were being made to retain their daughter in the second grade in the following year.

There had been no previous indicationfrom the school of the child being seriously behind in school. She was having difficulty in reading but was being tutored and helped at home with progress being shown. No extra assistance had been offered
from school.

This should have been the first step for the school. It was not followed.
After the parents, in writing refused to consider the retaining order with out a meeting, a meeting was called.
Immediately, small group assistance was agreed to along with Special Education assessment. Six weeks later, she was entered into Special Education with no talk of retaining her. This was a speedy move for most schools.

Another request made by the parents was to receive a copy of the documents results the school was using to make their retaining decision. This was never received from the school.

Today, this student is a busy seventh grader. She had some area that shows difficulty, but she has learned to work her way through the difficult areas. Time has shown that her most loved class is producing music on her violin.

School Experience

Years ago, I accidentally found pencil lead under my son's back skin. It
was the only tip off that he was having a problem in school. He finally
confessed to me, the boy seated behind him had begun poking him with a
pencil, often. He did not want me to take the problem to school. I did, by
calling the principal, the next morning. The boy was moved to an area that
prevented this behavior.
* Is your child happy to attend school?
* If something is not going well, does your student feel it is all their fault?

Uncertain students are easy to convenience "it is their fault". Don't let this occur.

Should you answer yes to any of these questions, it is time to take a good look at your child's school situation. It may mean just alerting the teacher, it may mean going farther. But often, the first step will take care of the problem.

People Without a Written Language

Until almost 1920, the Navajos as well as other Native American tribes did not have a written language.
Between 1910 land 1920, an effort was made to learn the language and put the sounds in phonic language. Up until that time, much sign language was used or oral language, which took interpreters.
Most of the old biographies were pass on though the years by family historians, and not well known by many of the tribal members.
Stepping Stones to Navajo History has some great biographies.

Special Education Additional Assistance

    How do you know your child needs additional assistance in or out of school?
We expect schools to notice when all students need extra assistance.
Problem: It does not always occur. Sometimes, they "fall through the cracks. "
    Do you have a student "falling through the cracks"? Reasons for this may be varied.
    * A new teacher with less experience and too much to do.
    * Is the class over crowded?
    * Is there para-professional assistance in the class at least part of the day?
    * What is the classroom behavior? Well managed or disorganized?
    * Have you visited the class during class time? You may need to and observe
       your child's activities.
    * Have you questioned your child, listened to your child, gained his opinions of
       his class?
    * Is there a behavior problem with another student that needs to be addressed?

Can't be bothered

Once, I had a child with the "Can't be bothered to learn" attitude. I began to ask him what his parents did to provide him with his needs. Both of them worked outside the home and he seemed to have the best of many things.
He knew the places they worked, but could not tell me what the jobs consisted of nor what they needed to do the job.
In school, he refused to use any of the teaching tools that were offered. He refused to turn in work, etc.

A conference with parents was a total disaster. They could not understand, or would not, that he was being taught skills at home that would not benefit his future. They had few expectations for his actions, so he gave them very little effort.
Very shortly afterward, he was transferred to another school. Do you think he changed much in the future? Or was he taught another undesirable lesson, by the parents.
Everytime someone expects something of you, it is easier to move on and slide through life, never accomplishing anything because you have no goals.
Teaching your child that life is not hard work is teaching them how not to have a life.
Setting goals are a life skill. You have to be taught that goals are necessary for yourself and for future employers.

He had also not made any friends in our class. Not because the students did not try to make a new friend, but even their demands toward friendships were rebuffed.
The lack of desire for goal setting even kept him from a social life.

Family History is a learning tool

Do you listen to old stories about your family history? What has happened in your family and is now a fascinating lore? These stories are educational. How did your ancestors cope with difficult times?
Take notes of these stories and pass them on to your child. They will learn how to better handle life and the story has been given to the next generation.
A great example of how history can be lost and recovered is found in this book.
Stepping Stones to Navajo History

Teaching Work Skills

Does your child know what skills you have? How do you earn your income?

Some children do not have this vital information.
You go to work and bring in a check to purchase their housing, food, toys, clothes, and fun. All your child needs to say is "I want" and it comes to them. No effort is needed.

It may be important for you to teach your child what you have to go through to provide their needs. What do your employers require of you to provide that toy, or snack? Homes can be valuable in teaching: use of time, accurate learning, budgeting of time and money and responsibility.

Special Education Tips & Ideas

Boring!

"Boring"
Do you get that response from your student about homework, "Boring!"
Do they understand that sometimes repeating is necessary to master a skill. Tests show that some of us need to repeat a skill at least 10 times to really make it stick in our brains and master it.
A few are lucky and can do it in one try, but not all of us.

Does your student understand how some day, they may have to repeat skills to keep a paying job in their adult years? Students with the "Boring" attitude often do not want to put in the "repeat" time to do anything that is not needed their "now" life. They do not consider their future life.

It is a "get out of work" technique.
As a parent, you are contributing to a "get out of work" attitude toward your child's later work career, if you give in. You have to maintain patience and keep the repetition going. Your child will benefit in the end.
Special Education tips & ideas