problem children?
Background info: I am a strictly elementary/kindergarten ALT. I don't work with any teachers but homeroom teachers (I don't have any JTEs). I'm generally the primary teacher when I'm in the classroom, and I have no teaching background whatsoever. This is my 2nd year. EDIT: I have changed the names of kids to *AAA* *BBB* and *CCC*
I have one class of 3rd graders that I dread. There are several kids in it who really should be on some kind of medication or in a special needs class, because they need more attention than they are getting and they are hyperactive. It's mostly just three kids that start something, but once it's started, it seems like the whole class (28 kids) is a hive of bees instead of a class of children.
*AAA* is a quiet girl but she has a very short attention span and tends to play by herself during class at her desk or wander around the classroom. She is not usually a problem but she can be distracting to other kids. *BBB* usually participates in games but can become uncooperative and aggressive. *CCC* is by far the number one problem kid in the class. I have overheard that his parents are going through a divorce and I'm certain that he's only doing it for attention, but he does all kinds of crazy things. Unfortunately these things happen during my class time, and I really don't know what to do in these situations. The homeroom teacher is usually caught up with one or two of these kids which leaves me with almost 30 kids by myself. And when one or two kids become distracting then the whole class is loud and doesn't pay attention to me.
Today *CCC* (for some reason) had an egg from one of the school chickens. As usual he was wandering around the classroom and talking to people while I was up front trying to teach. Within the first 5 minutes, he squeezed the egg too hard, and it got all over his hand and the floor (a few feet away from me). The homeroom teacher cleaned it up and told him to wash his hands, and I basically kept going as if nothing was happening. How am I supposed to react to this? Ignore it? When I mentioned that he had broken an egg after class in the staff room, the reaction from staff was "again?"
Earlier this school year, there was a worse incident during my class. *BBB* was being incooperative and fighting with their homeroom teacher, so I was up front teaching by myself. Somehow *CCC* went into the hallway without us realizing he was gone, and he punched his fist through one of the windows. Luckily it happened at the very end of class so at least my whole class period wasn't wasted dealing with that.
Seriously, though, I have no idea if there is anything I can do about this. I think everyone is already aware that *CCC* is in need of special attention. Sometimes he plays games with the school principal, which I think is just to give his own teacher a break. I am halfway tempted to talk things over with his teacher or the principal to see if he can be excluded from English class. I would also be happy if I could get someone else to come to the room with me when I teach that class so that there would be more help if the kids acted up. I'm just not sure how I should go about asking for something like that (I am confident I could express my concerns in Japanese, but I don't want to disrupt the natural order of things or be considered rude in the process). I'm just frustrated dealing with 28 kids who don't pay attention, when the class of 3rd graders next door is so much fun. Who do you think I should talk to about this? Do you think I'm justified in asking for extra help?
I have one class of 3rd graders that I dread. There are several kids in it who really should be on some kind of medication or in a special needs class, because they need more attention than they are getting and they are hyperactive. It's mostly just three kids that start something, but once it's started, it seems like the whole class (28 kids) is a hive of bees instead of a class of children.
*AAA* is a quiet girl but she has a very short attention span and tends to play by herself during class at her desk or wander around the classroom. She is not usually a problem but she can be distracting to other kids. *BBB* usually participates in games but can become uncooperative and aggressive. *CCC* is by far the number one problem kid in the class. I have overheard that his parents are going through a divorce and I'm certain that he's only doing it for attention, but he does all kinds of crazy things. Unfortunately these things happen during my class time, and I really don't know what to do in these situations. The homeroom teacher is usually caught up with one or two of these kids which leaves me with almost 30 kids by myself. And when one or two kids become distracting then the whole class is loud and doesn't pay attention to me.
Today *CCC* (for some reason) had an egg from one of the school chickens. As usual he was wandering around the classroom and talking to people while I was up front trying to teach. Within the first 5 minutes, he squeezed the egg too hard, and it got all over his hand and the floor (a few feet away from me). The homeroom teacher cleaned it up and told him to wash his hands, and I basically kept going as if nothing was happening. How am I supposed to react to this? Ignore it? When I mentioned that he had broken an egg after class in the staff room, the reaction from staff was "again?"
Earlier this school year, there was a worse incident during my class. *BBB* was being incooperative and fighting with their homeroom teacher, so I was up front teaching by myself. Somehow *CCC* went into the hallway without us realizing he was gone, and he punched his fist through one of the windows. Luckily it happened at the very end of class so at least my whole class period wasn't wasted dealing with that.
Seriously, though, I have no idea if there is anything I can do about this. I think everyone is already aware that *CCC* is in need of special attention. Sometimes he plays games with the school principal, which I think is just to give his own teacher a break. I am halfway tempted to talk things over with his teacher or the principal to see if he can be excluded from English class. I would also be happy if I could get someone else to come to the room with me when I teach that class so that there would be more help if the kids acted up. I'm just not sure how I should go about asking for something like that (I am confident I could express my concerns in Japanese, but I don't want to disrupt the natural order of things or be considered rude in the process). I'm just frustrated dealing with 28 kids who don't pay attention, when the class of 3rd graders next door is so much fun. Who do you think I should talk to about this? Do you think I'm justified in asking for extra help?