...and useless.

Have got a group for FLS. One child is disruptive and a pain for much of the time. He can do some great work when he wants to...and the rest of the time is a pain. disrupts the rest of the group.

Yesterday i sent him out for 5 minutes time out and then in the end back to the class because i wasn't prepared to put up with his behaviour. And then the dynamic of the group changed completely. And we got some really good work done.

I know he wants attention and probably needs it too...i know his home life is naff. i know he doesn't need me being as i am with him.

I tried talking to DH who's class he is in and she just said he needs to be in your group. ie unwilling to discuss it further.

ideas please on coping better with his behaviour and the whole situation.

thanks

catbells x

if this child is attention seeking could you give him something positive to do at the start of the lesson, make him your monitor or something, that way he can help you set up and you can praise him for positive behaviour right from the start.

once you have set him off on a positive note give him as much praise for good behaviour as you can and try to ignore the poor behaviour. hopefully this will give him the attention hes craving for the right reasons, then after the lesson take him to one side to tell him how pleased you were with him and tell his CT when you get back how well he did

Thanks Summertime

Why couldn't i think of that.

probably because i was too busy thinking how useless i was. and you could stand back from it all.

will try that next week.

Catbells x

catbells, if you were useless you wouldnt be doing FLS

Hi Catbells! I'm in a similar position to you with a child with disruptive behaviour (attention-needing child) hindering the progress and concentration of the rest of the group. It sometimes makes me feel inadequate. I have tried humour strategies which can work - but alas sometimes it doesn't and it all goes pear-shaped.
I am sure you are doing a great job too, as after all you have been asked to help with FLS. Keep your pecker up

Don't feel inadequate Catbells, we've all been there and know how you feel. Try not to let it get to you, easier said than done I know. I agree with Summer, give him a job, a bit of responsibility. If his home life is naff he's probably got low self esteem.Praise the good behaviour, (try to) ignore the bad. He is obviously capable if he's doing FLS so it's not that he can't do the work, frustration through lack of ability often leads to disrutive behaviour.

I agree with the others.

I am surprised by the lack of support from the class teacher. All intervention groups cost the schools alot of money, and can only be effective if the pace is kept and children on task, and will not be effective if you keep having to stop for one childs behaviour. When I am choosing children for a group, first I look at ability, then once I get to a small number of children I look at the group dynamics, if I have a child who I think will disrupt the group, they may not be included.

I think try the things that the others have suggested. Also if you have stickers, drop hints that you are looking for someone to give that 'special' sticker too. Or maybe if you are able offer him computer time at the end of the session.

You are not failing Catbells, these intervention programmes are brilliant and fun, but they are fast and pacey, if you are being interupted the pace be lost, this can distrupt your concentration and that of the rest of the group.

Dot
xx

I'm sorry to hear your having this kind of trouble. It is so hard when one child spoils a lesson.

Does this child misbehave in other lessons or just your's? If it is just for you then I would insist his class teacher speaks to him.

In our school all classes and groups that are taught have the same behavioural plan.

We have traffic lights. Green - everyone automatically goes on this at the beginning of each session. Yellow - the child/children will receive a rule reminder. Red - that child gets a warning. If they still misbehave they lose 5 mins play. If it continues they keep losing 5 mins.

It's a system that works.

We also offer time out too which generally helps.

like others have said give jobs to children. Simple ones to like turning the light off, putting the chairs under the table.

Special stickers work a treat too.

[quote="DOROTHY"]

I am surprised by the lack of support from the class teacher.

I too am surprised by the teachers attitude, saying that tho i have a very unsympathetic DH who was also Y6 CT when i was her TA a couple of years ago & she would deliberately give me a group with a particular child in because she didn't want him with her.

This wasn't to benefit the child, it was just so she wouldn't have to deal with him.....very selfish.

However, despite her unwillingness to guide or even advise me on this child, i did manage to build up a reasonably good relationship with him, which was saying something as she had never bothered with him but instead shouted at him for any tiny bit of misbehaviour.

The whole time i was in Y6 the i never heard the CT praise him or say anything positive about him or to him so i would try to fuind something positive to say to him everyday.

I learnt how to deal with him simply by doing the opposite of what she did.

Sad but true...........

I am sure that you are doing a good job & trying your best with him Catbells.

Its tempting to remove a child from a group esp, as you said, when the group dynamic changes so much when they are not there.

Perserverance is key here, as i am sure you are aware, maybe he feels abandoned and alone after what has happened at home so he needs to know that you haven't given up on him, which i know you won't.

Stick with it, he WILL get better........slowly but surely

x