Hello all, been away for a while...basically exhausted after work each day....I am still working with the same children as last year...A girl with downs syndrome and behaviour issues and a boy on the autistic spectrum who's parents have split up and are playing piggy in the middle with him...well add to the mix another boy in our class with severe problems at home of a violent nature who would rather kick tables and make a couple of the other kids cry, than work and two teachers on job share working in the class and I feel like an emotional wreck!!! I am slipping between the 2 boys for most of the day (20 hrs approx), and nuturing them through Christmas play rehearsals and all off timetable activities but as I also work as a dinner lady I seem to get very little respite from the behaviour throughout the day......any suggestions to save my sanity would be most welcome!

what age are they, all three sound to me like they will benefit from the 'nurturing' you are giving them but is there anyway you can set up some more structured nurture for them, is there a room you could use to take them to maybe for an hour or so a day to not only nurture them but teach them social skills, anger managent etc.

Personally I would find a empty room
















................for yourself and go and have a silent scream or a tear your hair out session .........this releases tension and you can return resonably sane. I know, a teacher and I do it all the time you should see the class we have ..............at least 10 either statemented or with behavioural difficulties or both! Luckily I am only in sometimes.