Since my last blog, things have began to improve with Tiffany even though it continues to be a constant struggle. I have had another meeting with the mother along with the guidance counselor and my CT. We set up a more concrete plan for her to follow when she gets frustrated or annoyed. The first day after the meeting she was great, but I have to constantly remind her of our plans. I have had to have a lot of patience with this student and it is a constant battle with myself.
One thing that has been interesting is now that my CT has began to teach science again – he has had no problems with her. Before I picked up science he had no problems however the her teacher last year did have these types of issues. I wonder what it is that my CT does with her that is not working for me or did not work with her previous teacher. She does have some issues with ADD and I wonder if the changing of teachers threw her off after she had developed a relationship with my CT.
Another problem I am trying to work with her own is how to interact with her peers. She complains how she is being picked on but at the same time I consistently see her picking on the same students that are picking on her. I have talked to her about this behavior but she doesn’t seem to make the connection or has not grasped the strategies to yet to deal with it.
I could probably go on forever, but that is all for now.
Tiffany sounds a lot like my case study student in many ways and they also differ in multiple ways. Everyday is a constant battle with these kids who have ADD or ADHD but unfortunately the realization I came to is a lot of times they can’t help it. It’s beyond their control but what we need to do is help them realize that there are ways to cope with they outbursts. For example, we have developed a symbol with our student where he puts his hand on his shoulder if he needs a break. He goes and walks up and down the hallway a few times and gets some water. However, we constantly have to remind him of it. Looks like you’re making a lot of progress and have taken up a genuine interest in your student
I’m sorry Rebekah. I know what you mean about the disparity between when you teach and then when your CT teaches. I have a few students, not my case study student, who react totally different when my CT teaches vs. when I teach. It can be very frustrating because for me it’s a realization that I still have to grow as a teacher and that while this experience has been valuable there is still connections I need to make with students. Concerning the bickering happening between students I think we are getting to the point in the year where classmates are more like siblings. They know each other very well, and they are beginning to pick at one another. Unfortunately, elementary school students can only put up with so much before they feel like it is no longer teasing and transitions into bullying. Sorry I can’t offer much help!