My two closest friends here in Germany are both third grade teachers. They are in the process of working on the 7 page report cards that need to be completed by Friday afternoon and that is really time consuming (to say the least). Because my schedule as a specialist is getting lighter (due to all of the special activities that take place at the end of the year interrupting regular class schedules that don't require support services), I thought it would be nice to offer to cover their math classes today so they could spend some additional time during the school day working on their reports. I have also been trying to help them correct timed math tests since it takes a lot of time to check the accuracy of 80 problems per kid because I feel bad that they are so stressed and I am straight chilling with my less than full schedule.
I LOVE having the chance to substitute, even if it's just for one period and I love the third grade kiddos, so it doesn't even feel like work to me.
One teacher left a lesson and I worked on teaching the kids about long division with remainders. The other teacher had me administer a math test. I prefer having the chance to actually teach, but if I can be the body in the room so that another teacher can have extra working time, I am definitely game.
I used to be the TA in both of these classrooms at the beginning of the year prior to joining the support services team, so I am familiar with all the kids. I have continued to spend a lot of time in one of these classrooms for my new role but I have not been in the other classroom much since early this year. I know the kids' personalities and quirks and I felt really lucky to have that background knowledge today because in the middle of the test there was a meltdown.
One of the kiddos raised his hand to ask for help because he didn't understand how to "check his work" which was part of the directions (they were supposed to multiply to check the division). I told him that if he wasn't sure he should go onto the next problem, but he quickly became upset and expressed concern over not being able to receive full marks for the part he didn't understand. He is really hard on himself and has a hard time moving forward when he is upset by something. I tried to put all of my freak out prevention skills into effect but crouching down to his level, speaking in a quiet matter of fact voice, and coaching him through the options/choices he could make did not help.
The tears welled up in his eyes.
His mouth quivered.
I continued to speak in a soothing voice trying to relay to him that it was important for him to continue on with the rest of the problems instead of giving up and worrying about this one part.
Well....he lost it.
I knew from having worked in this classroom previously that his outbursts really escalate quickly and that he has a lot of trouble calming down, so I told him that he would need to come into the hallway with me. The other kids needed a quiet room and I needed to give him some privacy to talk through the difficulty he was having. He sat down in the hallway outside the door and continued to cry.
I crouched down at his level and told him that I could see he was very frustrated about this. I explained that there were two parts to the question and that he understood one, but was having trouble with the other and that it would be a good choice to continue working on the part that he understood even if that meant skipping part of some problems. I gave him the choice of coming back into the classroom to continue the test or to remain in the hallway until he was feeling better.
He stayed in the hallway.
I returned to the classroom and continued to help the other kids with their questions.
After a few minutes, this kiddo came back into the room, took his seat and continued working on his test. I was really really happy that he was able to calm himself down and make this decision.
Since the kids were still taking the test, I didn't want to make a big fuss, so I wrote him a note on a yellow post it.
"I am really proud of you for making the good choice to come back inside and give the test another try."
I simply stuck the note on his desk next to his test paper and continued to the other side of the room, monitoring the rest of the group.
When I came back around to his table, I noticed that he had crumpled my note and shoved it in his desk. He looked at me with a part confused expression and part glare.
But he continued working on the test.
I was really happy that his meltdown simmered down and did not end up being a complete disaster. Even though he didn't seem entirely thrilled with my attempt to sweetly compliment his choice, I do think that my tactics were a success!! Maybe it was a small success, but it could have ended worse.
What do you do when there is a meltdown in the classroom?
6 comments:
I teach math to both sections of 3rd grade and wow, do we have meltdowns as well! Some kids just aren't "math oriented" and it just doesn't click. I think that is the hardest thing for them...it doesn't come naturally...you have to work for it. I would have done the same thing, had him leave the room to respect the quiet for the others and then have him make the final decision on how he would deal with the situation. It puts him in charge. I do have some kids who are too immature to decide for themselves and would need more structure than having them decide, but as a teacher you know your students and you obviously made the right choice!
I'm high fiving you I think you handle the situation perfectly and impressed he was able to calm himself and return..you are a great teacher and obliviously have a gift with children.
First of all, bless your heart for giving those teachers a break! I'm sure they totally appreciated it :). Secondly, you handled that meltdown like a pro!!
I think you did a great job handling his meltdown! I'm anxiously awaiting a student next year, in my 2nd grade classroom, who was recently diagnosed with 5 different things. He's trying out medications this summer and I am hoping those help him. He will lose it in an instant, shriek, and cry, distract the entire classroom, and even run out of the room. To say I'm nervous is an understatement. I'm trying to stay positive and hope that he and I jive well.
I really enjoy reading your blog. You motivate me as I'm working on my Masters (will complete it August 15th!) and teaching. I won't be moving on to a PhD, however. That's quite an inspiring undertaking! Best wishes on your move back to the US.
When I interviewed for my first "teaching related" job my boss told me the second grade class I would be working with was some of the worst behaived students she had seen. Both positions with this class were open because the other teachers had left. These students had gone through 4 or 5 teachers in the first semester of the school year. I whole heartedly believe 99% of these students behavior problems spawned from a lack of structure. After a week on the job my boss was getting compliments from the other teachers and the school principal (it was an afterschool program and many of the teachers in surrounding classrooms were amazed at the difference in the noise level). I did however have issues with one student who continued to have melt downs. I wish that I had had more experience with how to handle these situations. unfortunately, once my student began his melt down he would refuse to leave the classroom. And would scream so loud and for so long that my other students would be sitting with their fingers in their ears until we "evacuated" Not much work got done when this happened.
I think you handled this situation wonderfully! Great Job.
I think you handled this situation perfectly. It can be difficult to stay calm when a child is not, but that is exactly what they need. They need to know it's okay to make a mistake, but they can fix it and move on with their day.
Post a Comment