Hindsight is 20/20 they say. And that’s never so true as when I look back on my time teaching. It makes me realize how certain discipline issues in my classroom were actually my fault. Yes, indeed! Did I do what I should have to prevent Student A from having a meltdown? Did I give Student B the extra help he needed to be successful in a large-group setting? Did I have timely, fast-moving transitions to keep little brains and bodies occupied before moving to the next task? Not always! And during my first year of teaching…well…let’s not even discuss my success rate during my first year of teaching.
But knowing is half the battle! Take a look at “10 Ways to Prevent Discipline Problems” at Teach 4 the Heart. Some of these suggestions are obvious, but all of them are smart ways to keep your class running smoothly and your blood pressure down! 🙂 It’s a good blog post for new teachers and a good refresher for veteran teachers.
What type of discipline problem in your class do you want to tackle?
I have a student who still wets his pants and is unable to properly wipe himself. I am in a public school pre-k. (Students are 4 at the beginning, and most turn 5 throughout the year.) We are not allowed to help students with any restroom issues. Parents have to be called to deal with their children. This, however, makes many parents angry, and the parents take it out on the teachers when their children have accidents. I am so tired of hearing, “My child NEVER has potty accidents at home.”
I don’t know what to do anymore. Instruction gets interrupted constantly to deal with potty problems. I have an aide, but he refuses to do much. He is offended when he is told that he needs to call the parent or take the student to the nurse for a change of clothes.
I don’t know what to do about this situation anymore. I don’t want to lose more instructional time. Please offer suggestions! Help needed!!!