I've had a couple instances in the past few weeks where a student and I haven't seen eye-to-eye and in hindsight I think I let it go to far. 2 times were students who refused to do their work either because they didn't like some aspect of what we were doing or they didn't like art in general. Each time I tried talking with the student about what they didn't like, I tried reasoning with them, nothing would work. Numerous times I would remind them to get started or encourage them again. The students always remained stubborn and upset and unproductive. I got very frustrated and eventually threw my hands up in despair (figuratively speaking). When I thought about the situations later I wondered if I spent too much time trying to convince a stubborn child. The attention I gave them definitely took away from helping the rest of the class. Perhaps I should have tried a few times and then ignored them? But I don't feel comfortable doing that because then it feels like the student wins and gets away with doing nothing. I don't think they should be allowed to sit in class and do nothing (especially when these are students with a habit of acting this way). Should I send them to the office if they refuse to work? I was a long-term sub at a school where they had a list of "bottom line behaviors" that automatically got a student sent to the office and "defiance towards a teacher" was one of those behaviors. I think I would try to work it out with the student myself first, and sometimes they are attention-seekers and ignoring them is the best solution, but at some point if they continue to refuse to work and they are taking a significant amount of time away from helping other students would it be beneficial to send them out of the room? Or is the office reserved for students who misbehave in more disruptive or serious ways?
I am leaning towards the idea that sending them to the office may be the right choice. And in that case I need to work on recognizing those kinds of situations quickly and not letting it go on for too long.
What do other people think? Do you have criteria for what is "office-worthy"?
What grade is this?
ReplyDeleteI have had it happen a few times but not to this extent. I basically tell them that this is the project that we are doing, sorry you don't like it, however it isn't an option to do nothing. I guess I don't really give them a choice- they either choose to start or not. I have been lucky because usually they get started (not always right away) and make the correct choice on their own.
I have had kids say things like "I don't want to use colored pencils- I want to paint." Well we aren't using paint (and it isn't getting taken out for one student). If they argue. I just remind them and tell them they need to get started.
If they still refuse to work, I would most likely send them to the carpet for the class time (hoping that by seeing the kids working they would choose to get started). If it happened more than one day and was a pattern I would send them to the office, because I don't think that I should spend the whole time focusing on just one student.
I don't think that it is a problem to send them to the pricipal. If they refused to do a Math assignment because they didn't like Math it wouldn't be okay to not do it. I don't think that Art should be any different.
It was 1st and 4th grade.
ReplyDeleteI don't give them a choice either and most students do eventually start working. But I've got a few stubborn ones. I like the idea of sending them to the carpet. Many have a "take a break" chair in their classrooms that they use when necessary until they're ready to join the class again. I don't have one designated for that because of space in my room but with smaller classes I have sent kids to the carpet or back table to take a break. I think I need to remember to use that more often. As well as remembering to send them to the office when I can no longer spend time dealing with them. (Of course I've had that backfire when the student refused to go to the office and the office had no one available to come and get the student.)
I would just suggest talking to your principal about it and see what he suggests. You wouldn't want to send them to the office if they think it is something to be handled in the classroom. Knowing Mr. O, he would be most helpful!
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