Week 1 - Inappropriate Behavior

Topic Heading

For the first week of discussion, I chose a post from the teacher.net Classroom Management Chatboard. The conversation ranged from 10/19/09 until 10/21/09.

The original poster's concern is with inappropriate behavior in the classroom. The poster, KL, makes it known that this year's class has new issues due to a sudden rapid growth in the number of students. Due to budget cuts, the class went from 22 students to 29 students, even though the cap is supposed to be set to 28. KL is working with a co-teacher, but they are still having problems adjusting their teaching style to the additional students.

In this group of fifth graders, the co-teachers are struggling with a previously unseen problem of their students exhibiting sexually explicit language and actions in the classroom. The required first course of action is to send the offenders to the principal's office, but KL notes that no change has occurred using this course of action. The co-teachers have also tried group and individual discussions about sexual harassment with the offenders and whole class, a thorough discussion of the disciple matrix, and conversations with parents to no avail. KL reports the behaviors, if anything, have gotten worse. KL wants to send these students to some type of counseling, but the school does not have a professional on staff.

There were a few posts with suggestions on how to deal with these problematic fifth graders. The posters offered many different ways to approach the problem. Many included an escalation in terms of punishment, suggesting ISS, In School Suspension, as an appropriate sentence. The other most common suggestion was an open conversation about what is and what is not appropriate behavior in school. One tech saavy poster suggested that the teachers gain parental permission, then secretly record the students that say these inappropriate things. During a parent meeting, the teachers can replay the exact things the child has said for the student's own reflection as well as giving the parent's an idea as to their child's behavior. A general consensus among the posters was that these prepubescent children are trying to gain the respect of their peers through what they consider adult actions. They are acting this way for the shock value and the reactions they are getting from the teacher. One poster brought up a good point; some of these children might be the victims of sexual abuse, as these actions are often indicators of abuse. Perhaps not all the trouble makers are abused, but one must consider the possibility that any ring leaders might be.

KL posted again with an update. KL appreciated the suggestion of ISS, but made it clear that only the administration can assign ISS as punishment. KL made it clear that it was the not the route their administrator was taking. Their plan included having a police officer come in to class to discuss the ramifications of sexual harassment and to talk to those children who are leading the behavior individually. If that doesn't work, they would consider suspension. KL has not posted since to say if the police officer, or any other suggestions worked.

Responses to Other's Questions

My main problem with this post is why was the suggestion on sexual abuse ignored? As teachers, we are all mandated reporters of abuse. Acting out in sexually inappropriate ways is one possible sign of abuse. It confuses me how a school does not have a counselor available to students. It is my hopes that the district KL works in has someone employed to work with a number of schools and is available upon request. I believe that the leaders of the behavior need to talk to someone they can be open and honest to. It might just be they are posturing to obtain a position of respect among their peers, but it is also possible this child, or children are being abused and are acting out in the only way they know how. This is something that needs to be further addressed.

Useful Information for Your Teaching in the Future

While this problem was seen in an elementary school classroom, I believe it transcends into my area of adolescent education fluidly. When students reach high school, they are beginning to try and develop their identities, part of this being their sexual identity. Many times in my experiences during my undergraduate years, I observed in classrooms students acting out sexually explicit gestures and language. The teachers there reprimanded students without a personal emotional reaction because it was obvious that is what the student was trying to do. One of the posters on this board offered a phrase to use when students act in inappropriate ways, “If you see it on television, leave it on television.” This tells the student that the way they are acting is out of place for the classroom, and is not the right way for a student to be acting. This is a catchphrase I will keep with me throughout my teaching career. I believe it is benign enough not to be threatening to a student, but packs enough of a punch to let the student know they have acted in the wrong and need to modify their behavior. It is a good first step when dealing with actions you do not want to see in your classroom, while allowing room for escalation of disciple if there continue to be problems in the future. It is important to allow children at that age some room to develop their personality but to set up boundaries they are not allowed to cross. Sometimes the student just simply does not know they have crossed the line into inappropriate.