I work with children with behavioral problems... Need some advice, please!?

I'm a Behavior Health Assistant and I work in a Junior High with children who have severe behavioral problems. They are all fantastic kids, they just don't have families that care about their schooling.


Now there are 3 specific kids I am having some problems with. TWO fourteen year old Boys (we'll call them B1 and B2) and ONE 15 year old Girl (G).


B1 and B2 both like to act out a lot in class, and both have issues with Female authority. I'm trying to get them on Trackers so I can see that they are getting all their work done and then reward them for it, but neither one of them will have anything to do with anything I say.





As for G, she thinks she's Queen of the world, has attitude to match that of a starving grizzly, and thinks the world revolves around her. She treats me like I'm trash and thinks that because I'm young that she doesn't have to listen to her. She is failing all 8 of her classes and she has been suspended 3 times in the last 4 months! Any advice?I work with children with behavioral problems... Need some advice, please!?
Sometimes it is extremely difficult to connect with students, especially students who don't want anything to do with school. What I have found to work best with these students is to take a step back from the student / teacher relationship, and do some personal investigating.


One important factor is to really find out what is going on at home, in their lives outside of school, and why school sucks so much to them. If you have a better idea of the issues they are dealing with in their personal lives, you will have a better understanding of why they are acting the way they are. I know this is really difficult, especially if the kids have home lives that are not so great, but it will be really helpful to you as the teacher. It can also be beneficial to the students, because they will realize that you actually care about them and their well being. When the students realize you care they might let down their guard a bit, and actually open up to you.


Another thing that can help is if you find out what they are into. Do they like any sports? What about music? If you have any similar interest as they have, let them know. When some of my students found out I was a huge Grateful Dead fan, all of a sudden I went from being any other teacher to the “coolest teacher they knew.” When students realize that you are an actual human being, and not some alien put on this planet to make them miserable, they will tend to open up to you more.


Knowing the things that make you students tick can also be beneficial, because you can use those things as incentive for them. If your students love hip hop music, then make a deal with them that if they work hard all week (or fill in the blank), then you will let them play music in class on Friday. My students would self regulate each other when it came to incentives like this.


You can also use those things they enjoy in life to relate their school work to their interests. I am an art teacher, so I am constantly trying to figure out ways to incorporate the things my students like into our projects. For example, I was teaching a project on ways of showing 3D space on a 2D surface, using paper as our medium, so I showed an episode of South Park (edited for school) as the introduction to the project, pausing it to demonstrate how depth was being shown in the scenes.


Most importantly, let them know who is in charge. Set rules and stick to them. Decide on punishments, and actually give them when the rules are broken. At this point in the school year these things should have already been in place, but if you are having problems, then maybe it is time to reevaluate. Maybe it would be advantageous to even include your students in the process of setting up classroom rules and proper punishments.


On a personal note, my brother was a LD/BD (Actually only LD, but labeled as BD also) student, and due to lack of caring teachers and a supportive environment he ended up dropping out of school at 16. I wouldn’t wish this for any kid! As his sister I might be biased, but I truly believe that with the right support in school he could have graduated. His biggest problem was that due to his learning disability he had trouble in school, which made him act out in class. His acting out got more attention from teachers than his learning disability, and due to this, he was thrown in with a bunch of BD kids, and his learning disability was never addressed. If just one teacher would have taken the time to try to figure out WHY he was acting out, they would have realized that it was because he was having trouble with the material he was supposed to be learning. This might have caused the school to get him help with his learning disability rather than sending him to the dumping grounds.


I know this has been uber-long, but I hope that it proves to be helpful. I wish you the best of luck with your students. If you would like any more advice, feel free to e-mail me. I could keep going, but this post is way too long already!I work with children with behavioral problems... Need some advice, please!?
regardless of the behavior issues , these people are 15 years old and its time for them to learn ... I would suggest sitting them each down , seperately and setting clear expectations and goals. I wish I could offer more.
I work with children with different varieties of special needs, too. If it were me I would set up some serious behavioral charts. Responsibilities that need to be met and rewards for meeting them. They all get a bug up their butts. If she doesn't want to work she doesn't play. Talk to the parents. Sometimes they have just had such a hard time with them at home, that they are defensive to the thought that you blame them for their kids' issues. If you can show them that you sympathize and have some empathy for the fact that you might have them at school but the parents have them ALL OF THE TIME they might work with you a bit more and support trewatment plans set up between you, them and other educators. It is hard, but it can seriously be worth while.
ok well i dont really understand the boys.but the girl. well i guess ive been put in her position because im 15 and ive been moved to different school because of a drug LOOK A LIKE so plz dont think i do drugs but yea i just got a real big attitude because my parents divorced and plus i lived in herndon va so yea its different there. but what helped me was alot of my teachers would tell me that i have a lot of potential nd a couple yelled at me nd talked some sence into me nd now im a real good student i dont get involved with drama what so ever. so just talk to her and let her know that ur trying to help her. nd if you are doing that then try a different way. nd at first shes gonna be lyk ohh ';this dumb teacher she doesnt kno what shes talking about she hasnt been put in my position'; but give it time nd it will sink into her head nd she'll realize that its not too long from now that shes going to go to colleage nd become somebody in the world. hope this helps
Sit them down in a group talk and tell them look I care about you guys what can I do to help yo become interested? Tell them that you are considering an award chart and what would THEY like to work for..... needs to be something short term so they can get the rewards faster and build up interest for next time.... they may say cd or money... you can make up a list of things and show them that you are willing to get these for rewards,.,,, also ask them what they think would be a fair set of expectations.... Dont push theyll only pull then your the one that falls. You have to show them you understand so they will let you in spec the girl.. for some reason she is seeing you differantly or someone who may have in the past looked down on her
for g show her how it is to be a peasent forget she has a atitude and pre tend you are the ruller





for b1 and b2 find somthing they love to death and tell them if they be good for a week they may have that album