I'll get you fired!

[fireheart]

So I work for a after-hours care program, where I look after school-aged kids. They are divided into 2 groups: the "little ones" and the "big ones". Little ones are K-2/3, Big ones are 3/4-7. I've lately been with the "big ones" in the afternoons.

Of course, with any new profession, there is hazing. In this case it's from the students. Particularly the older boys. MOST of them seem to be easy to please.

Then we have the 4-5 who tested me.

So on my first day, this is what happens:

I offer to take the 4-5 outside for a while. They proceed to tell me that one of my coworkers said they could go on the grassed area (I'd been told otherwise). I sort of relented-they could play ONE game and not go all over the grassed area.

After a while, the coworker who let them "bend the rules" came down and told me otherwise.
So I bring them into the court area. After a while, they begin to play with the younger kids...or so I think. They began to abuse the younger ones a little bit.

At that point, I decide for them to go inside. They begin to argue with me. During that time, I just pretty much repeated my point that they were to go inside and why (for abusing the younger kids and also the fact that if they couldn't respect the others, they were to leave them alone). They left.

I go back to drop off the equipment and find them all clustered around the program coordinator. I looked like a deer in the headlights at that point wondering what was going on.

Their claim? I had sworn at them, hurled abuse at them and told them to "shut their piehole." I pointed out that "no, I did not swear", then one of them claimed that they could tell when someone was lying by the fact that I talk with my hands . They left next door.

Luckily the coordinator got my side of the story (at no point did I swear...not where the little ones could hear!) and I went back inside.

Following day comes, I get some advice on how to deal with them. Luckily they aren't present that day. (it wasn't a warning, just more a "rough around the edges, we will mould you" routine.)

Today comes and the "ringleader" said something about me being "fired" for swearing at him. I just simply ignored him-correcting him would've resulted in a fight and I'm not about to let myself get dragged down. (It was REALLY tempting to be a smartass and tell him that I actually got praised for keeping my cool )

This boy...I swear, some of the kids I had at my first ever prac school were tame compared to him!

Needless to say, this one's not going to get me fired easily. Especially since the staff are ready to back me up at every opportunity . This particular boy and the group are also noted for having behavioural problems and are on the "behaviour logs" at the moment.

As for how I'm dealing with that group? I'm avoiding them as much as physically possible for the time being...part of the problem we suspect is because I'm a newbie and once I'm there more often, they'll wake up to "Oh, she's not leaving anytime soon." The only way they'll get rid of me will result in legal action against them*. Age of criminality is 10. These boys are 11-13.

*=battery, assault, vandalism, theft or defamation.

[AnaKhouri]

Kids will always try to see how far they can go with a new authority figure. Good for you for standing up to them.

This is why I am not an educator. I WOULD have sworn at them.

[PepperElf]

one of my former coworkers related what happened to a friend of hers. I'll call her FOC - for Friend of Coworker.

FOC had to spend much of the classtime trying to get the kids to sit down and pay attention. Then they kept threatening her with lawsuits over homework and grades. One father cornered her in the room after school had let out to intimidate her into raising his kid's grades - he didn't want to hear jack about how his son wasn't doing his work.

FOC finally gave up and quit when the school forced her to pass failing students who never did their work. what a nightmare

[fireheart]

Kids will always try to see how far they can go with a new authority figure. Good for you for standing up to them.

Thanks.

One of the rules we have at the after-school care is "no time out", although we can send the kids to an armchair in the little kids room. I'm going to approach the idea of having a "chill out" corner set up in either room, where rather than having the kids being sent there as a punitive measure, they can go there for 5-10 minutes to calm down. Especially because we have 2 kids who are particularly aggressive.

one of my former coworkers related what happened to a friend of hers. I'll call her FOC - for Friend of Coworker.

FOC had to spend much of the classtime trying to get the kids to sit down and pay attention. Then they kept threatening her with lawsuits over homework and grades. One father cornered her in the room after school had let out to intimidate her into raising his kid's grades - he didn't want to hear jack about how his son wasn't doing his work.

FOC finally gave up and quit when the school forced her to pass failing students who never did their work. what a nightmare

I would've asked them where they can afford a lawyer. I've made a rule that I'm never going to teach Grade Six/Sevens, unless it's in a single-sex environment. I'll work with them 1:1 for whatever special needs problem they have, but that's it.

I'm aiming for K-5, since they're not exactly hormonal by that point.

On the subject of grades, we are in the process of transitioning over to a national curriculum instead of a state-based one (although said National Curriculum is based on NSW with elements from other states). As a result, the kids are now actually getting grades from A-E. Kids on NEP's also need to be graded, but they are graded against different criteria (for instance, if a kid is working at a Year 1 level in reading, he/she gets graded at a Year 1 level rather than whatever year level he/she is at). I've actually heard the OPPOSITE from some parents, stating that their kids grade is actually too high!

(the reason why is because the curriculum is publicly accessible and parents can see work samples of what an A looks like, a C looks like and a D/E looks like. At the moment, this is for English, Maths, Science, History and Geography. They're planning on bringing in Civics, Economics, Second Language, The Arts, Design and Tech and Health/PE)


On the plus side, my activity with the little ones was a HIT.

[NateTheChops]

One of my volunteer experiences in high school ended badly because of a smart mouthed eleven year-old. Mainly because none of the staff were terribly supportive and in the end, my mother was worried that something would happen to the kids during one of their little coups and and I would be held liable.

[KhirasHY]

Grade Six/Sevens

There is a special place in the afterlife for Middle School teachers. I honestly think you could kill about 200 people brutally and not go to hell, only because you've already lived it.

[fireheart]

One of my volunteer experiences in high school ended badly because of a smart mouthed eleven year-old. Mainly because none of the staff were terribly supportive and in the end, my mother was worried that something would happen to the kids during one of their little coups and and I would be held liable.

I'm kinda lucky that I've got supportive staff. All of us are studying in some shape or form too-if we're not doing our childcare diplomas, we're doing teaching degrees

There is a special place in the afterlife for Middle School teachers. I honestly think you could kill about 200 people brutally and not go to hell, only because you've already lived it.

My degree qualifies me to do so, but I don't plan on doing so.

See, middle schooling in Aussieland is somewhat of a foreign concept outside of private schools and K-12 schools (of which there are around 7 in my state as is). There is one public school I know of that runs from Grade Six and up, instead of Grade 8 and up (high schooling here is Year 8 onwards, most other states do Year 7 onwards), but that's the exception, not the norm.

The degres at uni nowadays tend to overlap, so they both allow you to teach Grades Six and Seven. I plan on staying WELL away and teaching the little ones

[Eevie]

This would be why I have an endless amount of respect for my mother for her teaching job. She teaches 3rd grade, so about ages 8-9. I've dealt with some of her kids, and I saw a lot of behavior that you stated here. Telling me that they were allowed on computers during reading time, that their spelling tests were optional. And very strangely, they would wait until my mom would leave the room to tell me these things. Of course, mom is just a phone call away.

When I told her this, she said those same little brats tried the same things at the beginning of the year. But the reason my mom had them in her class in the first place is because she is an expert at handling little shitheads like them. I should know, she dealt wih me and my siblings long enough.

[fireheart]

This would be why I have an endless amount of respect for my mother for her teaching job. She teaches 3rd grade, so about ages 8-9. I've dealt with some of her kids, and I saw a lot of behavior that you stated here. Telling me that they were allowed on computers during reading time, that their spelling tests were optional. And very strangely, they would wait until my mom would leave the room to tell me these things. Of course, mom is just a phone call away.

When I told her this, she said those same little brats tried the same things at the beginning of the year. But the reason my mom had them in her class in the first place is because she is an expert at handling little shitheads like them. I should know, she dealt wih me and my siblings long enough.

Funnily enough, the boys I have that ARE that age will behave after a while

It's just 1 or 2 of the older ones who are giving me massive anxiety fits.

[fireheart]

So I thought I'd bring in a little update: it's been better.

I was warned by my boss that the group in my original post were challenging, but things have seemed to cool off a bit. Most of the boys in that group will respect me to a point- that is, if I ask them to do something, they'll do it. For the most part though, the few male staff we DO have tend to work with them better, as does the mum of one of the boys. (Not in that group)

One of the boys in my original post however, still holds a grudge and has no problem bringing it up. While they were all torn a new one by bosslady during the holidays (which appears to have helped) about respecting the staff, this particular one still acts up. His behaviour has also become somewhat bully-like. I asked bossman about it and he explained that he does hold grudges easily and it will take time for him to let go.
The way we've been handling it so far has been that if he does anything direct to ME, I've been ignoring it or just looking stunned for a few seconds, then asking sweetly if I can help him. He otherwise stays away from me and that's fine. If he does act up though and i see it, I get help from another staff member. The reason why is that I suspect he WANTS a reaction out of me. The other kids will act up, but if I react, they don't go crying to the bossman about it.

And no, I haven't been fired. I haven't mentioned this to the kid yet though. In fact, the only way that he will get rid of me will result in me pressing charges against him. While the law doesn't account for kids under 10, anything between 10-14 is done on a case by case basis. His record works against him.

[Deserted]

the only way that he will get rid of me will result in me pressing charges against him. While the law doesn't account for kids under 10, anything between 10-14 is done on a case by case basis. His record works against him.

It occurs to me that if you keep this sort of thing in mind while actively dealing with the little sweetheart, it might affect your attitude toward him. If you can always turn a blandly smiling face toward him, it'll either cool him off, confuse him, or drive him so bonkers he does something worth your time.