I have to ask this question. I work as a more at four teacher. Every class is different, some better than others. My class this year are some of the most obnoxious, rude, disrespectful children. Every day, I hear cursing, children tell me I'm stupid, that they hope I die. I ask them to do something, they look right at me, and say, no, I don't have to. We use discipline in the classroom, we have set rules with consequences. We use a reward system. I try to get the parents to do something, but they couldn't care less. I have 16 students, all have zero respect for adults, or manners. Today was the last straw. We planned a trip. The children were acting up the whole time.. When we got back from our disaster of a field trip, our principal asked the children to thank us for planning it. One boy yelled out, thanks for a lousy trip, you dumb teachers. Several others refused to thank us at all, even when their parents asked them to. that was it. My co-teacher and I are implenting boot camp. We confiscated all their center materials. The next week is going to be a crash course in respect and basic manners. We've decided that they have to earn back their center time, their materials, and priveleges that they take advantage of. We are tired of the sassy attitudes, the potty mouths, and the general mayhem they goes on. Please understand-I am at the end of my rope. i understand children are going to go through phases. I have done this for along time, and I have never had such a large group of kids with this issue in common. We've discussed this with the parents, and they are for it. Am I crazy, or just fed up, and grasping at straws? Do you think that these kids will understand what's going on, and why they are losing their classroom materials, ect..?
We have tried positive reinforcement. Ex: we got them some new materials to use in the class room, explained how they were to be used. They destroyed the materials in the first five minutes. When we asked why, the parties responsible said, because we wanted to. They don't have respect for each other-the bullying is out of control. They destroy classroom materials, ruin each others art work and property. They take advantage of every thing we've tried to do. We tried rewards; of the few who did recieve one, they literally threw them on the floor, and said they treats we gave them, sucked , direct quote. All else has failed. We're not talking about abusing these kids-just giving them a wake up call that this behavior has got to stop. Too many kids get by with disrespect.
Thank you BrianCo, for your comments, but as we are dealing with 4 year olds, writing lines will not work. And I am very ethusiastic about teaching. I love my job. Also, I will not treat a 4 year old like an adult, because they are not. they are children, and that's something too many kids forget-that adults ar ein charge for a reason. Respect is not an adult concept-4 year olds are capable of it, because I've seen it. They have to be taught it, and accept the consequences when they are disrespectful. that's how the real world works.
We have tried positive reinforcement. Ex: we got them some new materials to use in the class room, explained how they were to be used. They destroyed the materials in the first five minutes. When we asked why, the parties responsible said, because we wanted to. They don't have respect for each other-the bullying is out of control. They destroy classroom materials, ruin each others art work and property. They take advantage of every thing we've tried to do. We tried rewards; of the few who did recieve one, they literally threw them on the floor, and said they treats we gave them, sucked , direct quote. All else has failed. We're not talking about abusing these kids-just giving them a wake up call that this behavior has got to stop. Too many kids get by with disrespect.
Thank you BrianCo, for your comments, but as we are dealing with 4 year olds, writing lines will not work. And I am very ethusiastic about teaching. I love my job. Also, I will not treat a 4 year old like an adult, because they are not. they are children, and that's something too many kids forget-that adults ar ein charge for a reason. Respect is not an adult concept-4 year olds are capable of it, because I've seen it. They have to be taught it, and accept the consequences when they are disrespectful. that's how the real world works.