Junior school teachers.....any out there? Please?

[sleepingsowell]

I just want to put a scenario in front of you and ask your response.....
You have an 8 year old boy in your class who is extremely compliant and usually appears content in class. You know he has SEN (dyslexia, dyspraxia) and has had Ed Psych assessment through school in the past and has had IEPs all through infants and juniors. His parents are very supportive of him perhaps even a bit over anxious.
He cries twice in one week in your class - one when about to go to his extra reading time with TA and once outside the door with his dad and for a good while once dropped off. Not just tears but sobs and distress.

What do you do?

(thanks in advance I am not giving info as to what did happen because I just want to see what others would genuinely do!!!)

I would try to find out from him why he was upset. I would try to comfort him. I would see if he wanted to talk to anyone else - learning mentor, for example. If all that failed, or he clearly just needed some space for a while, I would leave him be - maybe let him go and wash his face, or sit somewhere quietly.

I would speak to his parents later if I was still worried and hadn't been able to get to the bottom of it.

Worried now - what's up with the poor little chap?

Are you his teacher? You sound lovely!

Agree with everything Feenie said

Or are you the parent? Did his teacher not respond as you would have hoped?

As Feenie suggested I would have a talk with him in a quiet time and I would offer the opportunity to talk to anyone else in school instead. Other things I have tried in similar situations have been 'feelings diaries', time out cards, a card that they keep and then put on teacher's desk to indicate they want a chat sometime that day, a home-school book for communication between parents and school, ... obviously it depends on the child, parents, situation as to what works when! Hope all ok.

Thank you chaps - sorry I disappeared yeaterday!

I am the parent in the situation; I spoke with the teacher after my DS had been so upset as we know he is worried about school at present.

The teacher didn't mention his upset at all so I raised it and said that I thought she was aware he had been upset this week. She replied basically that she 'just thought he might have a bug or something' and also that she has 30 kids and didn't have time to talk to him.

As you can imagine I was shocked at that response.

And feenie and sofa thank you SO much, the strategies you have mentioned sounds GREAT - I will suggest them to the teacher (clearly she isn't going to suggest anything!)