Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

The staffroom

Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

Pupil telling me to shut up

8 replies

Podgedodge · 18/09/2024 21:11

First off there are diagnosed ASL needs, but mainstream school.
General challenging behaviour, possible oppositional defiance responses.
lots of allowances made, individual plans followed etc.
However, child in class of 30 7/8/9 yr old children and tries to dominate. There is violent behaviour and SLT generally available if that occurs. But throughout the day, is lots of low level defiance, at the moment me being told to shut up every time I try to speak to class or individually.
have tried ignoring, responding with don’t speak to me like that, I don’t talk like it to you, etc.
I really don’t know what to do, atm the rest of the class gasp and look to me for a reaction. Beyond reminding about manners respect etc which either don’t resonate or don’t matter with this child I have run out of ideas. Social stories are ignored.
Any ideas?

OP posts:
cansu · 19/09/2024 19:30

Sorry but I could not work with this. Is there anywhere for the child to be removed to so you can continue to teach the others?
I am in secondary and we find that often children who have been doing these kind of things in primary are often completely shocked when they arrive in secondary. It simply won't be accepted in secondary and he would be sanctioned and or eventually moved to alternative provision if it can't be dealt with.

Podgedodge · 20/09/2024 07:25

Thanks @cansu .
There is no long term place for removal. Child is one of many in school who is totally disregulated, but there are definitely additional needs so usual negotiations don’t work.
Escalated yesterday and I was assaulted. Not working is not an option for me.
There is no alternative provision here and no facility for permanent exclusion.
my situation definitely not worse in school but worse for me in my 30 plus year career.
Am v dispirited.

OP posts:
cansu · 20/09/2024 18:09

Insist that the assault is recorded. What is the consequence?

CeciliaMars · 21/09/2024 10:42

This is way beyond what you should have to be dealing with in a whole class. Yes, the assault should be recorded. What was the consequence? In my school, he would be sent home for at least the rest of that day. Are the parents supportive? Where is the SENDCO in all of this? If you are in a union, you can also involve them because this is outside the realms of what you should be trying to handle with very strong support.
If it genuinely is ODD, there should be strategies in place for dealing with this. There was a girl with this in my last school. The whole of the year group had training in restraint. There was an evacuation procedure in place for if she kicked off physically. Finally, to reduce pressure on her (ODD is about the child feeling extreme anxiety to almost any demand), it was agreed that at any given time, she only had to follow 2 rules. All the other rules went out the window for her. If that meant she sat half naked on the floor eating her packed lunch at 9.30am, that's what happened. The other kids all understood that she needed to do things differently, and they got used to it. This was in Y2.

MrsHamlet · 21/09/2024 18:51

cansu · 20/09/2024 18:09

Insist that the assault is recorded. What is the consequence?

Absolutely this, and contact your union. You should not be assaulted at work and expected to continue to teach this child.

Podgedodge · 21/09/2024 20:19

It is all recorded and SLT supportive.
@CeciliaMars thats v interesting, we are going to have a meeting v soon about situation and that is definitely something I will bear in mind. The other children do know rules are different for this child already and are mostly understanding (their parents are not) but behaviour definitely ramping up.
TBH, this is not the worst behaviour in the school. The whole thing is incredibly dispiriting, I have been teaching for over 30 years but am at a loss. Thank you all for replies, it does help.

OP posts:
Malbecfan · 22/09/2024 17:23

Not a primary specialist but been teaching 30+ years. What would happen if you replied "what did you say?", then when he repeated it, you said "no, you shut up" all calmly and in a fairly low/normal tone of voice.

I have done it in lower secondary with zero consequences, but my Head has my back. Other kids actually thanked me because this awful kid was like this in any lesson taught by a woman. On another occasion, I ignored him, walked out to Reception which was literally 2 rooms away and the Head came and removed him. After he left, several of the others were really worried about me and asked if I needed another teacher to get me a coffee - bless them!

Sometimes, you have to think of the other 29 and this child is affecting all of them.

SullysBabyMama · 16/10/2024 14:44

Yes to PP that said as well as yourself, it’s about the other 29 students.
I had a difficult child and all advice was to ignore him, don’t feed it with attention.
However it escalated as he learned he could get away with this “low-level” behaviour.
The students (who were primary!) eventually got fed up of ignoring him also and started complaining “Why aren’t you doing anything? You just allow him to do whatever he wants!” etc.
At this point, I then raised the other students perception of the situation as it was clear the entire class were not going to respect me very soon!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread