peacebe76

 The class did well on this assessment.  Mor the most part, they stayed on task.  They received an S for working nicely and staying focused on the program.  They received an S- for misbehaving or not listening.  Sam stayed on task and received an S.  The students had clear expectations and they followed them. 

Sam has been put up for Child Study several times, but each time, his mother refuses to sign anything, saying that there is nothing wrong with him.  As stated previously, Sam has extreme behavioral issues.  He also seems to have problems with his eyes.  He looks off into space much of the time.  It also seems like he has difficulty focusing his eyes.  Neither of these issues have been able to be addressed through Child Study because of the mother’s refusal to sign the forms.  Because of this, Sam does not have an IEP.  Technically, he is not a Special Needs student.  However, it is clear to anyone around him that there are definitely needs that are not being met.

Today, I interviewed the Art teacher.  I asked him if he sees a different side of students than the general education teachers do.  He said that many times this is true, but that it is not true with Sam.  Last year, Sam cut off all of his eyelashes while in his class, causing him to be banned from scissors for the rest of the year.  He also liked the smelly Mr. Sketch markers.  Sam would sneak them and suck on them.  Sam always denied that he ever did this, but when his mouth was covered in ink, he was hard to believe.  He was also then banned from the markers.

Although Sam does not have an IEP, the classroom teacher still needs to do what she can.  This is difficult when she has 25 other students that have needs.  I came into this classroom in January, so I do not know exactly what has been accomplished since the beginning of the year.  However, at this point, this teacher has had it.  While the rest of the class sits at group tables, Sam sits at an individual desk in the back of the room.  When Sam is not doing what he is supposed to be doing, the teacher rolls her eyes and yells across the room.  The students are also frustrated with him.  I think everyone wants to have a peaceful learning experiencing and they are tired of not getting it.

I know that Sam feels the frustration.  He told me today that he hates school and “all of the people that are telling me what to do.”  I asked him if he meant the teachers and he said that it was the other students.  When teachers or students do not give Sam what he wants he will also go pout.  He will turn away from everyone and cross his arms.  This action has happened more often recently.  Sam saw something terrible happen this summer and, this coming week, he is testifying against someone in the case.  I’m sure this is terrifying for Sam.  Unfortunately, because his behavior is so out of control, it is very difficult to help him, talk to him, or comfort him.

I have heard that his home life is terrible.  I said in my last post that his mother will not sign off on any services that Sam obviously needs.  His family has a low SES.  Last year, a teacher stopped by his house and noticed that there was no furniture inside except for a table and a t.v.  When I ask Sam what he does on the weekend, he only says that he watches t.v.  Sam has a brother and grandmother that buy clothes for Sam and his 3 other brothers.

This is such a sad situation because Sam has very little support at home.  His teacher and classmates are fed up with him.  It seems that he is not getting the love he needs anywhere so he is acting out to get any attention he can.  There are other issues besides this, but this need for negative attention definately adds to the problem.

Although Sam has poor grades in both Reading and Math, he is very intelligent.  Most of the reason he has poor grades is because he has a difficult time keeping his attention on one thing.  He likes to get out of his chair and walk around the room.  He also seems to have an issue with his eyes.  His eyes do not move at the same time.  This causes a problem, especially when reading.

Sam is in a first grade classroom.  His classmates are very diverse.  Of the 24 students, there are 3 white children, 5 black children, 2 Asian children, and 14 Hispanic children.  The boys and girls are split equally.  The students range in abilities.  Some have lived in the United States their entire lives, while others have only been here for a few years.  Their reading levels range 26 to 4.  The students are also quite diverse in their writing and math abilities.  For the most part, the students get along well with one another.  There is a sense of a classroom community.  This community is much more apparent when Sam is not at school.  Sam seems to have an ability to disrupt the flow and sanity of the daily routines.

There is some communication with parents.  There is a monthly newsletter that is sent home.  Also, if there is a problem with a student, the teacher will call the parents.

Because Sam has been suspended so many times, there has been ample opportunity for the classroom teacher to speak with the rest of the class about Sam’s behavior.  The class has said that Sam is very disruptive.  They do not like how he interrupts and runs around the room.  They like it much more when he is is not at school.  The teacher has had a few conversations with them, instructing them to ignore Sam.  When he is being irritating and interrupts lessons, the students should pretend they don’t hear or see him.  This has been somewhat effective, but many times, Sam is hard to ignore.

It is obvious that the rest of the class has a difficult time with Sam, but it is unfortunate as well.  Sam definately has behavior issues, but I think that part of his disruptive behavior is due to the need for attention.  He says that he hates his classmates, but I truly feel that he wants to be their friend.  I think he is upset that his classmates do not like him.  To counter their negative feelings he acts even more irritating.