Nothing seems to work...

[stone2603]

I am the teacher of 14 children ages 4 and 5. One of the children in my class is almost 5, extremely intelligent and funny, and also one of the rudest, most stubborn children I have ever come across.

I have tried everything you can imagine with this child for his actions. He is much better than the beginning of the year, but he can't sit still for any amount of time, can't stay quiet, can't cooperate or play nicely with his classmates, and has a mouth on him like a 17 year old in regards to comebacks and smart aleck comments.

I usually stick him out in the hall when he's disrespectful and tell him why he's there, and later we discuss being polite, etc. I've taken things away, excluded him from activities. I've yelled :(, pleaded, scolded, ignored, and everything else, all for long periods of time as to give it a chance to work, and nothing pushes the "AHA!" button on this child. His parents are very lenient with him, and I just accepted a position where now I will have him next year as well.

Any suggestions on some kind of creative discipline to get through to this child and also help him to have a better class experience?

[minimiracles]

Wow! I have been there and feel your pain. Thankfully I always had another teacher working with me and we could play off eachother.
Not sure what you have tried but here are some more suggestions...
Make him a helper (give him control of things)
Change the room arrangement. Get the class involved in moving furniture.
Use a timer. Have him set it so he knows what 5 mins is and has a reference point for staying in an activity.
Ignore the non safety issues and help the other children learn to do the same.
When he is doing something you can ignore praise, praise, praise the children who are behaving.
As a group practice calming skills ie. deep breathing, streaching activities, bbody control games
Good luck!!!

[smithmt]

I also recommend parent/teacher conference. Yes, it's cliché, but if you know what things are like at home, it could give you another level to connect with the child if mom & dad are helpless. Or if mom and dad are struggling, you can figure out what they're doing that isn't working at home, and better it. If you and the parents can provide a united, consistent front... his behavior SHOULD change quickly.

[Boxcar]

Those are all really good suggestions.

Good luck. I know it can be so difficult! (And 14 alone is a lot!!!)

[Berrington]

Could a colleague take him when he acts up or becomes disrespectful? Sometimes being in another classroom helps. Try to ignore him the best that you can and focus on the other students. He is probably trying to get your attention in any way that he can. I know it's tough - I've had kids like this. Do you get a summer break? I hope so!