End of the year management! Help!

[MsCoffeeLover]

Okay, y'all, I love my administrator, but he hasn't been processing referrals lately or hasn't done so in awhile. I can understand that standardized testing can cause a delay, but there are some that I have written three weeks to a month or more ago that I have yet to see the result. When he processes a referral, a copy is put in my box. None of been processed or returned in a very long time.

In the mean time, I have these disruptive students that have been written up twice, and nothing has happened, so now they think nothing WILL happen. I have taken all of the interventions that were required before writing a referral (detentions/double detentions/conferences/warnings/parent contact, etc.). The parents were notified at the time the I wrote the referral and was told to expect to be contacted by an administrator.

That has yet to happen, and now I am feeling it. I don't know what to do. I found out today that if the AP doesn't process the referral in a certain amount of time, then he won't process it at all. That would explain a few of the referrals I have yet to get back, but in the meantime, the same consequence has happened again, and the student had to be written up. The lesser offenses don't bother me, but the student that wrote a hate note about me on the sidewalk for all the kids to see and threw rocks at my car is still walking around the school.

What can I do? I am about ready to drop everything and call parents at work in the middle of class tomorrow.

Are there any other interventions I can take so I can make it to the end of the year?

[greenfiremajick]

I think I would have already called the parents...

Also, can you just keep following the interventions and then repeating the referrals? Maybe that will get the admin's attention w/out making too much of an issue about it.....


Okay, y'all, I love my administrator, but he hasn't been processing referrals lately or hasn't done so in awhile. I can understand that standardized testing can cause a delay, but there are some that I have written three weeks to a month or more ago that I have yet to see the result. When he processes a referral, a copy is put in my box. None of been processed or returned in a very long time.

In the mean time, I have these disruptive students that have been written up twice, and nothing has happened, so now they think nothing WILL happen. I have taken all of the interventions that were required before writing a referral (detentions/double detentions/conferences/warnings/parent contact, etc.). The parents were notified at the time the I wrote the referral and was told to expect to be contacted by an administrator.

That has yet to happen, and now I am feeling it. I don't know what to do. I found out today that if the AP doesn't process the referral in a certain amount of time, then he won't process it at all. That would explain a few of the referrals I have yet to get back, but in the meantime, the same consequence has happened again, and the student had to be written up. The lesser offenses don't bother me, but the student that wrote a hate note about me on the sidewalk for all the kids to see and threw rocks at my car is still walking around the school.

What can I do? I am about ready to drop everything and call parents at work in the middle of class tomorrow.

Are there any other interventions I can take so I can make it to the end of the year?

[MsCoffeeLover]

I think I would have already called the parents...

Also, can you just keep following the interventions and then repeating the referrals? Maybe that will get the admin's attention w/out making too much of an issue about it.....

I contacted the parents notifying them of the referral, AND, for those parents on email, I attached the referral to the email and instructed the parent that an administrator would be contacting them and/or sending a copy of the referral home with the appropriate consequence.

Some of the students have been written up a second time for the same infraction because that was the next consequence for them.

It is a busy time of the year (with standardized testing and all), but I have one student that is super rude and disrespectful, and has gotten even more so since she hasn't received the referrals and seems to think she can do whatever she wants. We finally had recess this week, and I told several of these students that they would sit out until their referral is processed. These are only the students that have been referred for administrative consequences that have had compounded behaviors. Instead of writing another referral, I was trying to handle things myself thinking that referrals would be processed once standardized testing was over.

One student went home and told her mother that I took her recess away until her referral was processed. That parent contacted an administrator just to get her daughter recess! That girl has since mouthed off to me, argued with me, and every thing else under the sun. The only left for her is social time at school, and I am going to take every last minute of it away until this girl realizes to behave appropriately. In fact, the two girls she was with also got referrals and was sitting out. They sat quietly, did a lot of work, did not talk back, and they got their recess today while the smart aleck girl watched. Today was the last day of recess.

I am exhausted, and I think I am going to revisit the rules and consequences as well as get all parent phone numbers and contact MANY parents AT WORK! I think I may go for a few dads in lieu of calling mom first. IN fact, I may just call them multiple times in one class. I have a job, and they have a job. If their child is going to disrupt my job, I WILL disrupt theirs!

That's right! I said it!

[MissTeach]

Contact Dad if contacting Mom hasn't helped. I have found that works with male students lots of times.

[jsfowler]

OK, for the student with the hate note and throwing rocks...forget the parents, forget the principal, call the police!

[greenfiremajick]

I am exhausted, and I think I am going to revisit the rules and consequences as well as get all parent phone numbers and contact MANY parents AT WORK! I think I may go for a few dads in lieu of calling mom first. IN fact, I may just call them multiple times in one class. I have a job, and they have a job. If their child is going to disrupt my job, I WILL disrupt theirs!

That's right! I said it!

You go, MCL!!!! You have my support at least...Not that that will help much, but.........

[MsCoffeeLover]

I did it! One kid wouldn't shut up, but I called his mom instead of the dad because mom has more control. I try to find out which parent they prefer I call and then call the other one.

I dropped everything, stopped class, dialed the work phone number, and talked for my entire class to hear. I was so diplomatic too. Mom asked to talk to him, and he had to deal with her right in front of everyone, and she told me that should I ever have a problem with at all--even the slightest--to call her. He was planning on attending tonight's dance, but that didn't happen. He didn't talk for the rest of the class period. Then I emailed the other teachers on my team and relayed the message.

Another mom was called yesterday, and mom specifically said that if we had a problem, she would give us his father's number so we could call him. This boy does not want me to call his father! Having talked the week before, I left a message requesting dad's phone number stating he didn't believe I would give him a call. Mom happily called back and offered dad's phone number. That kid didn't say a word today either!

Then I gave all of my classes a test on the rules and consequences, and we had a delightful discussion. One of those fool kids had the nerve to say that the rules were common sense, and I am glad he did because that just proved my point. After eleven true and false questions and thirteen multiple choice questions, I had two short answer/explanation questions. They were: 1. List five people you represent (yourself, your parents, your teachers, your school, etc.) and 2. Why do we have rules and consequences? If we did follow the rules and consequences, how would that affect schools today?

No one messed with me after that! Now I have proof that kids know what to do, and I won't let it go. A lot of work was completed today. It was a good Friday.

[Chef Dave]

A lot of work was completed today. It was a good Friday.

Congratulations!

I hope you take some time for yourself this weekend. Enjoy a favorite meal. Watch a movie. Relax. You deserve to indulge yourself for a job well done!

Now ... with this success under your belt ... do you still feel like quitting at year's end?

[MissTeach]

I'm glad it worked out well for you MCL!

[MsCoffeeLover]

Congratulations!

Now ... with this success under your belt ... do you still feel like quitting at year's end?

Not just yet, but I do feel rather empowered--like a super hero! Just the other day I had a visitor too! She was observing the behaviors of one student in particular. She got to watch the whole thing. I am either going to get in trouble big time or get a pat on the back. I never know.

None the less, it was a dramatic performance for every class as we tested on rules on consequences, and I have no doubt that some folks had a delightful time. The topic of conversation at the dinner table was certainly...."Guess what Miss Coffee Lover did today?"

One class didn't find it funny at all or maybe handful did because that is the class with the mean people. My favorite class loved it because they would laugh at how silly the question would be, and I would be there after every question saying, "But no! Some of you really don't know!" "Oh no! It can't be! They must not know! That would be really terrible to know a rule and break it intentionally!"

Basically, we had our on little chorus after every question, and I know that I won't be forgotten. If my class weren't mandatory, I just know I would have a bunch of kids that would willingly sign up.

[Bananas]

I have, on occasion, had the student place the call and explain what precipitated the call. I am by the side while the student hems and haws in getting out the purpose of the call, sentence by sentence. I then take the phone with the student there and talk with the parent. A lot of times I fill in the gaps.

Sadly, repeated phone calls and meetings yield no results with a few students. Little change in behavior occurs and grades do not improve. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

[MsCoffeeLover]

Sadly, repeated phone calls and meetings yield no results with a few students. Little change in behavior occurs and grades do not improve. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

You are right, but my new thing is to call the company in which they work and have them paged or whatever it takes to call the direct work line. Too many phone calls can cost a person their job, and I don't care. We all have jobs to do. When did their job become more important than mine?

Some of the parents and I have come to some nice agreements. The important thing is that everyone is aware of all that is going on.