What a Difference a Year Can Make

With the start of Thanksgiving week upon us, I cannot help but be thankful for the wonderfully behaved group of students that I get to spend each day with. A lot of self-contained special education classrooms unfortunately struggle more with problem behaviors and classroom management, than solid instruction. I am fortunate enough to have a group of nine students who allow me to focus on their academic needs, rather than their classroom behaviors. Now that we have been in school for a few months, I can really see a difference in my students from September till now. Our independence, our drive, and our maturity have all began to help make this trip down Common Core lane much easier to navigate.

Thinking of my awesomely well-behaved class makes me think back to last Thanksgiving, when I was not feeling so thankful for my students. Since I teach a 4^th/5^th grade bridge class, I have the pleasure of looping with many of my students. Of my nine students, five of them were in my class last year as fourth graders, and were a whole different set of kids. One of them, who I will call Justin, was labeled ADHD in pre-school, something he has carried with him each year. Our assistant principal likes to refer to him as “a bull in a China shop.” Justin has always struggled with self-control, both physically, as well as mentally. He rushes through his work and his mind works way faster than his mouth is able to keep up with. Justin would bump into, trip over, and knock over everything and everyone in his path.  

When he started in my class in September of last year, however, Justin began exhibiting new behaviors, behaviors that were causing problems in the class. Justin became violent, would talk about how much he liked violence. Justin would refuse to do assignments or refuse to follow directions. He picked fights with the teachers and paraprofessionals everyday. His classmates, who had been with him since kindergarten, did not want to work with him because he would be mean and aggressive towards them.

Most disturbing of all was his obsession with hand pencil sharpeners. Justin would sharpen his pencils over and over again. He insisted on having incredibly sharp pencils and when he became frustrated with his work, he would stab himself with the pencils. He never broke skin, but the act was dangerous enough.  

Justin eventually made comments about wanting to kill himself, which lead to our school psychologist taking him to the hospital. Justin spent 10-days in the juvenile psychiatric ward, amongst teenagers who were suffering from mental illness and drug addictions. Justin came back to school in the beginning of December with a prescription for ADHD medication and a seemingly different attitude.

Justin spent the rest of the school year adjusting to the medication and working on his self-regulation. We had seen a difference, though there were still glimpses of his behaviors from earlier in the year. When he left in June, I just hoped his mother watched him over the summer and made sure he had positive activities to participate in. I spent the summer thinking about him, and hoping that he would start 5^th grade the way he ended 4^th grade.

When Justin walked into my classroom this September, Justin far exceeded my hopes and expectations for him. I could not have asked for a better-behaved student. Justin has literally become a role model for how to behave during class. He listens to lessons and participates. He works independently and takes pride in his work. He is working as a 5^th grade monitor in the lunchroom, helping the 1^st graders during lunch time. As a result of his awesome performance, he and some of the other 5^th grade monitors are allowed to walk down to the lunchroom alone, something that would never have been allowed last year.

Justin’s transformation shows what a difference a year can make. He has helped set the tone of our classroom, making it a positive learning environment where the children feel safe. This Thanksgiving I am thankful that I am able to have Justin in my class again. I am thankful that he is in such a good place with himself. I am thankful that he has begun to see the value of school and trust his teachers. Most of all, I am thankful for such an awesome group of students to spend my days with.

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Teach