Submitted by Kari Safieddine, Ypsilanti, Michigan
Idea posted November 22, 2002
Question: I've just been given my first 5th grade ever. There's a back row full of hyper boys. My current discipline for individual misbehavior is one warning, then time out. I don't think this will be effective with them. Any other ideas? (I have to go to their classroom for music which may limit me.)
Answer: One thing I did with 5th grade boys last year... which maybe helped after a while... was whenever I would see them outside of class, I tried to talk to them - not about their behavior, just other casual subjects. It seems that once they got to know me and knew that I liked and cared about them (even though I was strict in class), they started to trust me more and seemed to try a little bit harder in class. Of course it took almost the entire year before they really improved! Ha ha, BUT... My 5th grade boys that I had last year are wonderful now. Don't give up!