Clear communication

In my class, we have something called a "Problem Solving Sheet." If there is a behaviour issue (hitting, running away, refusal to work, etc) we sit down with the student and have a little talk about what happened, how they were feeling, and what the better option would be the next time.

Well, one student was up to her usual tricks last week - getting down on the floor and crawling away/around the classroom. She tries to get us to chase her, but we just ignore her. Sometimes she settles down and can be coaxed back to whatever was going on or to a quiet carol in the hall for a calm-down break (though usually it escalates, she runs away, and we have to scour the school and playground and page her on the PA to get her back. Buuuut, that's another story.)

There are lots of reasons for this, a few that we know and many that we don't. But this time, she was frustrated because the work she was doing was too hard.

Here is her version of what happened.




Yep, that's pretty much EXACTLY what happened. Facing AWAY from the teacher. Under the table. Her name already on #1 of the stoplight I use. She's even got the pigtails of one of the other girls in the group. And for how she was feeling? I'm not really sure, do you think you can help me decipher it??? Hehehe! Pencil clenched in her hand, a scowl on her face, she drew the eyebrows first. No confusion here, people! As for what should happen next time instead of crawling away? Yep, she sure knows! There she is, with the support worker, at her carol in the hallway taking a drawing break to calm down.

I love it! She's such a talented artist, and she's a smart one! This Problem Solver just cracks me up!


... Coincidentally, comedian Brian Regan knows something about this process: check out this clip (and also, it's just hilarious!)