On Really Frustrating Children

Today I just need to rant for a minute, so if you don't want to 'hear' it, just skip this post.

Most of the children I teach are absolutely delightful.  With over 250 students per term, however, there are bound to be a few not-so-delightful children.  It seems like every class has at least one child that makes you say 'hmm'. 

I currently have 3 third grade classes, 2 second grade classes, and 3 first grade classes.

The first graders are always such a shock at the beginning of the year.  THEY ARE SO LITTLE!  They are so incapable!  For them, the school day is an eternity and 'when do we get to go home?'  I eat lunch at the same time the first grade team does (there are 9 first grade teachers at my school... NINE!) and I got to listen to some of their perspectives, so I guess I am glad I only have the little beauties for a 30 min. session.  One of the teachers told about a student who came up to her with an incomplete math assignment 2 minutes after they started working on it and said, "I want to be done now."  HA!  Or, another child who didn't want to do the work at all & said, "I'll take it home and do it later."  Even though the rest of the class was working on it just then.  It is a tough lesson to realize that you are not at personal liberty to do or not to do your school work.

But, back to my rant.

I bend over backward to make sure the kids are ALL listening to me.  I insist on 'listening bodies'.  I repeat myself at least 3 times on all important instructions.  I have the whole class parrot the instructions back to me.  I physically show them what I want to have happen.  I do everything short of doing it for them myself. 

I still end up with at least one kid in each class who doesn't know what to do or what is going on.  Even after repeating the instructions to me they look at me with that deer in the headlights kind of stare.

And it is not just isolated to the first graders.  It happens on every grade level.

Sometimes, there is a good reason for a child to struggle.  Students with Autism or some other disability get lots and LOTS of patience from me.  I am not talking about those kids.

These are kids who ought to be able to function, but don't seem to have any background in paying attention.  I wish I could see into their personal lives and get a sense of what their home life is like.  Why can't these kids write?  Why can't they listen?  Why can't they follow simple instructions?  Why do they give up so quickly?

After one particular 3rd grader came up to me for the SIXTH time in one class period trying to convince me to 'let him be done', I had to ask him, "What class is this?"

He replied, "Art class."

"And what are you supposed to be working on in art class?", I asked him.

'Sigh', "Art.", he said as he trudged back to his seat.

Apparently, his core teacher is having the same difficulties with him in every subject, so it's not just art.

Okay.  I'm done now!  Like I said, there are tons and tons of bright, smiley, wonderful children, and I ought to focus on them.  The dunces are just a dark cloud in an otherwise sunshiny day.