The Kid Whisperer Podcast Featuring Scott Ervin and Pat Kiely: Episode 21
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Topics in this episode include:
I am wondering how Scott would suggest handling students who consistently don’t complete their work. I have 2 to 3 students in my class who do not get their work done no matter how engaging my “May Dos” are. All students in the class except for those 2 to 3 students will get their work done and are highly motivated by “May Dos” and a “Mystery May Do” at the end of the week. I know I can’t force kids to get their work done, but what do I do when students are consistently not completing their assignments? Do I keep asking them for it until they do it, or do I just drop it? I feel like if I just drop it then I am reinforcing the behavior because they realize they don’t actually have to do anything. They don’t seem phased by getting bad grades on their report cards, as no student is ever held back for that in my district.
I have two grandkids, ages seven and nine. My nine-year-old granddaughter likely has ADHD but is unmedicated because she is doing well in school. She is unable to sustain focused attention on anything other than a tablet for more than 30 minutes before getting restless and interrupting our activities My seven-year-old grandson could possibly be on the spectrum -very introverted and focused, but not so much of a behavior problem himself.
However, when I have them over for a weekend, they fight most of the time, and sometimes the fights are physical. Many times the nine-year-old starts the fight, but sometimes it is the seven-year-old.
They are not good listeners with me after a certain point in the weekend, and they are out of control. They are the same way at their home, but of course they listen to their parents much better than they listen to me. As a grandparent, what successful strategies can I employ to assert control? I have tried things like sending them to their bedrooms and taking away tablet time. I have also tried a checklist of rules with the reward system. None of these seem particularly effective.
I took your training last summer, and my question is about seating/class teams. Each school year, several students move away and others move into my classroom. What do I do when my classroom dynamics change so much during the year? Do I start over with class teams each time, or just tell kids they are getting moved to a different group than the one they were used to? I'd like some guidance on that.