Case
Crying in the classroom

In a kindergarten classroom, one boy cries very often. He cries upon arrival and transitioning through the morning. He does not cry during centers, but when it is time to do CVC words at the carpet or table work he cries. I feel it is a means of escape or attention but the co-teacher will baby him into compliance. What could be done?

Posted on: 10/10/17 | Views: 938
Solution #1
Top Solution
This sounds like to me he cries because he wants to escape a certain situation or get attention. This is a behavior that is really hard to break. I would not give in because hopefully he will get over it. At home he probably does the same thing and his parents give in to him. If it becomes a huge problem I would have a teacher parent conference with his parents to see what they think you should do.
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Solution #2
It sounds as though he is looking for attention and the teacher is giving into it! I would stop babying him every time he cries. The first few times that you do this will be rough but after a while, the child will stop behaving this way when he realizes no one is going to baby him anymore.

If I were in this situation I would do exactly this. Teachers should not give into the crying.

I would add that the manner of correcting the behavior should be changed. Being firm and reminding them that this is not appropriate for school is not the same as babying, and if they understand that this behavior upsets the teachers, the student may stop.

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Solution #3
It is definitely a means of escape. He is obviously struggling when it comes to school work. Since he cries when it is time to do CVC words, that makes me think he may have a reading disability. It would probably be beneficial to look into the root of the academic issue before assuming he wants attention.
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Solution #4
It seems like the student is crying for attention because he knows that the co-teacher is going to "baby" him. This is giving the student attention just like he wanted. Considering the crying only happens at certain parts of the day. I would try to contact the parent and possibly bring them in for a conference to discuss this issue.
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Solution #5
I would supply a morning coloring sheet of his favorite character when coming into class in the morning this may help with the transition. I would also create cards for the cvc words with his favorite character this may help with his focus and give him an incentive to try.

This might make the assignment a little more appealing but it seems that this is more of an attention seeking behavior.

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Solution #6
I have to say I was that student. I hated going to school, I had social engagement issues with peers, and I cried because I was just an emotional child. It could be for attention or it could be a complete disconnection from peers, teacher, and school altogether. The best way to know is to communicate with student and parents. This student may need more stimulation than others or involvement in his learning to help engage and keep him from getting upset or emotional. The student may not receive attention at home or may receive too much. You MUST find out the root of the problem before making assumptions!

This solution is great. Interaction is key and keeping the family involved will help. 10/10

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Solution #7
I think it might be a good idea to meet with the parents and consult them about this issue. Maybe there are problems at home you are unaware of.
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Solution #8
you should talk to the co-teacher because babying him is making him think it is ok to do it and he knows he will get away with it. if he does not stop crying when it comes to doing the work then he needs to sit down and he will not be able to participate in the fun activities.

I agree with this solution. This is what i would do. I think that if the co-teacher stepped back it might force the student to participate correctly.

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Solution #9
You have to get on the same page with your co-teacher because the student needs consistency. There should be a middle balance on when to "baby" him, like maybe when he first gets there because that is still a normal behavior for kindergarten, but then if he does that through out the day, it isn't accepted and both teachers ignore the negative behavior.
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Solution #10
I would have a discussion with the behavioral specialist to have a conversation with the students and their parents to discuss how crying can't be the solution to everything. After this conversation, the teachers should agree to ignore this student when they cry, and send them to their seat. This cannot be tolerlated at this age, as the student has to break the habit now before it becomes worse.
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Solution #11
What could be done to help ease the crying is by him bringing or if he has one in the classroom his favorite toy or something he like with him when he is transitioning. This way he is happy that he has something he likes and it can be a form of soothing towards him.
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Solution #12
I would try to motivate the student to participate by providing positive incentives that makes working seem more appealing than crying. I would consult your coteacher, parents, and the student himself to come up with a specific behavior management plan. Create specific goals, daily, weekly, and overall. Use rewards, consequences, and reinforcement to motivate him. Find out what motivates him most and use it as an incentive for participation. You can also use student interest to create engaging lessons that he wants to be a part of.
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Solution #13
I have heard of a scenario like this before. It all depends on the child and how he or she reacts to different things. For example, I had a CT that had this problem in her classroom as well. She said that she tried everything (she was the most kind and caring teacher I ever met). What she ended up doing that worked was leave the child alone when this happened in order to help him collect himself and have think time. It only took him about two minutes to recuperate and rejoin the class.
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Solution #14
This is something that is definitely distracting inside the classroom, however this is probably something the student is doing at home as well. I would get ahold of the parents and hold a meeting with the student, and go from there.
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Solution #15
I would have a conference with the parents to understand if the root of his behavior is due to the parents. Sometimes if the parents give in to the bad behavior, he will think the same will happen at school. I would try to ignore it or scold him for it. Maybe remove him from the group or make him do his own assignment.
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Solution #16
I would alert the parents of the situation and talk with them and contact the schools guidance counselors.
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Solution #17
Children need parenting and instruction. They can’t raise themselves. I don’t see how letting your child have a meltdown for as long as they want is helpful. Controlling your emotions and not letting your emotions control you, is something that the children have to learn and practice. I would reckoned talking to his/hers parents about this.
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Solution #18
Tough love. Use a firm voice and explain that there is nothing to cry about, and then change the topic to get his mind off of crying.
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Solution #19
Keep trying to get him to do the work and talk to the parents about his crying.
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