Case
Student sleeps all day

In my EBD room, I have a student who sleeps all day. He has a very rough home life ( mom on drugs and in and out of jail) and the father is in jail. I ask him why he is so tired and he just tells me that he stays up all night. From what I was told by other teachers, he runs the streets a lot and involved in some stuff with his mother. I am the co-teacher in the room and have spoke to the teacher about allowing him to sleep in the hallway (where two rooms connect by the bathroom) all day and not doing any work. I was told by the teacher that it is easier to allow him to sleep because if he is awake than he is disruptive. There is no talking to his mother because it has been done before and she does not care. How do I transition this student from sleeping at night and not during classroom time?

Solution #1
Top Solution
I would make sure the student has ate and take them for a walk and stretch before starting class this will help give the student energy. I would seat the student towards the front of the room and give them an active job and call on them to participate more. If the issue persists I would have a conference with an administration and the school counselor to help with possible solutions to help this student.

I agree completely!

Agreed! You never know how home life can really be

As the child is exposed to danger at home, administration is likely required, and the child is in need of extensive care.

Solution #2
I would try to add to his behavior plan. I would try to provide positive incentives to motivate him to participate in the classroom. You could do this by creating specific goals for him daily and weekly. For the first week, the goal could be for him to participate in at least one class activity for the day. Monitoring his progress, you can make new goals that reflect higher expectations and his progress. You can give him rewards for meeting his goals. He could work to earn free time, game time, or lunch with teacher. Consult your teacher and the student to find what motivates him most. If he is motivated to participate in class, he may make more effort to sleep outside of school. Work with your teacher to redirect disruptive behavior and get him back on target with specific goals you create, reminding him of what rewards he is working toward.

Create and proceed with a behavioral plan that is for their benefit.

Solution #3
I would put this in his behavior plan and notify administration. I would give him a more active role in the classroom and set obtainable daily and/or weekly goals for him.

Yes I would the admistrator know

I really like that solution. Giving this lost student goals and a reason to be engaged.

Solution #4
I would say just make sure that the student knows that you care about him. Find things that he is interested in and passionate about, that way you can use that as motivation for him to stay awake during class time to participate.
Solution #5
I would do anything in your power to try and help him. I would try and make sure that he is eating when he gets in the classroom or even just taking small breaks or walks in between to help keep him awake.
Solution #6
Clearly this student does not have a positive adult relationship in his life. He really needs someone who cares for him and will take the time to invest in him. Letting him sleep is like giving up on him. He already has had his parents give up on him so he needs an adult to prove that they care. This is definitely challenging because it takes time to build trust, but letting the student know that you care, that he is capable, and you will do whatever it takes to help is what he needs.

I agree that you need to be the adult in his life that cares for him.

Solution #7
This is a tricky situation but I would talk to the student one-on-one and explain that he needs to be getting his work done. I would discuss the idea of maybe having him sleep for a minimum of 2 hours at school so he can still complete his work.

I agree that finding a balance between working and sleeping at school would be a good solution. This child needs a positive influence in their life, and if you can start the process of helping them, it will go a long way.

It is definitely a good idea to find a good balance, because without some sleep the child may become unhealthy and may not be able to comprehend his schoolwork.

Solution #8
I would talk to the student and tell him about some sleep aids and also give him some things to watch to maybe motivate him for school a little more. I would always carry a power bar or something to give the student some nutrition while in the classroom.
Solution #9
I would spend some time working with him one on one so he becomes motivated to work along with the class.
Solution #10
I would meet with the student and come up with a plan to get him to work. Explain to him that you understand that he needs sleep but that he also needs to get his assignments completed. Maybe he can sleep once he gets his assignments done and if he can't do that then he will have to go to the office
Solution #11
As Maslow theorized, if a student is not getting their basic needs at home, how can we as the educators in this student's life, expect them to perform well in our classroom. Due to the nature of the situation, I would first suggest that you talk to the school's administration team (guidance counselor, principal, etc.) to determine if an intervention needs to occur to get this student to have their basic life needs met. While calling on specific student home lives is a tricky situation, in some ways this student not being able to sleep and instead running the streets, means that he is being neglected at home. However, in the meantime, as others have suggested you could come up with a game plan for this student, where the first hour or so of class, they are able to sleep (to refresh their brain), then they need to get up to do some work. Since it is a co - teach situation, you could even spend some one on one time with the student to first build that relationship, to show them that you care, while also scaffolding knowledge, so they can become engaged, versus disruptive in the class. Part of the reason they may be disruptive during class when they are not sleeping is because they do not understand the content. On top of being tired it just creates a hostile situation for the student. By working with them on their own, it might help them begin to understand content, while also forging a bond with you, that they want to behave during class time.
Solution #12
I would ask that the student have times in the day where they eat a snack, put their head down or stretch. This way the student will have a routine.
Solution #13
Since you are already aware of the student's home life, you can take every step possible while the student is at school to make sure they feel accepted and comfortable. This is a tricky situation because you do not want to cross a line with the family. Is there a social worker at your school who is able to do a home visit? Some parents react differently to a phone call than they would a home visit. This makes me really sad and I hope there was a solution.
Solution #14
Maybe this student needs to be more actively involved in class? Perhaps give him a job where he has responsibilities. Let him know that he is needed in the classroom. I might incorporate more movement in the class, maybe some brain breaks? This might help him wake him up. You can also talk to him.
Solution #15
This sounds like a situation for guidance counselor and/or social services. Until any major changes happen for him at home the problem will be increasingly difficult to correct in the classroom.

Definitely needs to involve administration and counseling so as to take care of the student.

Solution #16
I would work with the student one on one and have them complete their assignments. It may be hard, but allowing the student to sleep all day is not a way in which said student is benefiting or learning anything.

Ensure that there is nothing extreme going on outside of the classroom, then work with them towards keeping them caught up and successful.

Solution #17
This information might be helpful in an IEP meeting. There is no way to ensure the student will sleep at night rather than home but you can offer incentives for participation and make lessons relative and engaging to try and keep his attention. It might be good to offer snacks for energy or allow him to take a nap in your class after he eats lunch or during recess if he would like.

Good way to have the student receive care and attention.