Case
Whiny Student, parents blame teacher

I teach first grade and have a student who whines and pouts about everything. It can be because he is not the line leader (each student has an assigned weekly jobs) to having to complete an writing assignment. He is a young student and is the youngest of the class. I follow our school behavior plan and he is on RTI 3 for academics. I talk to the parents because his grades are below average and I am concerned about academics. I have included in the my discussions that behavior is an issue. The parents simply state that "he is just trying to play you" or "you are not strict enough". I follow the rules and classroom procedures. What should I do? I believe behavior is a key issue related to his academics

Posted on: 03/10/15 | Views: 973
Solution #1
I have found that the key when dealing with parents, is documentation. If I am having issues with a student, I document everything they do and how I handle the situation. Then, when I meet with the parents, I have detailed information on the issues and how I handled them. Sometimes this helps the parents understand what I am doing and how their child is behaving. Other times, I meet with the parent and an administrator to discuss what I have done and how is correlates to the school and district policies.

If I were in this situation, this is what I would do.

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Solution #2
When dealing with student behavior issues, especially with younger students, I always start with what I can do to find the root of the problem. From my experience I have found that with the younger students there is usually something causing the whiny behavior. For instance, it might be the student is not getting enough sleep, they are hungry or they simply want some attention. Along with giving the student plenty of positive praise when the student behaves appropriately, I try to really get to know the student.
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Solution #3
I know that the student is in tier 3 for academics, but maybe you could move through the intervention process with behavior as well. Speak with the school counselor about some behavior strategies and use a behavior check sheet for documentation. You can use the data from the check sheet to monitor his progress toward meeting the behavior goals.
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Solution #4
When communicating with parents, it is important to include specific behaviors that are problematic. Give the student more opportunities to gain attention for positive behaviors instead of whining, and ignore as much as you can stomach.

It is important, I would suggests this approach.

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Solution #5
If behavior is the key issue, I would look into some type of behavior intervention. Look into completing a behavior assessment so a BIP (behavior intervention plan) can be put into place. Having documentation of the issue may enable you to receive more support for the student as well.
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Solution #6
Maybe the student could help you assign the weekly jobs? That would be a job in itself and it would give the student an opportunity for attention from you, he would be involved in the class even though he may not have a specific job for that day. Even just allowing him to write the helpers on the board for the day would be enough. That could be his special daily job. (Would help with handwriting, spelling too!)
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Solution #7
When I am having an issue with student behavior, I will call home and share what has happened during the day. I ask them if they see the same behaviors at home and if they have any suggestions for me. Start asking them what they would like you to do. From my experience, the parents are more willing to work with me and support me when I ask for their help. As a parent, I have really appreciated the teachers who call me and ask for advice regarding my children.
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