physical aggression towards teachers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. I teach kindergarten and am not talking about my own child. I've been hit, kicked and pushed on at least a dozen occasions by a child in the last 8 weeks. My direct supervisor keeps telling me this is in the spectrum of normal. As for the before and after, one time the student kicked me because when he asked for help with his backpack I was helping a student and needed him to wait a minute. He literally walked over and started screaming at me and kicked me.

Your district supervisor is FOS and probably hasn't been in a classroom as a teacher for 10+ years.

Start taking photos of any injuries and documenting the incidents in writing and send both to your principal and district supervisor. Screenshot the emails so they don't end up "lost". If you're in a union or professional organization, cc your rep on these emails.

Call the occupational health line for reporting injuries every time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. I teach kindergarten and am not talking about my own child. I've been hit, kicked and pushed on at least a dozen occasions by a child in the last 8 weeks. My direct supervisor keeps telling me this is in the spectrum of normal. As for the before and after, one time the student kicked me because when he asked for help with his backpack I was helping a student and needed him to wait a minute. He literally walked over and started screaming at me and kicked me.

I'm sorry OP. It sounds like this child needs a behavioral intervention plan. This is not normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:None of my kids ever did that at any age. I would be very concerned if they did.

This!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kindergarten teacher here. I get hit every few years although it’s been every other year recently.

It's every day at my school-absolutely ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. I teach kindergarten and am not talking about my own child. I've been hit, kicked and pushed on at least a dozen occasions by a child in the last 8 weeks. My direct supervisor keeps telling me this is in the spectrum of normal. As for the before and after, one time the student kicked me because when he asked for help with his backpack I was helping a student and needed him to wait a minute. He literally walked over and started screaming at me and kicked me.

I'm sorry OP. It sounds like this child needs a behavioral intervention plan. This is not normal.

This is a good example of why a lot of teachers are leaving. Teachers ask for help and support and are gaslit into believing it's normal or it's their fault the child is acting out. It's not ok to hit someone and if a child is doing this every day or even every week they need support. Teachers can't teach in this environment and children can't learn in this environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. I teach kindergarten and am not talking about my own child. I've been hit, kicked and pushed on at least a dozen occasions by a child in the last 8 weeks. My direct supervisor keeps telling me this is in the spectrum of normal. As for the before and after, one time the student kicked me because when he asked for help with his backpack I was helping a student and needed him to wait a minute. He literally walked over and started screaming at me and kicked me.

Your district supervisor is FOS and probably hasn't been in a classroom as a teacher for 10+ years.

Start taking photos of any injuries and documenting the incidents in writing and send both to your principal and district supervisor. Screenshot the emails so they don't end up "lost". If you're in a union or professional organization, cc your rep on these emails.

Call the occupational health line for reporting injuries every time.

+1....and if you have to go to the doctor make sure everyone knows and a report is filed with the county you work for!!!! I have a friend with a permanent eye injury from an out of control child in the general education classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. I teach kindergarten and am not talking about my own child. I've been hit, kicked and pushed on at least a dozen occasions by a child in the last 8 weeks. My direct supervisor keeps telling me this is in the spectrum of normal. As for the before and after, one time the student kicked me because when he asked for help with his backpack I was helping a student and needed him to wait a minute. He literally walked over and started screaming at me and kicked me.

Your district supervisor is FOS and probably hasn't been in a classroom as a teacher for 10+ years.

Start taking photos of any injuries and documenting the incidents in writing and send both to your principal and district supervisor. Screenshot the emails so they don't end up "lost". If you're in a union or professional organization, cc your rep on these emails.

Call the occupational health line for reporting injuries every time.

+1....and if you have to go to the doctor make sure everyone knows and a report is filed with the county you work for!!!! I have a friend with a permanent eye injury from an out of control child in the general education classroom.

The district will take it more seriously if they have to pay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. I teach kindergarten and am not talking about my own child. I've been hit, kicked and pushed on at least a dozen occasions by a child in the last 8 weeks. My direct supervisor keeps telling me this is in the spectrum of normal. As for the before and after, one time the student kicked me because when he asked for help with his backpack I was helping a student and needed him to wait a minute. He literally walked over and started screaming at me and kicked me.

I'm sorry OP. It sounds like this child needs a behavioral intervention plan. This is not normal.

He has one. So far he is only responding sporadically to interventions. It's a sh*t show. I hate this part of my job. The kid needs a special education classroom for emotional and behavioral disabilities (and NO, not all, not even most kids with disabilities are aggressive). But he needs a different placement. A couple of more years until my kids are through college and then I'm out.

[Anonymous]

You really need to make it difficult for the district by taking every injury seriously. Like other posters says. Go to occupational health and get checked out every time. I said getting kicked jostled me which it did and I hurt my back which it minor my did but why should I be in pain or uncomfortable? So I took two days off due to that work related injury.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:None of my kids ever did that at any age. I would be very concerned if they did.

This!

Nearly every parent of a kid like this says, "He doesn't act like that with me." Most of the time, this is total BS. I can see it firsthand when I require the parents of those kids to attend field trips with their child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kindergarten teacher here. I get hit every few years although it’s been every other year recently.

It's every day at my school-absolutely ridiculous.

I meant I have a student who is physically aggressive every other year but when I do, it is nearly every day. The scariest ones are ones like the Hulk. Fine one minute and the next, they erupt and lose their minds. I've seen a 5 yr old flip over half of a cafeteria table!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Id say about once a month is normal

No, it isn't.

[Anonymous]

Document the crap out of this on a daily basis, report beyond your principal, or you will never get him into the special classroom he needs.

Is he hitting other children? My DD has a good friend who had emotional problems and was hitting people, including my DD. At first my DH and I wanted to just work on a quiet plan within the classroom to keep my DD safe but to help her friend, but then the teacher hinted that documentation from us would be really helpful. The parents dropped similar hints, and we started documenting every incident- not to get the girl in trouble, but because it was clear that it was the only way she would get help from the administration. It worked, her friend is completely different and thriving, and no one is getting hit anymore! If there are other kids involved, getting their parents involved makes a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kindergarten teacher here. I get hit every few years although it’s been every other year recently.

It's every day at my school-absolutely ridiculous.

I meant I have a student who is physically aggressive every other year but when I do, it is nearly every day. The scariest ones are ones like the Hulk. Fine one minute and the next, they erupt and lose their minds. I've seen a 5 yr old flip over half of a cafeteria table!

It is not unusual for kids to be physically aggressive at that age when they are frustrated. It's not really normal but it's not unusual. Hitting a teacher or other adult regularly is completely out of the norm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm the OP. I teach kindergarten and am not talking about my own child. I've been hit, kicked and pushed on at least a dozen occasions by a child in the last 8 weeks. My direct supervisor keeps telling me this is in the spectrum of normal. As for the before and after, one time the student kicked me because when he asked for help with his backpack I was helping a student and needed him to wait a minute. He literally walked over and started screaming at me and kicked me.

I'm sorry OP. It sounds like this child needs a behavioral intervention plan. This is not normal.

He has one. So far he is only responding sporadically to interventions. It's a sh*t show. I hate this part of my job. The kid needs a special education classroom for emotional and behavioral disabilities (and NO, not all, not even most kids with disabilities are aggressive). But he needs a different placement. A couple of more years until my kids are through college and then I'm out.

Are you getting any help from counseling or the resource teacher? Can they put a second adult in the room to help? If he has a BIP you're probably taking data and can request an emergency management meeting to figure out next steps for a plan.

I am horrified this is happening but please don't assume the kid needs a new placement. The kid needs help for sure but there are other things your school should be doing to help the child and to help you. The failure in this situation is your school, not the kid.