• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Advertising
  • Write for Us
  • Job Board
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Consulting
    • Advertising
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Shirts

The Educators Room logo

  • Start Here
    • Impact Statements: Teacher Expertise
    • Newsletter
  • Browse Topics
    • Content Strategies
      • Literacy
      • Mathematics
      • Social Studies
      • Educational Technology
      • ELL & ESOL
      • Fine Arts
      • Special Education
      • Popular Topics
        • Teacher Self-Care
        • Instructional Coach Files
        • Common Core
        • The Traveling Teacher
        • The Unemployed Teacher
        • The New Teacher Chronicles
        • Book Review
        • Grade Levels
          • Elementary (K-5)
          • Middle (6-8)
          • Adult
          • New Teacher Bootcamp
          • Hot Button Topics
            • Menu Item
              • Principals' Corner
              • Charter Schools
              • Confessions of a Teacher
              • Interviews
              • The State of Education
              • Stellar Educator of the Week
            • Menu
              • How to Fix Education
              • Featured
              • Ask a Teacher
              • Teacher Branding
              • Current Events
  • Podcasts
  • Courses
    • Practicing Self-Care to Avoid Teacher Burnout- An 8 Week Course
    • Becoming An Educational Consultant
    • Teacher Branding 101:Teachers are The Experts
    • The Learning Academy
    • Books
    • Shirts
  • Education in Atlanta
  • Teacher Self-Care
  • The Coach's Academy
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Advertising
  • Write for Us
  • Job Board
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Consulting
    • Advertising
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Shirts
×

November 5, 2018 Ask a Teacher

We Must Love Them

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

About Paula Kay Glass

Paula has a Masters degree in education with an emphasis on child development and child behavior. She has been an educator for 22 years. She founded a private elementary school in 2003 and is now working through the Moore Public School District in Moore, Oklahoma as a special education teacher. Paula is also a contributing writer to The Huffington Post and has a children's book published. Paula has three grown children and resides in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. You can contact her at glass foundations@sbcglobal.net or paulaglass@moorepublicschools.com.
  • Staying Within Law: Special Education Teachers and IDEA - September 1, 2020
  • Teaching With Minecraft EDU - April 3, 2019
  • Self-Care Is Priority One for This Teacher - February 13, 2019
  • Preparing Students For Teacher Absences - February 12, 2019
  • Respect in the Classroom: Earned, Not Expected - February 11, 2019
  • Dissing the Family Crazies: A Christmas Story - January 6, 2019
  • Band-Aiding The Mental Health of Our Children - November 23, 2018
  • We Must Love Them - November 5, 2018
  • Take One For the Team: The Need for Self-Care - August 19, 2018
  • The New Teacher Smell - August 19, 2018
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Wow. What a week.

As a special education teacher, I love the challenges that come with my job. I deal mainly with children who have behavior struggles. My resource room is their, and their regular education teacher’s, safe haven. However, that doesn’t mean it’s MY safe haven. I spend the majority of my days trying to stay twenty steps ahead of each of my kids, predicting behavior before it happens and curbing catastrophes.

Enter my newest student almost two weeks ago.

He is literally "hell on wheels".

To be fully transparent, this student has had difficulties since kindergarten. He is now in third grade. Why it has taken this long to get him identified is an entire other post. Stay tuned.

This student is a pro at not only bully behavior, but also walking into a classroom and flipping over desks, chairs and anything else that causes complete turmoil to everyone present. He was continually verbally abusive to his teacher, who is a phenomenal educator.

After we were able to get all of his paperwork written up and actually placed him with an IEP and he began coming to my room, things seemed to worsen. After one absolutely atrocious day, I went home, smoked half a pack of cigarettes, drank a bottle of wine and stayed up until three in the morning trying to figure out what in the world I could do for this kid. It seemed that transitions were the culprit. I proposed that he stay with me all day. My principal had the same idea. So began the journey that I’ve been on for the past two weeks.

One of the biggest things I want my kids to have is complete, unconditional love. Some of them have great homes. Others not so much. I began to love on this kid as I’ve never loved on a student before. I provided a lenient structure. I gave him the opportunity to verbalize to me in any way he needed to, even if that included ‘bad’ words. I provided him with leadership roles. I talked to him like the street-smart kid he is. I created time for just the two of us. And none of this is in an inappropriate way, just a different relationship than I’ve had with a student before.

That began fourteen days ago. This past Wednesday he started actively engaging in all academic work I had for him. Yesterday he turned in his daily folder with COMPLETED homework. Things he hasn’t done in over two years. Today he sat in class for eighty percent of the day and was appropriate. Before he left my classroom this afternoon he looked at me and said, “I love you, Ms. Glass.”

I wanted to cry.

I am exhausted. My emotional and mental tanks are drained. But I will go to bed tonight completely fulfilled. Is he going to completely stop his behaviors? No. And I know that. Has progress been made? Absolutely. And that’s what I’m in this business for: progress, not perfection. I want my kids to know so much more than academics. I want them to be productive citizens. I want them to figure out how to self-regulate. I want them to learn how to communicate what they are feeling and what they are going through. I want them to be able to socialize appropriately. Everything else will come.

 

The most prickly of kids are the ones who need it the most. Click To Tweet

We need to remember the power of love, especially for those kids who seem to be completely unlovable. The most prickly of kids are the ones who need it the most. Give it freely.

Related posts:

Taking the Anxiety Out of Student Placement in Special Education The Importance of Communication For IEP Students and Parents The Importance Of Early Intervention Respect in the Classroom: Earned, Not Expected
« 911: How to Douse the Flames of Teacher Burnout with Self-care
American Teachers: Take Off Your Identification Badges; Take Back Your School! »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

The Educator's Room was launched in 2012 to amplify the voice of educators. To date, we have over 45+ writers from around the world and boast over twelve million page views. Through articles, events, and social media we will advocate for honest dialogue with teachers about how to improve public education. This mission is especially important when reporting on education in our community; therefore, we commit our readers to integrity, accuracy, and independence in education reporting. To join our mailing list, click here.

What we do

At The Educator's Room, we focus on amplifying and honoring the voice of educators as experts in education. To date, we have over 40 staff writers/teachers from around the world.

Popular Posts

  • Eleventh Grade summer reading.
    Eleventh-Grade Summer Reading List for Students
  • Recommended Chapter Books for 3rd Grade Summer Reading List
  • Tenth Grade Summer Reading List
    Tenth Grade Summer Reading List: Embracing Diversity & Unlocking Imagination
  • Ninth Grade Summer Reading List: Embracing Diversity & Unlocking Imagination

Featured On

Buy Our Books/Courses

How to Leave Your Job in Education

Practicing Self-Care to Avoid Teacher Burnout

Using Your Teacher Expertise to Become an Educational Consultant

Check out our books on teaching and learning!

The Learning Academy

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Services
  • Media Kit
  • FAQ

 

Copyright © 2021 The Educator's Room.