[KSgirl]

I have a student this year that doesn't manage his time well. For instance, I assign an independent reading activity today - where students are note-taking while prereading a guided reading book (we have to meet later in groups). He sits there, goofing off, laughing the whole time. I feel like it's always the same with this student. Anything I assign, he is making fun of it, not taking it seriously - basically goofing off. I know I shouldn't feel insecure about my teaching due to this, but it makes me feel like what I am doing isn't validated. I think this is my insecurity- so it's silly, and finally today I moved him back to his seat, took a ticket (a consequence).

Do your students do this? It seems to be a frequent problem with him....ugh! What else can I do?

[Ima Teacher]

Maybe this student needs more direction. Sometimes my students need a little more guidance than I think they really need. Different kids have different needs. People often seem amazed by kids who will waste time and "goof off" when given a task and then end up cramming at the last minute or not getting it done at all.

But I know adults--some I work with--who are the same way. Instead of getting on task and getting things done, they just put it off and don't take it seriously.

Sometimes it's just a personality issue, and sometimes it may be that the person just honestly doesn't know how to manage time.

[coltsteacher]

Wish I had an answer for you...because I have a few of those too!

What I've found is most of the time, it's my student's way of deflecting his "ignorance" of whatever he/she's supposed to be doing. A lot of the times it's not knowledge base, but behavior knowledge base. I'm working on giving really detailed written plans to my students this year when I'm working with groups. It takes a lot of time on my part, but I think it's saving time (and my patience) during the day. It gives the kids ownership too. Can't tell me they don't know what to do if it's written out in front of them! )

Good luck!

PS - Don't worry about feeling insecure. We ALL do at some point.

W/ my son if it doesn't look like a worksheet or specific questions out of the book he doesn't seem to know what to do. Either he can't concentrate long enough to put it all together or else he sees that there will be no grade - so why do it. For my son he does well on requests for specific information. He can do worksheets and answer questions in the book. He can even write papers okay given a topic and how long it has to be. But just give him a general guideline to read and take notes - you are gonna get nothing out of him. As a parent, I have no idea how to fix this. To me, this is a skill you learn as you progress through school.

One thing we have in our dist. upper level is cornell notes. They are note templates the kids use. They seem to do okay w/ those. I plan on getting those for my son to use in his higher elem. class w/ assign such as what you posted about. Perhaps you could look those up online and let him use those. It is sort of an outline you fill in.

As for having him pull a card - I"d make it clear that it is because he was distrupting others and not b/c he wasn't doing his work. That the level of his work will be evident in his grades. As a parent I don't want my child punished for not doing his school work b/c that really is his choice (darn it) and it will be shown through his grades (which he WILL get punished for if they are not good) BUT....if his nonwork habit is disruptive to tohers then yes, he should be disc for that however far he chooses to take it.

JMHO as a mom. Good luck. And if you find something tha twork for htis kid let us know b/c us moms are stumped sometimes too.