Classroom Management Series

Welcome to NASET’s Classroom Management Series.

These series of articles will provide teachers with practical guidelines covering a variety of topics and supportive information which may help improve their classroom. There are a variety of settings in which teachers may be hired in the field of special education, including a resource room, self contained special class or an inclusion setting. We feel that it is critical for teachers working with special needs to have a real grasp on what is involved in creating the most ideal and practical classroom for their students with special needs.

The Classroom Management Series will focus on topics for both new and experienced teachers, including topics on setting up your classroom, behavioral management, adapting curriculum, working with different personality styles of students, assisting parents of children with special needs, and many more relevant topics.

We hope you enjoy each of the articles in the series. As always, we seek your feedback, opinions, comments, and ideas for future articles. Please feel free to write us at any time at: naset_e_publications@naset.org.

Classroom Management Series Articles

Series III

Teachers Responsibilities in the Identification and Reporting of Abuse and Neglect

Introduction

As special education teachers and mandated reporters you are faced with an extraordinary responsibility in making sure that all the children you come into contact with on a daily basis are not being mistreated, abused or neglected. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that in 1999, 58.4 percent of all child maltreatment victims were found to have been neglected (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001). In other words, of the 826,000 maltreated children in the United States in 1999, 482,000 were neglected. Although the rate of neglect has decreased from 7.7 per 1,000 children in 1995 to 6.5 per 1,000 children in 1999, neglect remains the most common form of maltreatment.

But these numbers only include the children who have been reported to Child Protective Service (CPS) agencies and whose cases were substantiated.1 A study conducted in 1993 found that almost two million children were endangered by neglect in the United States (Sedlack & Broadhurst, 1996). Clearly, the problem of neglect is pervasive. This Classroom Series will provide you with all the information necessary in identifying, understanding, reporting, and possibly preventing a child from being abused or neglected. While it is only your responsibility as a mandated reporter to “suspect” abuse or neglect and report it according to the laws of your state, the picture of abuse and neglect is larger than just the identification and reporting of such serious situations.

Series III Links:

Part 1 - Definition of Abuse and Neglect

Part 2 - Mandated Reporters and Outcry Witnesses

Part 3 - What is Neglect

Part 4 - What are the Characteristics of Neglected Children and their Families?

PART 5 - Teachers' Responsibilities When Adolescent Abuse and Neglect Are Suspected

Series II

The Step-by-Step Guide to Building Confidence In the Classroom

The Importance of Building Confidence in the Classroom - Overview

Building Confidence in the Classroom-The Use of Positive Restructuring for Children is being presented to help you understand the very necessary foundational process we call confidence building with every child in the classroom. Without a foundation of confidence, learning, retention and thinking may be greatly affected. Positive Restructuring, an organized program for building confidence, is the vehicle that will allow you to accomplish this task in a developmental and organized manner which will ensure greater capacity and motivation for learning.

As teachers, you face problems everyday with children who are resistant, unmotivated, have fears of failure, avoid handing in work, are unwilling to participate and so on. Many times, these students’ symptoms are treated instead of the reasons why such behavior exists. Furthermore, the real cause of these symptoms is a lack of confidence in his/her ability. When children lack this foundation of confidence, numerous secondary symptoms occur, causing great strain on their self esteem and the patience of teachers.

Teachers are well aware of how great the classroom environment is for those children who have a sense of confidence. They participate, are motivated, have positive outlooks, willing to venture out, willingness to try new things, and enjoy doing their work and learn. However, one must ask what the difference is and in many cases it is nothing more than the perception of low confidence verses the perception of high confidence. Since perception almost always determines behavior, changing one’s confidence will change one’s perception and therefore increases the likelihood of changing behavioral outcomes.

Many educators have not been provided with a clear understanding of why children do what they do and what to do when they do it. Confidence building is too crucial to leave it up to trial and error. This series will assist every teacher in this crucial task Building confidence in children should be the first responsibility of every teacher, since very little can take place without it. Such responsibility requires a complete understanding of all the pitfalls and options available. This series will provide that need.