No matter how difficult the child I try not to give up, but..

I need some support. Our classes are grouped by ability. From the research I've read, that is not a good practice. When children are within a couple of grade levels in reading, but are on the same developmental level, I envision lots of collaboration and peer tutoring.  Also, the blend will more likely bring about cognitive and language growth among the less able.

We need flexibilty in grouping. For the last three months, we've  more aggressive, disrespectful patients; conduct disorders. One particular bunch is bright and has unawareness of the world outside of their own lives; however, they choose to mock at and reject my attempts, (actually all teachers would agree), to expound upon that knowledge.

I had been welcoming them enthusiastically with carefully planned activities, a smile on my face and forgiveness for the sexual content of their jokes, shouting, jeering, ignoring and talking over me, ready to start anew. Derision and dishonor are contagious. The twelve year old, who clearly should not be spending his day with sixteen and seventeen year old vindicative drug addicts, runaways, and aggressors. For the first week or two after admission, with all of his troubles, he was cooperative, did assignments and proper with adults. He has formed a comraderie with the older ones and is becoming defiant.

It is getting harder to be positive and encouraging, for they and I are fully aware that patients in our hospital no longer get consequences for their actions. We are understaffed. Several aides have been terminated over the last year or so, afer being caught on camera putting their hands on a tantruming, assaultive kid. Now, I understand that loss of control by even the most  nurturing caregiver, working an  eight or sometimes sixteen hour shift.  He gets kicked or spat at, and defends himself from further attack, but not to intentionally hurt. Other direct care employees are out on medical leave because they were attacked and are either emotionally spent or seriously injured. The administrators are not sensitive to the plight and efforts of the employees.

Teachers are doing it alone- heading a class of about six, volatile adolescents. The expectations from above are to meet each children's academic needs and scaffold upon the skills they have. When there is chaos in the room and frequently in the halls, with kids always challenging instructions, we feel unsafe.
Management has a dream, an impossible dream. They want our school to be a model for other psychiatric hospitals, and, "If you feel unsafe, maybe this isn't the right working environment for you."

Since when don't all children need limits? (to be continued).