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Based on the case study of Carl, what do you see as being his problem behaviors? Do these behaviors serve a function in Carl's world?
14 Comments
Sarah
7/25/2011 04:32:43 am
My first thought is that I feel bad for Carl. His father physically abuses his mother and I bet that he has witness it.
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Kristen
7/26/2011 12:12:37 am
Carl displays aggressive behaviors inside of the classroom because he witnessed his father abusing his mother and sexually abusing his sisters. Ms. Simon provided Carl with the attention he never received from his father and was "a good target for Carl because of the attention he would receive from her". With Carl having witnessed what he did at such a young age, this is all Carl has ever known and he feels that it is the behavior he should display in school.
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Anne
7/26/2011 04:58:34 am
Poor Carl. Can anyone really blame him for acting out the way he does in his classroom? When any child grows up witnessing such violence and genuine lack of respect for other people, they begin to accept that as the norm. It's something I think we all see in our classrooms every day...a kid comes in saying something or acting in a way that is a direct link to something that happened at home (whether positive or negative).
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Caitlin Tully
7/26/2011 09:14:27 am
Carl's disturbing behaviors are his lashing out. He demands and seeks the attention from adults in order to feel safe, I think, and it also a way for him to for fill his need for control. Most likely, he is feeling powerless in his life and will do anything to gain a sense of control (attention) from his peers and especially adults. It is easy to see this at the point when Carl is name calling and taunting teachers and classmates. When Ms. Simon grabbed him, she was acting insensitive to the way his teacher used redirection and the force and power that his teacher is taking away from him. In Carl’s world, people have had their power taken away and they have been violated in many ways. Carl’s “troubled behaviors” could also be perceived as his attempts at defending himself. He has not learned to trust adults; instead he has taught himself defense mechanisms. In his home, these same behaviors could determine his safety, but in school, these same behaviors are his “troubled behaviors”. These behaviors most likely serve as means for survival in his world.
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Mary
7/26/2011 11:47:17 am
In the case of Carl, it seems that he has used his problem behaviors have become a way to gain the attention that he probably yearns from adults. I also agree that he has seen such violent behaviors and likely thinks that this is a normal way to behave. Had he seen his father abuse his mother and sisters, it is no wonder he reacts the way he does when the teacher lays her hands on him. He probably saw his family react the same way when his father held them down. It would be natural to react in a way that he has witnessed in the past.
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Katie Kerr
7/27/2011 01:19:26 am
The case of Carl is heartbreaking, but what I would expect a student to be like with the terrible home life that he had experienced. Like the previous comments, these behaviors are a need for attention. These behaviors might also be the only way he was taught to act at home. He saw aggressive behavior at home so he began to portray them in school.
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Melissa
7/28/2011 04:09:31 am
We see a lot of externalized behaviors like lack of impulse control ( throwing of the chair, biting, screaming, kicking, throwing toys, making faces, mimicking, and sticking out his tongue at other students.). The teacher, Ms. Carl was aggressive in dealing with him and I think by her pushing him into a chair or having a strong and firm grip on his shoulders made him react back aggressively; almost like it's the only way he knew how to respond.
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Tia
7/28/2011 11:30:10 am
What Carl's teachers have going for them is the knowledge of his family history and what may be contributing to his behavior. Oftentimes, abuse occurring at home goes undocumented or even if it is documented by an agency, this information is often not shared with classroom teachers. Having this knowledge, his teachers should realize that what works for many children may not work for Carl. From this report, it is obvious that his home life has been unstable and therefore his school may be the only outlet to provide him with the stability and structure that is lacking for him at home. Instead, his two teachers are inconsistent in their dealings with Carl. I can tell that he has sought out and developed relationships with both of the teachers in this room and truly wants their care and attention. However, the lead teacher, rather than embracing this closeness, chooses to either give in to Carl's demands to avoid confrontation or does the complete opposite by ignoring him and encouraging his peers to do the same. At the same time, allowing him to behave so aggressively and ignoring these violent behaviors is unsafe for everyone in the classroom. It also causes a sense of chaos and instability in the classroom which it what has fueled Carl's behavior to begin with. Teachers have no control as to what happens in homes, but the classroom should be a place where children feel safe and protected. Finally, being rewarded by the classroom aide with a hug after he ran out of the room is sending Carl the wrong message about rules and safety and no lesson has been provided for him if this where to happen again in the future.
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Nancy
7/28/2011 02:08:22 pm
Hi whole-heartedly agree! We can't control children's home lives, but classrooms should be a place where children feel safe and protected. The consequences to Carl's behavior really complicate this picture, as Tia points out.
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Aly Kidrin
7/28/2011 11:06:58 pm
After reading t I kept thinking of the children I worked with in Colorado. Many of them had been abused and acted out. This is a typical behavior for kids who have been abused trying to get attention from anyone wether it be positive or negative. It is vital that we as teachers look for signs of abuse and document it. Other wise we are just putting the children in harms way.
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Katherine
7/30/2011 08:47:09 am
This is such a sad story. I feel badly for Carl. Carl had been through many traumatic experiences, and needed a safe place to go. He had seen an incredible amount of abuse at home, and needed attention at school. As stated above, a school and classroom is something that we can control. We are unable to control what happens at home, but we can control how are classrooms are run, and how safe the children feel. He was acting out as a cry for help, as he did not feel safe at home, neither at school. As teachers, we need to be aware of behaviors like Carl's.
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Leia
8/4/2011 12:50:49 am
Carl’s problem behaviors are that he has a tendency to lash out at others. He definitely seems to be an attention seeker, something that he may not have at home. He seems to be externalizing his behavior because he is acting out, aggressive and seems to have some lack of self-control sometimes. I agree with everyone who stated that his family situation may have a great affect on Carl and how he acts. Also, I agree with Caitlin that Carl’s problem behaviors could be a way that he is protecting or defending himself. When Carl’s teacher puts her hands on him and forcefully pushes him down Carl has a strong reaction. He may perceive the teachers actions as threatening and his actions are a way for him to defend himself.
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Caroline
8/4/2011 04:02:15 am
It is clear that Carl desperately needs attention as well as a positive, loving role model in his life, like the aide in his classroom, Mrs. Larson. As soon as he responded to her in a positive way after acting out in physical ways toward Ms. Simon, it was obvious which method he favored. Because Carl comes from a family of abuse, it isn't unusual that he is having some violent outbursts in the classroom.
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Julie
8/4/2011 04:59:51 am
Poor Ms. Simon! She needs to wear some protective gear! Carl displays some extremely problematic behavior for such a little guy. It seems he is learning to manipulate the staff through his maladaptive behavior. It seems he is imitating his word and playing out the trauma he has been through. All the same the teacher and the aide need to work out a safety plan for Carl. Ms. Simon should not be getting beat up (for lack of a better term) while the aide makes snacks. Reasonable consequences and common language need to be established.
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