What do you do when you have 29 Fourth graders in a hot portable classroom and 10 of them are trouble makers? When every classroom management idea fails, after you have rearranged the chairs, how instruction takes place, explained and posted the classroom rules, rewarded good behavior, punished bad and tried just to get through the day. The school gives little or no support, the grade level has teachers that are just cruising to retirement, so they really won't help except maybe to answer a question or two. Parents point to "No Child Left Behind" as a way to put total blame on the Teacher, which they believe they have no part in. The student is wild, the parent is dumfounded and full of blame and the Principal says "You just have to change how you're doing things", yet offers no ideas or solutions. (Besides quit) what do you do?

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There was an earlier post here about the accessability of middle school teachers, and the transition of the parent into the new role of being less involved at the middle school level.  I have a freshman in high school now, and after the first 3 months, I barely know his teachers' names!  I went to parent night at the school, where we went around to all the classes, so at least I have laid eyes on them-- but that is about it.  His grades are good, he's doing the work, so at this point I have no reason to go bug the teachers.  It's just wierd!  When your kids are little, and you are so involved in every aspect of everything, you never imagine that this day will come.  I've had so much going on lately,  it is kind of a relief to let go of that total immersion.  I guess my fear is I will not see problems until they are already big. 

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