In Elementary Case 16, Do you think Ms. Sanchez is "with-it"? What strategies would you offer for optimizing her "with-it-ness"?

126 Case 16 gen fifth grade instead. She is learning many things about this age group other students, but she feels she isn't always reaching them. Sometinu Managing Defiant Students 127 accuse her of treating them like babies and other times that she is expect ing too much of them. If only she could find a good balance. With the students quietly working on their vocabulary, MS. Sanchez can. Tyrese, unlike Srin, doesn't immediately follow Ms. Sanchez's command to on Marina, who is assistant teacher for the week, to hand out last night's spels change his color. Instead, he throws his hands in the air and says defiantly, "Oh c'mon, Ms. Sanchez! That isn't fair!" ing homework. Assistant teacher is one of the students' favorite privileges to Ms. Sanchez ignores his outburst and tells him firmly that since he did not purchase with their Good Behavior Cash; however, it is one of the costliest ones, and only students that continuously behave will earn enough Good move his color, she will move it for him and he's now to go to the Isolation Behavior Cash to purchase it. Ms. Sanchez begins writing sentences on the Station. The Isolation Station consists of a desk in the back corner of the board that contain the week's vocabulary lesson so they can have a review, room reserved for students whose behavior is continuously disrupting the Suddenly, a loud noise startles everyone, and as Ms. Sanchez turns around class. Tyrese begins to move his things over to the Isolation Station, but he does so slowly and uses every attempt to be loud and disruptive, making it she sees there is an instant commotion in the back of the room. Students are impossible for many of the students, particularly the ones seated near him in now standing up, snickering, and pointing toward the back of the room, and the room, to listen to the teacher's lesson. Ms. Sanchez is saddened to realize her moment of peace has quickly ended. Ms. Sanchez thinks to stop the lesson again so she can move Tyrese's peg MS. Sanchez is filled with apprehension as she makes her way through the down to the last color. However, she sees she has not gotten far in her instruc- sea of students to the back of the room. "What has happened?" Ms. Sanchez tion, and the end of the school day is drawing near. asks Tyrese and Srin as she sees them getting up off the floor. Clearly, the No sooner is Ms. Sanchez's attention diverted to assist a student that she boys have fallen out of their chairs-if the chairs turned on their side and the sees, another behavioral problem is occurring with a few of the girls. Ms. boys being on the floor is any indication. Sanchez knows that many of the students like to draw in their notebooks. It is, Upon seeing their teacher standing over them, the boys get up and imme- in fact, a favorite activity to do in free choice-a thirty-minute block of time diately begin speaking at once. Ms. Sanchez asks them to take turns, so she right before dismissal that Ms. Sanchez has reserved a few times a week for can hear what occurred. Srin says, "I was just leaning over to reach for my students to choose what they would like to do. However, Ms. Sanchez sees special hat that I got to wear today because it fell off my head and I fell over." that a few of the girls have chosen to draw during the lesson. She decides to Tyrese quickly adds, "I was reaching over to help him get his hat . . . since move closer to them in hopes they will quickly put the art away and get back you are always telling us to do nice things for others, right? Well I tried, but on track. I don't know, I just fell!" However, one of the students, Jazmin, is turned completely around in her seat to share her drawing with Alecia, and while Alecia tries to warn Jazmin Srin is wearing a hat because that was the reward he chose to purchase with of the teacher's approach, she doesn't do so in time. "Jazmin," Ms. Sanchez his Good Behavior Cash; however, Ms. Sanchez ponders that option now that says firmly, "what are you doing turned around in your seat? Why don't you this is the third problem she's encountered with the wearing of hats. "Now have your vocabulary workbook out?" Ms. Sanchez reaches over and takes boys, I want the truth!" Ms. Sanchez exclaims in frustration, "Were you boys her drawing and says, "This is not art class, nor is it free choice time, and goofing off?" The boys, now back in their righted seats, do not answer but I see that you did not complete the problems that you were assigned prior to shake their heads indicating a no. Oh goodness! Again, Ms. Sanchez is con- my beginning the lesson. Please move your peg down a color on the behavior fronted with not knowing what to do because she did not see what occurred. board." ing the truth? Were the boys fighting? Or could it have been a mistake? Could they be tell- Jazmin whines and offers excuses as to why she was drawing, telling the teacher she was taking too much time dealing with Tyrese and she got bored. As always, her students generate various invalid excuses to try to explain Ms. Sanchez tells the boys to move their pegs down a color on the Behav- their misbehavior. ior Chart. Srin's peg was still on the green color, where all students start out Since Jazmin peg was already on yellow, she is now moving to orange each morning-it means ready to learn. Thus, Srin gets up and moves his peg which means teacher's choice of consequence. Ms. Sanchez says, "Jazmin, to yellow, which means think about your behavior. Tyrese, on the other hand, during free choice time, you will complete all of the work you did not com- had already moved his peg to yellow earlier in the day and now he would be plete today and whatever you don't finish, you will do for homework." Jaz- moving his peg to orange, which means teacher's choice of consequence. min returns to her desk and says vehemently, "Why are you being so mean? I wasn't doing anything wrong! And why am I the only one getting punished