**4. The "troubling" students**

*Early Childhood Education*

for word.

**3.5 Data analysis**

**3.6 The findings**

ment for children with emotional disturbances.

only gym, special events, etc. but never in the classroom."

lenge to her and the other typically developing students.

perspectives. The interviews and impromptu conversations allowed the teacher to share her experiences, observations, understandings, and stories in a private and safe environment. The in-depth interviews took place in her classroom at the end of the school day and allowed her the space and time to reflect upon her understandings and experiences. The loosely-structured interview protocol was reviewed and approved by the IRB. Following each interview, I transcribed the responses word

When I began the analysis, I asked the following questions of the data: What is the main issue or problem? What idea keeps coming up? [14]. To answer my own questions, I wrote sentences or phrases that captured the overall story being told by the teacher. I used grounded theory methodology to analyze the case study, theories emerged from the data rather than being hypothesized prior to data [12]. Data collection, coding, and analysis were occurring simultaneously. The study's purpose was to develop practical theories in the area of the obstacles to an inclusive environ-

Mrs. Bradwell shared in her 22 years of teaching; the education of students with disabilities had changed in the last 15 years. She explained students with intellectual and emotional disabilities previously "were in house, it was in an MH room, not inclusion" [15]. She exclaimed she was "not prepared for things like autism, oppositional defiant disorder or roller coaster emotions, and my education at (university) did not prepare me for any of that. Before, when kids like that were included, it was

After the first few weeks of the school year, and the experience of the extreme behaviors of Joey, Mrs. Bradwell indicated she was provided a teacher support person 3 days a week to help manage and maintain the classroom. She was very frustrated as it seemed other teachers with more training in the areas of special education would have the inclusive classrooms of students with cognitive or learning disabilities. "I seem to get the kids that are more the emotional disturbed, like the ones from abusive homes, mother on drugs when she was pregnant, things like that." Mrs. Bradwell felt educating students with emotional disturbances was a chal-

*It is always a battle to get these kids to learn. I do not see inclusion as a great thing if they cannot control themselves and are not able to behave themselves so as to not cause disturbances in the classroom. Our feeling in this building is we do not want to send these emotionally disturbed kids to an ED classroom, because there they do not focus on academics. The problem is you have 25 other kids who pay the price.*

Regarding the view that students might possibly benefit from a separate educational setting, according to Danforth and Smith, segregated programs in the past have served as "dumping grounds" for students who failed to "fit the middle-class ideals of attitude, appearance, and behavioral style" [3]. Regardless, Mrs. Bradwell felt entirely inadequate for the demands of the students with emotional disturbances. Observations and interviews revealed the teacher used positive and loving statements regarding her students, but also overwhelmed with the dynamics of her classroom. In multiple conversations, she shared of the challenges with the students that caused her most concern (see **Table 1**). She stated: "you cannot control what

**244**

When Mrs. Bradwell began the school year, she was immediately faced with outbursts from two different students and antisocial and hostile behaviors from two other students, described in **Table 1**. The needs of these four particular students in addition to the other 22 felt insurmountable to her. She immediately began a referral process for two of the students based on the combination of their academic and social needs. The significance in the referrals for Mrs. Bradwell was not only to obtain the necessary support services to the students, but the needed help she hoped to gain in the classroom. One of the students received an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the other student received an IEP for behavioral interventions which included a diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), "a psychiatric disorder marked by aggressiveness and a tendency to purposefully bother and irritate others" [8]. The challenge in seeking and obtaining these diagnoses includes a differentiation between children, who demonstrate rational, purposeful, and communicative challenging behaviors and those with aggressive behaviors without a contextual/cultural rationale. However, the most common complaints of teachers about students considered troubling are "they are frequently off-task, not doing their assignments, and not sufficiently engaged in academic work and they do not get along well with their peers, interacting in negative or disrespectful ways" [3].

In the observations of the first grade classroom, the four students listed in **Table 1** exhibited many of these behaviors. Within the first hour of arriving, it was clear Joey and Billy were off task, would not begin their morning seat work even with various prompts, praise, or the possibilities of consequences. Mrs. Bradwell would continue to navigate throughout her morning routine and engage students, only to face resistance from students shortly into the lesson. This pattern of off-task, resistance, responding negatively or overtly to the teacher's requests was observed each day. During class story times, the students would be engaged at times, and on other occasions the personal space of other students was invaded by the troubling students; talking out and disengaged behaviors were repeatedly observed. **Table 2** indicates examples of the troubling behaviors for the four particular students during 10 days of observations.

There is difficulty in observing and appropriating what is considered an aspect of a behavior disorder or "troubling student" and that is a frustration many teachers and specialists discover, particularly in the diagnostic process. "What is disturbing to one person may be viewed as independent, humorous, appropriate or creative by another" [8]. While observing the four students considered "troubling," it was

#### **Joey (IEP)**


#### **Beth (IEP)**


#### **Billy**


#### **Sam (IEP)**

• Although revealed as a student of a troubling nature, Sam presented only on two occasions distraction and sensitivity

#### **Table 2.**

*Student observations.*

ironic some of the other members of the classroom were also engaged in behaviors that were deemed inappropriate, defying the teacher's requests or off task, yet they were not the focus of my observations. However, during the observations there was a consensus between myself and Mrs. Bradwell that the instances indicating which students were troubling were consistently regarding Joey, Billy and Beth. Although it is noteworthy there were several instances of resistant behavior among otherwise typically developing students in the classroom.

#### **5. Teacher-student relationships**

According to Danforth and Smith, "the most profound thing a teacher can do is create a relationship with a student that communicates deep acceptance and love to that student. That relationship is the cornerstone of good teaching" [3]. While there were many instances of nonconforming behaviors as indicated in **Table 1**, there were likewise a significant amount of positive and encouraging interactions of Mrs. Bradwell. Only on two occasions did she raise her voice, otherwise she would reassure, restate her expectations, and made the behavior expectations consistent and clear to her students. She did not use a reward system initially, but created a ticket system in the last few days of the observations due to the intensified end of school year student behavior issues and enthusiasm. The punishment system she typically used for her students was to take away a few minutes of their recess. Otherwise, Mrs. Bradwell did not use a prescribed management system in her classroom. Instead, she consistently used positive phrasing with all of her students in her lessons, in her daily transitions and student interactions. Some examples include*: Be kind; Make a good choice; I am looking for second grade behavior; In life sometimes we are asked to wait, so I am asking you all to be patient with others*; etc.

**247**

student" [3].

**6. Inclusion is hard**

were revealed in what she shared.

*Obstacles to Inclusion: One Early Childhood Inclusive Teacher's Perspective*

Although Mrs. Bradwell had clearly established some very positive studentteacher relationships, she felt discouraged by the relations with her troubling students. For example, with Joey and Billy, regardless of the trust, positive rapport and evidence of improvement in their overall behaviors; Mrs. Bradwell still felt defeated when they would act out. She seemed to feel the most sense of failure in her ability to connect with Beth. Joey had made significant gains in his ability to self-regulate his outbursts according to Mrs. Bradwell as compared to the beginning of the school year. However, the consistent anger and arguments from Beth were occurring continuously, causing Mrs. Bradwell frustration and feelings of helplessness in meeting Beth's needs. She felt she had exhausted all resources in connecting with Beth to help her socially and academically. Potentially a larger social issue was influencing the lack of progress, but one that was out of Mrs. Bradwell's control. Essentially, Mrs. Bradwell felt she had done all she could to establish a caring relationship with

Danforth and Smith reveal eight basic concepts that make up caring relationships such as time, being there, talking, sensitivity, etc. When discussing these ideas with Mrs. Bradwell, the frustration was even more apparent because a "caring relationship involves two people who must both participate" [3]. Her other expression of the hindrances with this particular student was her responsibility to meet all of her students' academic needs. The work of Nel Noddings describes caring as a relation, a connection or encounter between two human beings [17]. She emphasizes what constitutes a caring community in part, from cultivation of empathy, social concern and responsibility among children and more importantly how it does

Although, like Mrs. Bradwell, teachers who exhaustingly show care all day but do not feel like their students are really receiving that care know the frustration of a one-sided relationship. For teachers of resistant, depressed or troubling students, this can naturally be a problem. Often, Mrs. Bradwell was petitioning me "What is the solution? Do you have answers to share with me?" I would often share the challenge exists that relations do not merely consist of a list of approved behaviors that teachers should memorize and adopt. "Knowing how to be caring with one student is not necessarily ample preparation for creating such a relationship with another

Throughout the conversations and interview with Mrs. Bradwell, the sentiments she regularly revealed were feelings of failure and the overwhelming sense of an inability to connect with the troubled students. Often this feeling was translated into the idea that she "did not see inclusion as a great thing" [15]. It was important to consider that the limiting factors in the timing of the observations was that they were taking place at the end of the school year and students felt like they were done for the year and lost their motivation. Behavioral issues for a majority of students became a big problem and teachers had an incredible amount of paperwork to do at the end of the school year. Students often take advantage of the fact that their teachers are tired and preoccupied with all the forms and data they have to turn in. Nevertheless, in the conversations and observations, it would appear many of the successes and stories of promise were difficult for Mrs. Bradwell to discern, but

Joey had several outbursts in the time I was there to observe, but Mrs. Bradwell

shared the context of how volatile they had been in the beginning of the year. Joey was clearly able to calm down with Mrs. Bradwell, an indicator of a trusting

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80982*

Beth and she felt it had failed.

not conflict with goals of academic development.

#### *Obstacles to Inclusion: One Early Childhood Inclusive Teacher's Perspective DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.80982*

*Early Childhood Education*

• Two significant outbursts that involved threats of death

• Each day, several times a day argued with the teacher

• Four examples of running around the room and laughing at behavior

• Each day actively defied or refused to comply with the teacher's request

• Six examples of inappropriate behaviors at the story time area • Two recesses missed due to disrespect and incomplete work

• Refusal to complete morning work, all 10 days • Three acts of physically hitting another student

• All 10 days, head on desk refusal to work

• Blamed others for her misbehaviors

• Three instances of refusing to complete work

• Four instances of hostile defiance to authority

• Angry and resentful

**Joey (IEP)**

**Beth (IEP)**

**Billy**

**Sam (IEP)**

**Table 2.**

and sensitivity

*Student observations.*

ironic some of the other members of the classroom were also engaged in behaviors that were deemed inappropriate, defying the teacher's requests or off task, yet they were not the focus of my observations. However, during the observations there was a consensus between myself and Mrs. Bradwell that the instances indicating which students were troubling were consistently regarding Joey, Billy and Beth. Although it is noteworthy there were several instances of resistant behavior among otherwise

• Although revealed as a student of a troubling nature, Sam presented only on two occasions distraction

According to Danforth and Smith, "the most profound thing a teacher can do is create a relationship with a student that communicates deep acceptance and love to that student. That relationship is the cornerstone of good teaching" [3]. While there were many instances of nonconforming behaviors as indicated in **Table 1**, there were likewise a significant amount of positive and encouraging interactions of Mrs. Bradwell. Only on two occasions did she raise her voice, otherwise she would reassure, restate her expectations, and made the behavior expectations consistent and clear to her students. She did not use a reward system initially, but created a ticket system in the last few days of the observations due to the intensified end of school year student behavior issues and enthusiasm. The punishment system she typically used for her students was to take away a few minutes of their recess. Otherwise, Mrs. Bradwell did not use a prescribed management system in her classroom. Instead, she consistently used positive phrasing with all of her students in her lessons, in her daily transitions and student interactions. Some examples include*: Be kind; Make a good choice; I am looking for second grade behavior; In life sometimes we* 

*are asked to wait, so I am asking you all to be patient with others*; etc.

typically developing students in the classroom.

**5. Teacher-student relationships**

**246**

Although Mrs. Bradwell had clearly established some very positive studentteacher relationships, she felt discouraged by the relations with her troubling students. For example, with Joey and Billy, regardless of the trust, positive rapport and evidence of improvement in their overall behaviors; Mrs. Bradwell still felt defeated when they would act out. She seemed to feel the most sense of failure in her ability to connect with Beth. Joey had made significant gains in his ability to self-regulate his outbursts according to Mrs. Bradwell as compared to the beginning of the school year. However, the consistent anger and arguments from Beth were occurring continuously, causing Mrs. Bradwell frustration and feelings of helplessness in meeting Beth's needs. She felt she had exhausted all resources in connecting with Beth to help her socially and academically. Potentially a larger social issue was influencing the lack of progress, but one that was out of Mrs. Bradwell's control. Essentially, Mrs. Bradwell felt she had done all she could to establish a caring relationship with Beth and she felt it had failed.

Danforth and Smith reveal eight basic concepts that make up caring relationships such as time, being there, talking, sensitivity, etc. When discussing these ideas with Mrs. Bradwell, the frustration was even more apparent because a "caring relationship involves two people who must both participate" [3]. Her other expression of the hindrances with this particular student was her responsibility to meet all of her students' academic needs. The work of Nel Noddings describes caring as a relation, a connection or encounter between two human beings [17]. She emphasizes what constitutes a caring community in part, from cultivation of empathy, social concern and responsibility among children and more importantly how it does not conflict with goals of academic development.

Although, like Mrs. Bradwell, teachers who exhaustingly show care all day but do not feel like their students are really receiving that care know the frustration of a one-sided relationship. For teachers of resistant, depressed or troubling students, this can naturally be a problem. Often, Mrs. Bradwell was petitioning me "What is the solution? Do you have answers to share with me?" I would often share the challenge exists that relations do not merely consist of a list of approved behaviors that teachers should memorize and adopt. "Knowing how to be caring with one student is not necessarily ample preparation for creating such a relationship with another student" [3].
