What do you do when a YLE blows a gasket?

 Had one of those classes today where it all went wrong - for the same child each time.

Can you take your books out please? Tantrum and calling mummy names because the homework book was not in the bag. Not off to am auspicious start.

Quick photocopy, pride semi-restored. Let's practice - join the picture with the word. Kaboom! No pencil in bag - dummy spat out again to general consternation of classmates and generous offers to lend (declined, head banging on table - please stop?)

Moving along. Practicising touch/hold/feed & look at...around the room. Touch the crocodile. OK. (Not a real one, by the way). Feed the fish. OK...hold your friend - guess who left out? On and on. This behaviour is not new, and has been worse - what are your sanctions? Generally, the promise to frog march downstairs and be embarrassed explaining to all the mums is enough. But hard to do when resitance position is spread-eagled on the floor! Fortunately, the rest of the class were unfazed, and enjoyed the extra hurdle as we ran too/from the board in a spelling race. I was hoping missing out on fun would be incentive enough to re-join.

My philosophy (if you can call a hunch that) has been to ignore misbehaviour - or at least not make a big deal out of it, if it is not disrupting the class/is not likely to become endemic. Some things need stopping - chattering about granny's birthday on Sunday, or tipping back on chairs for example. Nose-picking? Tricky - a glare seems to work. Rather, big up the good workers/quick finishers/neat ouput and make use of the "Oh no, I'm going to be last" syndrome. Move along, nothing to see here...Except, of course, when finishing last is A REALLY BIG DEAL & lead to more carpet damage. Hmm.