My Real Life Experience with a Difficult Student
Date: January 7th, 2026
When I taught 7th grade, I had an extremely difficult student. This is how I handled her behavior.
Ask Polly Bath: Kindergartener Hitting, Spitting, and Throwing Things!
Date: November 25th, 2025
Polly answers the question: “I have a 5-year-old student who destroys the classroom, hits, spits, and throws things. Just about everyday we call home for an early pickup, but there must be something else we can be doing here. Suggestions?”
Ask Polly Bath: Stealing Food & Throwing Tantrums?
Date: February 15th, 2025
Polly answers the question: “What should I have done with a kid who stole food from another student and then when they were caught tossed the food on the floor and threw a huge tantrum?”
Ask Polly Bath: 5 Year-Old Running and Shoving?
Date: December 8th, 2024
Polly answers the question: “We have a curious, sensory-seeking 5 year-old who is delayed in our class. Often he runs for the door and shoves adults out of his way if they try to stop him. I know he doesn’t mean harm. Honestly, I’m not sure how to respond to this situation.”
Ask Polly Bath: Defeated by Rudeness and Disrespect?
Date: August 31st, 2024
Polly answers the question: “I am the school counselor at a middle school and I am feeling so defeated by the rudeness, disrespect, and hatred I have been seeing from students lately. I have tried so many things, suggestions?”
Those Kids Who Don’t Respond!
Date: August 28th, 2024
Have you ever been in a situation where things are under control in your classroom, and everything is in a really good place, but then you have those two kids? Those two kids who don’t respond to all that you’ve put into place.
What’s Driving This Behavior?
Date: May 6th, 2024
We tend to get so focused on a child’s behavior and how we’re going to change it. Instead, let’s shift the focus to what is driving that behavior.
Ask Polly Bath: Hitting? Spitting? HELP!!!
Date: January 13th, 2024
Polly answers the question: “I have a kid who hits and spits at others. We have two paraprofessionals in the room and we all try our best to watch her but as soon as we hear a scream we know… she has done something to someone. Even though she gets sent to the office all the time she isn’t getting any better. Do you have any ways of dealing with this?”
How Do You Define Lying?
Date: November 21st, 2023
We often define lying as disrespect. But doing this gets our emotions involved and we take the behavior personally.
Behavior: Inappropriate? Unacceptable?
Date: April 5th, 2023
Inappropriate. Unacceptable. Insubordinate. What do these words teach youngsters about their behavior? Nothing!
Join our Facebook conversation