u/Different_Income_183

I’m new to this field and wondering if I’m being oversensitive. In the context of a moderate-to-severe special education high school class what generally is the effect of yelling or loud admonishment and negative reaction to defiance or misbehavior? My feeling is that it’s going to encourage the student’s problematic behavior. There might be a startle or intimidation effect at first that stops a behavior or compels compliance, but it won’t last. It will require escalation.

Am I right about that?

I’m new to the environment and what seems obvious to me I think has become normalized to the veterans. I’m referring to a para who is domineering in a classroom. I think it’s an unhappy classroom and not helpful for the students. Indeed, I think it’s harmful.

I’ve only witnessed one unquestionably against-the-rules (if not illegal) act (kicking a student), which I reported to child protective services. The para is still in the classroom, though not assigned to the student she kicked.

But there other things that are not reportable to an agency but I think are bad.

I think I’ll be risking my own situation by raising concerns but my conscience is bothering. I did once raise my concerns directly to the para in question but that got me nothing more than a hard stare.

I think it’s easier for everyone to just let the para bully her way along than for the administration to act. The students themselves aren’t really even capable of advocating for themselves.

I already know I have to and will report it but I need to get this off my chest as it only happened an hour ago.

I was working as a substitute para at a high school where I am a site sub. The class has one autistic girl who is particularly willful, stubborn and naughty. That is, she’ll do things she knows she shouldn’t just because it’s fun. She is indeed a challenge to work with.

However, when this girl kicked a para in the shin I didn’t expect the para to kick her in return. Nor did I expect the para and a couple of other paras to close themselves behind sliding doors momentarily. What was I supposed not to see? This is like something out the Stanford Prison Experiment.

I’ve been concerned about this para since last year, when I saw her angrily tear up the drawings of an autistic boy who is quite talented at drawing. She did it right in front of his face. I told her later I thought it was provocative but I didn’t report it.

I don’t see how I can *not* report this.

Have any of you witnessed something like this?