So, we are 2 weeks into the new school year. DS6 is in a gt 1st grade classroom. DS has made several comments about another student "W" who sits at his table group. W is new to the school and I have never met him. I have no idea what his issues might be but DS usually is an accurate reporter. According to DS, W has anger issues. W constantly makes loud noises when he is frustrated and lifts his desk, knocking into DS's desk. W goes into rages and yesterday threatened to throw a chair across the room. I don't have a good sense of what the teacher is doing.
DS has been advocating for himself. He has informed the teacher that W's behavior makes it hard for DS to concentrate. The teacher has given DS permission to move anywhere that he would like in the classroom when W is having an outburst. DS doesn't seem to mind moving because it lets him get his own wriggles out.
Yesterday, after the chair-throwing threat, DS came home asking me why W is allowed to behave in that way. Not knowing W, I told him that I'm guessing W has some issues controlling his anger and that he is working on learning how to a behave in the classroom. DS asked why W is in his classroom if W doesn't know how to behave or want to learn. I told DS that W is gifted too and that he needs the same kind of acceleration that DS does. DS then said it's not fair that W is taking away from DS's ability to learn. DS complained that DS has to move even though W is the one who doesn't behave. I told DS that he needs to learn to cope with other people and work with his teacher to come up with a solution that works for DS. I know that this teacher tends to keep seat assignments for months so the situation may not change soon. I asked DS if he wanted me to talk to the teacher. DS said that he thinks that he can handle it.
Now I am having my doubts about my response. I don't know that I fairly addressed DS's concerns. Should I be intervening and trying to get DS moved? other solutions?
Last edited by knute974; 09/03/11 10:21 AM. Reason: added more info
