Inside the Classroom: Schools not staffed to deal with behavioural issues, teachers say

Mary Jo Marsdenfought to break the grip of astudent, who had hishands wrapped tightly around her neck, asit became harder and harder to breathe.

She clenched the student'swrists and gasped for air.

Pushing her arms upwards, as she'd been taught, she used her remaining breathtoshoutin his face.

Alarmed, the student let go and backed away the look on hisface changing from anger to remorse.

Inside the Classroom

8 years ago

Duration 1:17

hirty teachers from Newfoundland and Labrador gathered for a frank discussion on the state of education and schools in this province. Here's a sneak peek.

"When he came to the realization he had his hands on my neck, he was devastated," Marsdensaid.

Inside the Classroom

On a Saturday in January, 30 teachers, principals, and school counsellors from across the province assembled at CBC News in St. John's, on their own time, to talk about a profession they love that's laced with a number of difficult issues. The Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association (NLTA) covered their travel costs.

The town hall discussion with host Ramona Dearing was turned into a three-part series, called Inside the Classroom.

I've gone home with bite marks, and scratches, and bloody noses, fat lips, shins pummeled.- Mary Jo Marsden, retired teacher

For Marsden, a retired elementary school teacher, thisincident stands out from a long list of violent encounters in a 30-year career in special education.

"I've gone home with bite marks, and scratches, and bloody noses, fat lips, shins pummeled," she said during the first segment of Inside the Classroom.

"Between physio, massage therapy, psychologists, a chiropractor ... It was just so I could do my job."

Violence common, teachers say

Kevin Flynn has seen teachers bitten, scratched, and kicked in attacks bydisruptive students.

Flynn is an instructional resource teacher (IRT) today'sterminologyfor a special education teacher.

Where peoplein his line of work often taught special needs students in a separate room, theynow findthemselvesmixed into mainstream classrooms, where they work in tandem with another teacher to deliver lessons to kids of varying needs and exceptionalities.

• Inside the Classroom: Read all of the articles in our series

The method known as inclusive education is seen as a good philosophy by many of the 30teachers who took partin the forum.

I know situations where teachers have had to wear a garbage bag in the classroom because a student has been prone to spitting.- Kevin Flynn, instructional resource teacher

However, the educators said there are simply not enough teachers like Flynn to work closely with the children to meet their needs.

The children in their classes range in the level of supports they need, fromlearning disabilitiesto severe social and behavioural disorders.

"I know situations where teachers have had to wear a garbage bag in the classroom because a student has been prone to spitting," Flynn said.

"This is causing enormous teacher stress."

'Not thinking about the bigger picture'

Dale Parsons has a junior highclass with 29 students, five of whom have exceptionalities.

He does not have an IRT like Flynn to assist him in the classroom.

His special needs students have a range of issues fromlearning disabilities to behavioural and social disorders. Together, they take up an estimated 80 per cent of his time.

The remaining students are left to vie for his attention.

It's a problem with the system, he said which places a childin need of intensive help in the same room as thosewho simply need to be taught, and does not giveteachers the resources required to help anyone.

As a result, Parsons spends much of his time moving from one incident to the next, taking care of behavioural blow-upsinstead of sticking to the curriculum.

"People are mopping the floor when there's a hole in the bucket," Parsons said.

"I feel we are dealing with issues on a daily basis, but we are not thinking about the bigger picture. There's a systemic issue, but we're worried about the fallout more than stopping the flow of water."

More resources needed

Mary Jo Marsden doesn't blame the student who wrapped his hands around her throat.

She was forced to take stress leave after the incident, but returned to work and finished out her career in 2016.

During herfinal years at an elementary school on the northeast Avalon, she saw similar violence on aregular basis.

She said she understands the behavioural issues students have, but she worries about the impact on other kids who have to witness these incidents.

The blame, she said, belongs to the governments that have understaffed schools around the province.

"It's all due to resourcing," she said.

"We have not got enough resources in the system to provide the special help that we need for the variety of children that we are facing every day."