I'm on my lunch break for now, but this has been a crazy morning.

The usual teacher for the older kids (2-4 years old) is out sick, so I've taken over that room. Right now, I have 8 kids:

DKB (C): 4-1/2 years old
DKB (N): 3-1/2 years old
DKG (E): 3-1/2 years old
DKG (S): 2 years old
DKG (R): 2 years old (as of today)
DKB (Ma): 3 years old
DKB (M): 3 years old
DKG (Mar): 2 or 3? (not exactly sure of her age; I'm guessing 2 to 2-1/2)

You know the saying "one bad apple spoils the bunch?"

I have a few kids who are being especially rough/agressive- namely "C", "M," and "S." They are all running around, throwing things, and hitting people.

Normally, behavior that like that would result in a time out. In NJ, it's perfectly legal to use time-outs in appropriate situations. I think making a four year old who is throwing blocks at his friends sit out for four minutes to calm down is perfectly appropriate.

Unfortunately, our director just deals with things with a "we don't hit, go play." So, the kids are completely out of control because they know they can get away with it.

I have tried everything I can do. I did a little circle time with the kids where we talked about ways to be healthy (covering our mouths/noses, washing our hands, eating healthy foods). We did a "Cover your sneeze please" art project. Since I can't take them outside since I have yet to be fingerprinted, I put on some music and we had a couple little dance parties- which only resulted in the 4 year old running around and encouraging one of the 3 year olds to join them in running and hitting others.

This afternoon, we're having cupcakes for a birthday party, and even though the kids are going to start leaving shortly after nap, the well-behaved ones are usually the first to leave. Then, I'll be down to the ones who aren't listening without having any "good listeners" to be used as examples.

Any suggestions? Not having consequences for actions that I can follow-through on isn't helping. (They DID lose the opportunity to play with a few toys because they were being abusive with them; I am waiting to see if we can take the big blocks, big cars, and tool bench out of time-out in the afternoon).

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