Gum! I know, I know… many people think I am insane for allowing my students to chew gum. I’ll tell you… once you go gum, you never go back!
My kids have very, very challenging behavior. Along with this many of them have very severe ADHD and with that comes pretty dysregulated sensory systems. I have also noticed that many of my students have predictable behaviors that start with verbal outbursts. Insert gum.
In order for gum to actually work in my classroom, there needed to be very explicit rules and immediate consequences.
1.) Never let me see the gum.
2.) You may have 2 pieces per day.
3.) No gum can exit the classroom
4.) If you abuse it, you lose it.
I gave them all of September with lots of lee-way as they were learning the rules. Many of them like to stick their fingers in their mouth and stretch the gum out. Ew, NO. They are fully aware now, in May, that if I see their gum it goes immediately in the garbage. If they continually argue about this, they lose gum for the next day.
So how does the headache of gum help with the sensory needs and verbal outburts I talked about? Well, my kids will literally chew on anything. Paper, bracelets, laminated visuals, toys…anything. The gum gives oral sensory input and a replacement behavior that is actually appropriate. The verbal outburts? Honestly if their mouth is busy with something appropriate, they are less likely to be constantly talking.
Are you up for the challenge? How do you feel about gum in the classroom?
Love,
Allie
I like the idea very much. My daughter has PICA issues, she would chew notebook paper, her shirt, one day she took a bite out of her test. One Parents night, I met with the teachers who were at their wits end over the matter and I suggested gum as an alternative. Of course they would be in charge of giving it to her and at their discretion and it worked.