Again though, you taught at a very low level academic college, you can't compare you not caring about what people do in your classes that students pay to be in to what happens in a high school that actually has academic standards. Classroom disruption is a bigger deal when it actually matters if students are paying attention.
I know you think your teaching profession gives you some insight into dealing with students, but the biggest difference is you taught college, not high school. In college, the majority of your students, which are adults, are paying tuition to be there to learn, and it makes no difference whether they pay attention or not. In high school, students, who are minors, are required to attend class (truancy isn't allowed) and be somewhat productive by reaching standardized benchmarks, however low those may be. Two totally different demographics that require different approaches. You can't speak in absolutes because we don't know the full story behind the teacher or the student. All we can reflect on is the facts of what happened and what choices could have been made for a better resolution. RJ actually suggested a good alternative to ignore the student until class was over, suspend her, and follow up with the parents. That could've worked in this situation to avoid a physical confrontation. Any further disruption would warrant physical force when other alternatives have been attempted. I still believe that removing her from the class was not a wrong approach. It may not have been the best way, but it also depends on your views and what you're trying to achieve: remove the disruption so things may continue or resolve things without being physical. People who cause disruptions are physically removed all the time, and it's never going to look pretty when someone resists as much as possible. If that person gets hurt while resisting, I rest most of the blame on that person because they decided to make it more physical than it needed to be. The cop's actions were reactions to the actions the student made who was being as difficult as she could be. I don't think the cop deserved to be fired, that it was mainly a PR move to distance the PD from him so this could be swept under the rug quicker, and will be curious to see the aftermath from this.
Are cops not allowed to carry tasers in schools? Instead of making a scene, flipping desks & throwing the student around like that, just quietly touching the side of the head with a taser to get compliance seems less disturbing. Obviously not in the ear lol.
You don't know where I teach. I was at Prairie View 2004-2005. Yeah, right, standards should be higher for free school than for places where you pay tuition. Makes perfect sense On the contrary, I care more what people do in my classroom. That's why I never in 22 years had a cop throw a girl in my classroom. I'm against that happening in my classroom. Insult Prairie View all you want to.
Yep, if your attitude is that you need a cop to deal with a girl and her cell phone, you are officially a loser.
I agree with you that other solutions were possible and infinitely better. I disagree about some other things. 1. College students have stricter attendance requirements than high school students. Miss seven classes in a semester, you fail. 2. The idea that students who pay tuition pay less attention than students who pay nothing and are just forced to be present makes no sense. 3. College has tougher tests than high school. How do you even figure the girl was causing a disruption? The real disruption was the teacher stopping the activity of everyone in the class, going to call someone else into the classroom, then having this girl tossed around like a ragdoll. That class of maybe 20 students was probably sitting there for 10 minutes doing nothing while this incompetent teacher lost a battle of wits with a teenage girl, so he called someone in to solve his problems for him, and made the situation 50 times worse.
It's amazing how many problems conservatives think can be solved by this basic economic principle, until it is applied to teachers.
How much should a profession that requires about 1 year of post-grad education following taking any joke of a major for four years pay? When the salary is raised to your fantasy level, will all of the other benefits of being a teacher remain? Why are private and parochial schools able to hire competent teachers at lower salaries and with fewer benefits?
Yeah, anyone who completes college plus graduate school deserves a crap salary! Only Ph.D.'s and high school graduates make the big bucks. Yeah, private schools hire great teachers for like under $40,000. Hold on, my examples are forthcoming. I wish I had that job, coz it's awesome man!
***The transcripts of the incident have been released!*** TEACHER: All right, Missy, if you don't put away that cell phone right now, I'm calling the school security officer! STUDENT: . . . TEACHER [on the phone]: Principal Johnson? I'm requesting immediate backup in Room 10. PRINCIPAL: What's your emergency? TEACHER: I was reading Animal Farm aloud to the students when Latanya pulled out her cell phone. PRINCIPAL: OMG are you all right? TEACHER: Yes but I stuttered and mispronounced "public." A couple of students snickered. She really threw me off my game. PRINCIPAL: I am dispatching the school security guard/weightlifting guy now. In the meantime, secure the area. Tell the class someone's gonna get in BIG trouble, then stand there with your arms crossed until the security weightlifter guy comes. TEACHER: What if she starts dialing a phone number while we're waiting? PRINCIPAL: Then I authorize you to use lethal force. TEACHER: Sir, I'm too much of a p*&^% for that. . . . PRINCIPAL: Right. Well, take up a defensive position and the subject should be neutralized shortly. [It is at this point that the security officer enters the classroom and justice is served.]
Student educational and behavior standards should be held high in whatever school you teach. I've taught 22 years in public middle school and high school, and I've never had campus police throw anyone around either, but I don't look away when a student does not follow the rules. They're free to choose what they want to do, but they're not free to choose the consequence.
At my school, students are required 90% attendance. In a block schedule, if you miss more than 3 days in a 9 week semseter, you lose credit and must repeat that semester. Apples and oranges. What is your point here? Where did the problem begin? A student not following the rules. Accountability is on the students.
It should look like this... ************************************** TEACHER: Can you please put your phone away. STUDENT: (Take your choice here...any will work just fine) Yes sir...OK...silently complies...sorry sir... TEACHER :Thank you. Now like I was saying....(continues lesson) ************************************** It could have looked like this... TEACHER: Can you please put your phone away. STUDENT: (Does not comply) TEACHER : Can I see you outside please. STUDENT: Student walks out and discussion ensues. ************************************** But it was more like this... TEACHER: Can you please put your phone away. STUDENT: (Does not comply) TEACHER : Can I see you outside please. STUDENT: (Does not comply) TEACHER : (On phone) Can I get an administrator to my room please. ADMIN: Ma'am, can I see you outside STUDENT: (Does not comply) ADMIN: Ma'am, if you do not come with me, I am going to call security to remove you from this class STUDENT: (Does not comply) ADMIN: (On Walkie Talkie) Please send security to this location STUDENT: (To classmates) Hey get ready to record this. SECURITY: Ma'am please come with me STUDENT: (Does not comply) and we know the rest.
That sounds like a great use of those 20 students' class time. The whole thing probably only took 10-15 minutes. That's only 3-5 man hours of education time! And one dude lost his job, and the teacher became famous around the school as a pu$$y a-hole, and the whole class learned a big lesson. This teacher sucks ass.
I don't think anyone else is down on the teacher for doing her job except for you. Also, the fact that the student's stupidity caused such a disruption is why she's charged with a misdemeanor and is why she was arrested. I highly doubt anyone else causes that level of disruption in that teacher's classroom again because she's "famous" for not tolerating it.
Public school teaching is a much much tougher job than private school. There's a far greater demand and higher qualifications required for public school. Finally, the quality of the job and life at a private school is much higher. Lastly, private school teachers are overall less experienced as they tend to leave precisely because of lower pay. Private school teachers don't deal with poverty, broken homes, massive class sizes like a public school teacher does.
