Student Behavior in the Classroom…
By tnturner on May 22, 2007 in Classroom Reflections
I will say that Teacher Magazine has been right on with their articles as of recent. Today they shared an AP article about safe environments in school called Teacher Magazine: Criminalizing Student Threats. With the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech and going all the way back to Columbine, and any other mass shootings or other violence on public school campuses, the common theme is keeping our kids safe. Why wouldn’t it be? That’s what we are charged with no? En Loco Parentis. Last time I checked, it still meant the same, in the place of the parents.
But the question this article suggests is, who is keeping the teachers on campus safe? I’ve heard stories, and that’s all they really are, are stories of students who are belligerent, terrorizing both teacher and other students alike. Had a teacher at my old school who had a gangbanger threaten to cut her. Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal to me…but when the SRO wouldn’t investigate it since he wasn’t there to witness it, well, I began to worry. The author is right, over the last decade or so the trend has been that there are no tangible results for misbehaviors. Now granted, I worked hard to get on the good sides of these trouble kids, showed them respect and I had no problems with them. It’s still a scary situation, especially if it’s said so matter of fact. Of course, the ACLU has to step in and call some of the threats a “simple act of stupidity”. Don’t know about you….but I don’t want to wait around to see if they are being stupid or serious. Just way too many lives at stake.
Seeking the Wisdom of the Ages…
Tom.
Just as an addendum. One never knows, this could be a student of yours in your classroom. This was posted on the ESL Technology blog a week or so ago. I’d seen it a while back before blogging. I know it is an extreme example to some degree, but there’s some definite validity to it.
2 Comment(s)
I don’t know who is protecting the teacher. Maybe that’s why having a cellphone with camera and other technological tools might be a good idea for students and teachers alike.
The video was interesting. Living in a small rural community, I’m not sure that the threat of students fighting students is what it is in large rural areas. However, with all that goes on with students and the fatal shootings in various locales, it does make one stop and think. I guess being informed and aware doesn’t hurt any of us.
We work in a culture of youth that is changing and although some of it is great, some of it is not. Teachers need to be aware of this and be willing to protect themselves. Proactive training and awareness is a great first step.
Kelly…
You’d be surprised about what a small rural community can muster, at least in the since of the school that I used to work at. We had 2 active gangs that were prevalent. About midway through last year a truce was made between the 2 that has lasted at least. I had one of the leaders in my class a few years back, actually a pretty smart cookie if you ask me, and he was pretty adamant about making sure the school was not tagged, nor the violence showing up on campus. Unfortunately he moved onto the 9th grade and it went all to, well, you fill in the blanks there.