School chronicles continued

[captorquewrench]

So...

I've had my hindquarters grabbed.

I've had a kid take a swing at me.

And, today, two boys made sexual gestures that I did not ever see or understand until I was much, much older than they are.


Still in culture shock sometimes by how different a planet this school is than the one where I grew up and had been previously teaching.

[charlie sherrill]

You're beginning to find out why they had an opening at that school.

[captorquewrench]

I don't think it is anything specific to this particular school. I think this is way things really are most places. There are good things about it. I get hug mobbed by some classes, and lots of sweet kids who do their best. Kind of makes these things stick out. I knew it was a rough situation going in. It's why I did it.

Last teacher had a baby and left after one year. The one before that was there since they opened the school.

[peyton]

Stick with it, be hard and fair. You'll do OK, my wife has been teaching 10 years now in lower income schools in three cities. She says she can identify within two weeks the students that will shine and the ones that will be in jail!! Unforunately she has hit the mark on too many occasions. Sometimes they'll have an OPEN HOUSE and some student will have big brother or big sister come along. The older student will run up and hug my wife and say "Thanks for making a difference in my life"!! That is the motivating factor for my wife, to know that she has accomplished what she set out to do.

[Teddydog]

Didn't you say you were teaching Pre-K?

[captorquewrench]

Originally Posted by Teddydog

Didn't you say you were teaching Pre-K?

I teach everybody in the school (prekindergarten through fifth grade). everyone sees me once a week for music.

The kid who swung was prekindergarten. I am not certain if she was swinging to hit or just get away. This child is no ready to be in school, and does not speak English, and for some reason, she freaks out when it's time to come into my room. The reg classroom teacher asked if it was me, and the girl says no, she doesn't like the room, and she doesn't like to be anywhere except with her reg teacher. Go figure. We will keep trying. The classroom teacher has been working closely with the mom.

As far as corporal punishment goes...I have noticed that the campuses where I've been where it's allowed and in the policies and guidelines, that we didn't need it. Where we can't is where we've needed to be able to, IMO. Ironic how it works that way.

Definition: "Disappointment" noun; that feeling a teacher gets when after looking forward to an early dismissal day, forgets until the reminder an hour before school lets out that there is professional development.

[DeadAye]

Originally Posted by captorquewrench

So...

I've had my hindquarters grabbed.

I've had a kid take a swing at me.

And, today, two boys made sexual gestures that I did not ever see or understand until I was much, much older than they are.


Still in culture shock sometimes by how different a planet this school is than the one where I grew up and had been previously teaching.

As long as they get away with this **** it will not only continue but the sexual assaults will escalate.
Hopefully the kid that took a swing at you is wearing orange now

[jaykellogg]

We had a couple in our Sunday School who were teachers in a public school (not inner city) in PA. They told us that one of the disadvantages of being a teacher is when you have a new baby to name every name you can think of, you can put a face on of some kid that you had problems with. This was back in the 1970's. I am sure it is as bad today.

Regarding discipline, you are much closer than I am and anything I would recommend would probably be prohibited by the administrators. Sometimes it takes creativity to find something the child doesn't like to use for punishment.

[perrazi]

have you started carrying an asp baton yet? my wife retired 3 yrs ago after teaching 40yrs. and never had anything like you desribed happen in that time. must be a different mindset these days.

[redlevel]

captourquewrench, good luck to you. A teacher with fairly thick skin can make it in your situation if he/she has some support from administrators. Take away that support and the situation becomes untenable.

My family has a plus-100 year history in public education. My wife and her mother have 80 years+ between them teaching in public schools. I had a great aunt teaching in this county in 1899. I taught 24 years myself. All that said, I am through supporting public schools. I never thought I would hear my wife say it, but she said no more than an hour ago that she would not send a child to public school in our county. I predicted 4 years ago that teaching or attending public schools would soon cease to be a viable alternative for decent middle class people. I was right. I have had some raucous internet arguments defending public schools, but never again. For the most part, it isn't the fault of teachers; it is the fault of school administrators and the community. If the community demanded excellence, then the schools would deliver it. If the community demands good athletic teams, lax academic standards, and places a priority on keeping students enrolled who don't want to be there, then that's what the schools will deliver.

Again, good luck to you.

[leswad]

See what happens when corporal punishment is removed from our schools

[jaykellogg]

Originally Posted by leswad

See what happens when corporal punishment is removed from our schools

Corporal punishment is only one tool of a wide variety. IMO, there is a place for it, but not every youngster responds to it. I will agree that it shouldn't be ruled out, but IMO, I would rather have it ruled out that overused.

I have a granddaughter who will slam the door at home. I suggested to my son that he tell her if she cannot operate the door reasonably he should take it off the hinges (which he did). Sleeping in a bedroom with no door probably made a bigger impression than a swat on the butt.

[LVSteve]

Originally Posted by jaykellogg

I suggested to my son that he tell her if she cannot operate the door reasonably he should take it off the hinges (which he did). Sleeping in a bedroom with no door probably made a bigger impression than a swat on the butt.

Lady at work used to do that to her teenager when the backchat level got too high.

[Stevens]

Originally Posted by leswad

See what happens when corporal punishment is removed from our schools

Sad thing is it seems to be ruled out at home by parents too. I believe we are in for some hard times in the coming years!
Steve W

[Biginge]

Ok Boys, and torquewrench,

I gotta weigh in here. Would be considered old timer by most. Got hundreds of whuppins when I was growing up and deserved every one of them. Deserved a bunch I didn't get cause it weren't discovered by parents. Get it from Mom and when Dad got home got it again. I was not a model child by any stretch. But, they stuck with their principles, religion, beliefs, manners , et. al. All of this until a stupid kid finally "got it". No one had ever heard of attention deficit disorder and all these other lame reasons "he's like he is". I know there are some kids that have problems. But parents have become ENABLERS. We have lost a generation , or perhaps two now, of Parents. Anyone can point out the snake in the corner (the problem) but someone has to alleviate the threat. Quite frankly I believe we have waited too long to fix it. A good spanking will get a lot of attention and redirect some disorder. Don't know that it will help with the deficit though.

Just my 3 cents worth. CTorque the very best to ya. My Ex-wife was a Principal in the CFISD for many, many years. And yes, I am qualified to speak on this subject as a parent and her former husband seeing first hand what was happening in the schools.

Regards

Bill