It’s No Longer Safe To Teach In Public Schools

You’ve read about (or can read about) dangerous situations that I along with colleagues like Ms. C (and her adventures with the kid named Mark) have experienced in the classroom.  I wrote about the troubling if not horrific things that students did to two teachers who appeared on the Dr. Phil Show. About a week an half ago, a student in Oregon threatened to kill his teacher in a homework assignment. On a much larger scale, we all know about Columbine and other similar inidents, and now the most recent physical assault on a teacher that was thrust into the national spotlight, being the Philadelphia teacher who was assaulted over an iPod.  And, that’s not even the half of it.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I have reached a sad but true conclusion.  It is simply no longer safe to teach in U.S. public schools. 

I’ve been threatened by a kid who’s only reason for not stabbing me was that she was due before a judge the next day and didn’t want to return to a detention facility.  I’ve been told, “I know what you drive and can find out where you live.” I have been hit and kicked (during my brief stint as an elementary teacher at my school), and a colleague was hit in the back of the head when a kid threw a book at her. I had a student once point at me, along with several of his classmates while saying, I want to shoot you, you and you . . .  This same kid once picked up a heavy desktop tape dispenser and asked, “What would you do if I threw this at you?”  I get cursed out and yelled at almost on a daily basis . . . . . it’s all tantamount to abuse. It is abuse!  I feel as if I put both my physical and mental health in jeopardy each day that I step into my classroom.  On most days, I feel like it’s all about survival and that can’t be good.

It’s all so sad and frustrating, because I am old enough to remember a time when schools felt safe.  They were safe, especially for those who were most vulnerable.  Kids who didn’t have much could often count on a meal and a caring teacher.  I never once feared for my safety while in school and I graduated high school in the mid nineties, so you know I’m not that old.

What went wrong? 

Source: news.aol.com

Is Bad Behavior Written In The Genes?

We’ve all heard statements like, “He acts just like his father!” or “She takes after her mother.”  Then there’s the age old adage, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”  

According to a study published in the journal, Child Development, all of those statements may contain a grain of truth.  The study, which was conducted among adult twins and their children, “found that genes, rather than parents’ own argumentative behavior, seemed key in the children’s odds of serious conduct problems — like bullying, skipping school and shoplifting.”

In this classic nature-versus-nurture study, researchers noted that “the new findings suggest it’s more a matter of genes. That is, parents who are naturally argumentative pass on these traits to their kids.”

It became very obvious to me, just a few months into the job, just how great an influence parents and guardians are on their kids.  I began to see just how parenting or lack of it really shapes children.  However, in the back of my mind, I’ve always wondered about how much of what we do and who we are, personality wise, is pre-wired into us while we’re still in the womb.  Just last Wednesday, I heard a tired and frustrated great-grandmother state, “I don’t know what happened to X.  He was such a good boy.  But when he turned thirteen, it just . . . . He’s worn the same shirt for the past three days.  He won’t take a bath, he won’t clean his room, he curses, he won’t listen. You know, he acts just like his mother.” 

X is a high functioning student with autism who has hygiene issues (to put it nicely).  Oh who am I kidding. The boy smells like a mixture of wet, dirty dog, mildewed shoes and just . . . . . pure old funk!  He over reacts to any and everything that is said to him (and others), and there is simply no reasoning with this kid.  If he can’t have his way, he explodes. 

Although I’ve never met X’s mother, After meeting other mothers and fathers, I’ve often ended up saying to myself, Oh, so that’s where s/he get’s it from!  Whether it be the loud, ghetto girl who’s mother acts the same way, or the unemployed and unconcerned father, who’s child acts just as unconcerned about school as his father does with him, or the girl who is getting high on the weekends . . . with her mother.  But does all of that stem from genetics or is simply a matter of how one is raised?  It has been proven that alcoholism can be genetic. Therefore, if certain diseases/addiction can have a genetic link, why not behavior?  The jury is still out for me.

What do you think?  Could bad or maladaptive behavior be a genetic thing? Or is just how one is nurtured? Could it be a little of both? I want to hear what you have to say.

Source: msnbc.msn.com

The Britney Spears Lesson:Celebrity Does Not Equal Class, Self Esteem or Happiness

To shave her head or not to shave her head.  It’s not a question. 

In fact, it’s her business and I really don’t care what Britney Spears does.  However, I do care about the impact that she and other young celebrities have on impressionable young girls.

I haven’t discussed celebrities or other media personalities on this blog, however the whole Britney Spears hoopla added on top of the antics of Nicole Ritchie, Paris Hilton, Miss USA, et. al, compelled me to write about what I’ve been feeling for quite some time.

More and more young celebrities, earned and deserved or not, seem to be spiraling out of control.  Pill popping, drinking (and driving on the wrong side of the freeway) and spending money is how they spend their days and nights.  When surrounded by a bunch of yes men and women and no one to tell you the truth or say no, in fear of being cut off from the money, hanger-on status or both, it all seems pretty understandable.  But, there also seems to be a lot of attention seeking going in all of this.  The need to be looked at, to be on camera, in the spot light, etc.  Afterall, if they didn’t want the attention, why not lay low and avoid doing rash things (at least in public) and kind of disappear for a while?  When you’re hurting, do you run to the nearest camera or at least do rash things in public for all the world to see?

Dismissing the importance of education, romanticizing the idea of and having children at such a young age (with a boy who walked out on his girlfriend while she was pregnant), sitting for a televised interview looking unkempt while chewing gum, then wild nights of hard partying to the point of flashing what should have been private parts, collapsing on New Year’s Eve, then off to rehab only to leave several hours later then on to more erratic behavior which lead to head shaving . . . . . whew!  That, folks, is not the image that I believe should be held up as ideal for young girls.

As bad and disheartnening as it may seem.  Yes, there is a double standard and we need to teach our girls that they are the gatekeepers and standard bearers.  Let’s teach our girls that class, self esteem and happiness can’t be bought.  I don’t consider myself to be this uptight, overly conservative person.  I think I’m quite liberal, but I also have standards.  High standards for myself at that and our girls need to understand that having standards and limits is nothing to be ashamed of.  I’m not seeing this in the girls who I work with nor the girls seen on TV.  When you’re down and out, you don’t go and get wild.  There is a difference between letting loose to relax and let go of some of the stresses of life and actually loosing it.

Many us would like to temporarily (or even permanently) abandon jobs, kids, significant others, rip off and burn bras, curse out bosses and shave our heads in an effort to free ourselves, but we can’t and we don’t.  For many of us there is a censor or common sense button somewhere nearby whether it be in our heads, our hearts or in those near and dear to us.  And when we are pulled back down to Earth, many of us pull ourselves together, whether it be on our own or through some sort of intervention and professional help.

Now, it’s not my intention to cast judgement on Britney or any of those girls.  In fact I think they all need professional help, along with someone in their lives who will be honest, keep them grounded and give them the truth.  And, in Britney’s case, I’m wondering if there is some post-partum depression going on.  Afterall, the girl did have two babies back to back and got rid of her good for nothing husband just a few short months after the birth of her last child.

Just let there be a lesson in all of this.  Money, celebrity, notoriety (which was once a perjorative term),etc. does not equal class, self esteem or happiness.

Weigh in folks.  How do you feel about young celebrities and the images that they are portraying to our girls?  Parents, how are you dealing with daughters who want to emulate what they see portrayed?

Images:  Google

I’ve Been Tagged!

O.K.  So this is the first time that I’ve been tagged. This meme was passed on to me by MissProfe at It’s A Hard Knock Teacher’s Life.

I was actually tagged a while ago but found this “assignment” (for lack of a better term) a bit daunting when added on top of work and school. 

The question: What are 7 qualities we don’t know about you that help you be a leader?

Oh the pressure!  I’m not good at tooting my own horn so to speak and I’m not sure if these qualities are the measure of a leader.  Anyway, in no particular order here it goes.  Thanks MissProfe!

1.  I’m observant.

2.  I’m a good communicator.

3.  I have an uncompromising sense of integrity.

4.  I’m dedicated.

5.  I usually excercise good judgement.

6.  I’m detailed and thorough.

7.  I’m genuine.  Truly, what you see is what you get. I’m not into false pretenses. I’m not too proud to admit a mistake and not too big to apologize.

I tag Ann, Thordora, Pissed Off and California Teacher Guy to participate if they’d like.

Colleagues, Colleagues, Colleagues!

I labeled the category “Colleagues (That I Like)” for one simple reason.  Not all colleagues were created equal.  Like you, there are several co-workers who I really don’t like, but who I’m forced to tolerate throughout the day.

For example, there is the uppity teacher, who used to be a doctor’s wife, who once owned a home in an expensive part of L.A. and lost it all, but still seems to think that she’s above everyone else.  This queen-bee-wanna be-has-been, who drives around in a late model luxury car, talks down to others, orders people around, finds fault in all of her T.A.’s (the woman can’t keep one), she’s always in the DoE’s face (or office) and believes that just because she comes up with what she thinks is a good idea, then that must mean everyone else is going to want to do it too.  She acts as if she has forgotten that she is among the rest of us working class folk and no longer wealthy.

Then there is the loud mouthed, assistant who yells at other staff members, yells over the intercom and feels that because she is the main boss’ right hand gal, that gives her full freedom to do and say as she wishes.  This includes browsing through employee files for fun and blabbing details that should be confidential.  Whenever she says, “Don’t say anything but . . .” or “You can’t tell anybody . . .” I know that half, if not all of the school knows or will know thanks to her.  The woman couldn’t hold water to save her life.  This same woman believes that being loud, gossipy and ignorant means that she’s a bold, strong, tell-it-like-it-is, take no mess kind of woman.  She epitomizes the old saying, “A dog that will bring a bone will carry one.”

And there are others that I could describe…..but I won’t.  At least not now.  However, hats off to both my actual and virtual colleagues (visit their sites listed to the right) who are genuine, professional, unmalicious, aren’t pompous or narcissistic and are simply nice people to know and work with.

Do you currently or have you had any crazy or horrific co-workers?  Please share your descriptions of these people……..anonymously of course!