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Tuesday, April 12, 2005
It’s His Way or the Highway
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An old friend came to visit us this weekend from South Carolina, where he is a seventh-grade social studies teacher in a school serving mostly kids from poor families.
Sure, there’s stress. He worries about his bright students, that they get bored. He worries about his kids who can barely read. How can they do the work he assigns, which requires a lot of writing? He wishes parents would return his phone calls. He is looking ahead to a summer spent reworking his lesson plans to match a revised curriculum. Textbooks would be nice, preferably enough so every child could have one.
I asked him about discipline. Doesn’t he fear for his safety? Aren’t things out of control? Is he on the highest dose of anti-depressants?
Nah… Controlling his class isn’t a problem, he said. See, he took care of that on Day One. Told the kids he was in charge and in his classroom, “It’s my way or the highway.” He posted a list of the things he won’t tolerate, most of all kids disrupting others who are trying to learn. He spelled out the consequences, which include a ticket to the principal’s office. He enforced his rules from the get-go and has never backed down, even when a parent accused him of framing her innocent son. (He reminded her that he works 12 hours a day and has more than 130 students. For such a crime, he lacks motive and opportunity.)
I know it helps that he’s a man, a tall, imposing one at that. But I think there are lessons in his story as the Clayton school district looks to restore order. Click here for the story. Hand-held metal detectors and drug sniffing dogs have their place. But can they compensate for teachers who don’t have the confidence or support from the administration to rule the roost that is their classroom?
Another funny thing, my friend doesn’t complain about the myriad of problems squeezing his profession. He loves his work. He also loves the New York Yankees and is confident they’ll win the World Series this year.
