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DEL.ICIO.USIt’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.
Comments
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By Sly
April 12, 2005 12:03 PM | Link to this
This guy seems to be on the right track. I’ll bet he’s a father figure to most of these kids too. A little discipline never hurt anybody. Sounds like a good guy despite his obvious handicap (Yankee fan)
By Robert
April 12, 2005 12:05 PM | Link to this
It is great for him and his students. However, one MUST have a strong administration for this to work. If he gives a bad student a “ticket” to the office and nothing happens, then why would the kids fear a “ticket?” The problem with a lot of schools and school systems is that there is no backbone in the administration. If the weakness is from the top down (from the school system down to the school administration) I do not know.
But, I do know that kids/students and parents must be given boundaries and rules and there must be unilateral enforcement of each and every one of these or the system breaks down. So many administrators are afraid of law suits, afraid of the bad press (how their school might look to the community), afraid of parents, and on and on, that they submit and just give in. They say for example, “Fine, Sue may have cheated on the test, but we will give her another chance.”
And, parents MUST be supportive of the administration as well. It is crazy that parents have the balls to go to the administration and argue to give Sue another chance even though she was caught red handed cheating on a test. What lesson is that for Sue?
Once the first leak is allowed to spring from the damn, it will burst….. it is only a matter of time.
By CD
April 12, 2005 12:49 PM | Link to this
Let me see if I understand…
He maintains a higher level of control/discipline because he lays out the rules on day one?
Hmmmmm… interesting.
Sounds like a tip 75% of today’s parents could use.
By David
April 12, 2005 01:45 PM | Link to this
My current superintendent here in the east metro county i teach in said something as he spoke to his first convocation of teachers roughly 12 years ago…he said “there is no substitute for a strong administrator”..he received a standing ovation..Robert you are right…you know we as teachers all try to set the tone on day one…it is then so disheartening when a kid misbehaves to the point he/she has to go to the office…and then is sent back to the class….the only way to deal with these kids and THE PARENTS is to get rid of the major problem kids every time they misbehave…i teach in a school (middle school) of over 1100 kids…i would venture to say that there are probably 40 kids each year that really bring others down with them…if we could deal with those children…you know..weed them out…get them out of the school…things would pretty much fall into place…those 30-40 students have approx. 40% (and that is a low figure) of the rest of the student body “worshipping” them…we have about 10 right now that are known dealers/thugs…the administration knows it….and such a large number of students, intelligent students with so much potential, just think these kids are the gods of the school
By yesiamworried
April 12, 2005 02:44 PM | Link to this
I think that a strong administrator is totally necessary to support such a teacher. Years ago there was an elementary school principal in our community who wouldn’t allow her teachers to write up discipline referrals because she didn’t want her supervisors to know how out of control her building was.
Yuck!
By David
April 12, 2005 03:13 PM | Link to this
i think the same is going on here….i think many of the referrals are “lost”….that is the rumor anyway…
By James McCoy
April 12, 2005 04:54 PM | Link to this
Problem with most urban schools today is not having that male figure in the classroom,I would suggest we hire more male teachers and pay them a salary to live on. It’s also true there are a lot of schools that lack leadership,some may not like this thought but there are just to many women who are in charge of our schools.
By James McCoy
April 12, 2005 04:57 PM | Link to this
I forgot to add make sure the male teachers are real men,that will speak softly but carry a big stick,so the children will know that only learning is allowed.
By CD
April 13, 2005 09:15 AM | Link to this
“Real Men”???? Meaning no transgendered men???
Jokes aside, I understand what you’re saying, James. Sadly, it does not make a difference. I have a few friends who are male teachers in urban schools. They experience the same problems. Considering they are of the same ethinicity as the students they teach, the problem cannot be dismissed as disassociation between races. The kids are just that bad. We need to fix the PARENTS.
By Monique
April 13, 2005 10:40 AM | Link to this
Good for “the friend”. I am a teacher who loves my chosen occupation. I believe that students respect teachers who set the rules of the classroom the first day of school and stick by those rules ALL year for ALL students. Students start to loose respect for teachers that change rules and procedures to better serve “favorites” or the “smarites”.
The same for parents, (which I am) if they set rules and stick to the rules no matter the circumstances, then their children (students) wouldn’t respond to a teacher’s rules negatively.
Futhermore, the administration’s respect for the intelligence of their employees is a great factor as well. I hardly ever send kids to the office, however when I have to do that, it is important for the admin to know that every step has been taken to resolve issue. Admin has to repect that and deal with the trouble makers. I wonder why one teacher can have no problems with a student and another teacher will have major problems?? We have to remember that everyone deserves the respect they want to receive
By Susan
April 13, 2005 12:02 PM | Link to this
C.D.
Good answer. I think consistency is a big issue here. We had a math teacher earlier this year that let their classes get completely out of control because they felt that they would build a better relationship with the students if they allowed them to act and say what they wished - within limits - whatever those were - I guess sort of like the cool parent syndrome currently popular. I explained to the teacher that this went totally against the way we are raising our son - that he has limits and needs to always show respect and what was happening in his class defeated our work as parents. Needless to say, ALL of the kids have gotten out of control and this has spilled over onto other classes and is causing really bad problems for EVERYONE. Kids are getting disciplined, but in all honesty, if you allow the kids to act up, no matter how well the kids are raised, they are going to go with the flow. The big problem here is for parents who do raise their children to have respect, is that we have to do triple duty to make up for the outside influences.