Teachers face student misbehavior after suspensions
12 posts in the last 30 days, all from r/Teachers.
“The problem is, high schoolers can often stay home alone, so this wouldn't have the effect you're looking for. Maybe couple it with mandatory in-person parent conferences to return to school?”
“You weren't wrong in what you said, problem is these days- we can't say that stuff. But, I would have just refused to move that student and told them they've been moved 3 times and will have to figure out how to make their current seating work. That said, I had this issue last…”
“If this student isnt suspended forever the system has a problem”
Several teachers express frustration and anger regarding student behavior, specifically mentioning suspensions for seniors and a general lack of accountability. Some commenters show support for disciplinary actions while others criticize the school system.
SOURCES (29)
“Plenty of times. Usually when I remind a student that they're supposed to be working. Or when I have a student change seats so they stop talking. Or any other similar thing. Most of the time the student isn't even black. They're usually from the…”
Honesty is good, but never being punished for bad behavior is not.
“Oh my god. If you're just trying to TALK a student down and they punch your unborn child, you should seek to expel them and press charges. At the same time.”
“"kill yourself" is definitely gonna shock me one day, but for now they're just muttering ab how much of a bitch I am lmao, I don't know your exact reaction in the moment but I think I'd malfunction lmao”
“Attacking the principal with a chair??? It was literally written in every single student handbook I had growing up that ANY physical assault against a teacher was immediate grounds for expulsion and potential criminal charges!! Wtf!!!!???”
“'troubled' kids allowed to be in genpop will always end like this. they do have a right to an education but it needs to be in a secure facility. not among innocents who also have a right to an education and life”
“The problem is, high schoolers can often stay home alone, so this wouldn't have the effect you're looking for. Maybe couple it with mandatory in-person parent conferences to return to school?”
“My answer is that using punishment to get revenge doesn’t solve the harm they caused in the first place. The reality is that people hurt others and sadly there’s no good solution for it. There’s nothing that can turn back time or make things right or how they were before whatever incident happened. That reality sucks and people like to pretend it’s not true cuz it makes them feel better about their lack of control. But it’s still reality. Punishing people doesn’t change that, and it also won’t h”
“Well then we have failed that kid. She thinks it’s a joke and continues doing it cause no one holds her accountable. I have some kids that I truly wonder how life after high school is gonna go for them. That would be a prime example. Life is gonna come at her hard. Can’t act that way in the real world.”
“The sit down shut up method isn’t intended to be a quality teaching method, it’s to get a pack of animals to behave and make the next 45 minutes somewhat doable. When you teach all day, and most of your classes are good, it’s great. Until you have that one class that literally stresses you the night before, the kind that makes you rethink your entire life, or even question what the point of living is. Some classes absolutely need that method, and so do their “parents”.”
“Teen verbally lashes out after cancer diagnosis and teacher presses charges? Sorry, but as an educator who had his parent die of cancer while in my teens, I can honestly say this teacher didn't do anything of value. They didn't move the needle. They didn't teach a lesson about behaviour. They just pressed charges into a void of bigger fucking problems.”
“Never hit or get physical with a child, it's bad for their development, their emotional well being, and there will be repercussions to you. However, you can Be permissive of students hitting or getting physical on the teacher because there are no negative consequences for the adult and no repercussions for the child.”
““Play fighting is still fighting and not for this school. You should join a club if you want to play like that. “”
“I tell em “quit touching on other boys!” The implied homophobic knee jerk reaction usually means they’ll separate THEMSELVES before I even have to.”
“I’ve witnessed a teacher being let go for defiance. She was a 20+ year veteran of the district. She was put on leave, and later terminated. She never returned to school. This was a public school in CA with a very strong Union.”
“Yeah the shittiest corporation I ever worked for, which loved firing people, didn't even fire with this level of impulsivity. I can imagine an idiot principal trying to do this, but that guy would have his job back almost as soon as he walked into the district office. Red state, no union, doesn't matter. This is a fake story contrived for people with a child's understanding of employment law.”
“Large Title 1 school in NY. The much needed break from some monster for a 5 day OSS was beautiful. It let me see what my class was really like. Many times these kids would stop coming back. After awhile we would send attendance officers out to beg them to come back. It seemed the 5 day OSS is some kind of straw that breaks the camel’s back. The few that did return were usually attempting to get with the program. They realized we were not kidding when we gave them the boot. Their parents or guard”
“You weren't wrong in what you said, problem is these days- we can't say that stuff. But, I would have just refused to move that student and told them they've been moved 3 times and will have to figure out how to make their current seating work. That said, I had this issue last year and I took a single desk and brought it back to the back of the room on it own alone and put the student there. The parents complained that they were isolated and I responded, she complains about everyone”
How's the system not spitting out and suspending students like that
“Respectfully disagree. Anecdotal, but I taught with a guy who fell asleep in class multiple times. Didn't get fired- instead got a nice letter of recommendation to another district so he'd go be their problem. In another instance, they weren't doing anything wrong, but one of the tested subjects had fine tuned their slideshows for the entire year and every teacher stuck to that script. Those guys were on autopilot. There are definitely ways to take it easy in teaching. Some office jo”
“So many students are suspended for so many different reasons that I don't even notice. With that said, when the topic arises among students topically upon return, I have a level of respect for a formerly suspended student that is mattet of fact with peers and accepts responsibility for their mistake. While it really isn't the business of anyone else, that student was also missing for a week or two and others become curious. I have respect for a student that honestly addresses the issue b”