The crime: noticing the emperor has no clothes

Natalie Munroe's name was bounced around a year ago after she made some critical remarks about some of her students.  The public got hold of her blog and she was placed on leave.  She eventually returned to the classroom but was not rehired by the local board as of the last few weeks.  Sadly, there is an entire site devoted to students with an axe to grind against their teachers, but this woman is pilloried for stating what most of us already know:  we got some major problems in our youth.  We have issues that would make James Dean seem respectful.  I guess being a teacher means one should have low standards for behavior.  Otherwise, you end up like Natalie Munroe when you call attention to the obvious.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/pennsylvania-teacher-natalie-munroe-bashed-students-loathsome-blog-fired-article-1.1103086

What do you think?

http://www.wdrb.com/story/18728115/teacher-accused-of-sexual-abuse-takes-the-stand-in-his-own-defense


Donald Switzer took the stand in his own defense.  He is accused of groping a student who was held after Spanish class to finish an assignment.

I had a student get back at me for keeping her after class. It was ok for her to disrupt class and not do her work.  My sin was keeping her for 5 minutes during lunch to get her started.  The following day she said she'd had a panic attack that I ignored. Things are really starting to look like a witch hunt when a man gives a nudge on the chest to some laggard and ends up in court fighting for his name and freedom.

"How can you know what pride is if you have no sense of shame?"

I said this to one of my classes after I'd had enough excuses for bad behavior.  Whether it was lying, sneaky, evasive attempts to avoid responsibility, an air of entitlement, irresponsible behavior. 

There is no way around it.  You can't know darkness unless you know the light and visa versa. 

A mother is complaining that a teacher's giving her daughter "the catastrophe award"  is bullying.  The award is given to students with the most excuses for not doing their homework.  Maybe attempting to ween her daughter or toilet train her can be considered bullying too.  Certainly, that caused some trauma to the child as she had to make a change.  That is what growing up and being responsible entail.  My question is always "What would you prefer, an uneducated adult who knows no shame?"  Aren't we already doing a great job of producing enough of that right now?

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/05/30/catastrophe-award-given-to-8-year-old-student/


I believe the award is not meant to be taken so literally.  "Yes but the child is only a child and will take it that way." But you can't have it both ways.  This kid uses the fact that they are a child to get a free pass regarding, not just irresponsible behavior, but also lying.  Huh?  Sure.  All those excuses are basically lies and adults know it and just accept it because "she's just a child."

The cloud of suspicion on male teachers

“I thought it would only be in emergency situations,” Bush said. “It is alarming that you send your kid with your schools, you think they are safe and protected, and these types of goings on are happening. It is very disturbing.”

Genoa Middle School mother, Kim Bush.


What was disturbing?  That a teacher had texted a female student on a field trip asking for pictures?

What?  Why is this disturbing?  The teacher is asking her for pictures to share with the class when she returns.

It seems it was unusual in that it was a list to be used in case of emergency.  A concerned parent could have taken it to the school and waited for the facts to come out.  But this went right to the press, probably ending his career. For a teacher to be suspected of  sexual improprieties when it is far more likely he was trying to raise morale by asking a student to share their experience, exposes the nasty sentiment some parents feel for male teachers.

http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2012/05/22/westerville-teacher-accused-of-texting-female-student-asking-for-picture.html#comment

ABC news reports:

...overzealous suspicions of sexual abuse are one of the top three reasons why the teaching profession doesn't draw more men. 

Here is the full report.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=5670187&page=1#.T8PJmFKwXm0

Teacher asks kid if he ate his homework...it may end his career

Not that I condone this.  But it seems a bit frivolous to end a career.  The teacher says he has asperger's syndrome and doesn't read people well.  Sadly enough, when a quarter of your students are overweight, it is easy to get caught picking on them even if you don't mean to do so. 
 http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/2011/03/30/20110330connecticut-teacher-insults-overweight-student.html

I had a chubby little boy that snagged a candy bar meant for someone else during a question and answer game I played right before Halloween.  He ate it immediately and when he got a question correct and asked for a candy bar, I said "it looks like you've had enough already," since he had grabbed the other one beforehand.  One of my students immediately streamed to the office claiming I had called him "fat."  I was expected to meet with the principal with my union rep in tow.  The principal then said that no student had come forward claiming I called him "fat" so the issue was moot. This same student went on to accuse me of trying to film her chest the following year and helped end my career. The same year, I was playing basketball with a student during lunch and a couple of kids sat on the sidelines laughing if I missed a shot, etc.  I glanced over and saw pizza in their hands and said "why don't you go get another slice of pizza."  The kid is chubby, but I'd have said it to a skinny kid too.  I thought they were being brazenly rude to a teacher who was minding his own business.  The kid hated me from then on even after I tried to explain.  Maybe you can pick him out from the ones that tweeted that they had me fired. 

http://teacherhunt.blogspot.com/2012/05/students-twitter-about-getting-teacher.html

Who runs the asylum?  That's right.

Teacher on the spot for knocking on sleeping teen's head

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/05/18/teacher-accused-of-slapping-student-upside-the-head-gets-support/

Mommy held a protest to curb everyone's favorite catch word: Bullying

For today..a collar and a collar

The real punishment and pain in many classrooms is having to sit there for 50 minutes at a time quietly paying attention to a lecture on something you have no interest in.  Why is it a teacher can bore the living daylights out of students for that amount of time and that is called "normal operation," while the second any physical contact is made becomes the beginning of a lawsuit or police action?  No offense to the teachers trying to do their jobs.  We did not demand that students be there.  The state did.  But the teachers get saddled with most of the responsibility when they end up in such a pressure cooker.

Ben David Cowan, a science teacher at Rio Hondo High School, was locked out of his room by a student. Upon gaining entrance, he allegedly put his hands on the students neck.  The real question should be whether he squeezed or this was a way of joking and blowing off steam.  He was served at his house by law enforcement.

http://www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=751940#.T6wbnVKriCU


Then there is the story of the other students who were collared.  A teacher in Florida used an animal collar as the "cone of shame."  I suspect it was done  for some tongue in cheek humor. Does anyone truly believe "The flogging will continue until morale improves," is meant to be taken literally? Generally speaking, many kids like that kind of humor.  They watch horror movies because they get bored with the enclosing safety of 4 walls around them and 25 safety nets under them. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/10/laurie-bailey-cutkomp-teacher-uses-dog-collar-to-punish-students_n_1506376.html

Students twitter about getting teacher fired. GO TEAM!

 
How did they do it?   The easiest way was to accuse the teacher of looking at them in a sexual way.  Rather than go to the teacher, the parents would call in and complain.  This bypassed the normal route.  Naturally, there was no way to prove things one way or another, leaving the teacher with a stain a doubt on their reputation and helping create a little feeding frenzy.  But there were also accusations of using physical force, yelling at them....making them feel BAD about themselves.  

Some of these students are presently going after their principal, due to everything but academics.  Let's see....the football team ,  the colors of the school uniform, and the flubbed jr. prom.  See the http://dixonpatch.com for more.  

http://dixon.patch.com/topics/Promgate


Consider looking up the post on lack of empathy in the current generation.


27 Mar Jenna Bassler ‏ @jennabassler13_
#MiddleSchoolMemories getting m--------- fired

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Chaz says you get flagged for simply being accused

Why do this? You put the entire careers of educators in the hands of a few vindictive kids or opportunistic administrators.  So much for the bill of rights which supposedly covers you at work as well as outside of it.

http://chaz11.blogspot.com/2012/05/doe-attaches-discipline-flag-on-files.html

This just cinches up the power that the fat cats have over the peonage.  They will claim "you can never be too careful."  Fine, then why aren't you and everyone in the house wearing a helmet to sleep every night, just in case the house caves in? You wouldn't want to risk anything would you?

Student goes to police after teacher tickles her

The teacher was finally cleared after an investigation.

http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/11011027/

Teacher tells student her gym clothes "too sexy for gym class." Now he's on leave.

I know there are pedophiles out there, but did it occur to these people pointing fingers, that the teacher was saying that her outfit was not appropriate for gym class, rather than trying to pick her up?  This is the insult to injury stuff perpetuated by the lowest common denominator that get my ire. 

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/nj-teacher-accused-of-%22sexy%22-remark-to-student

Look at the bruise! Take her away!

St. Paul Teacher Accused Of Grabbing, Bruising 6-Year-Old « CBS Minnesota

You could get a bruise like this just getting onto a crowded bus.  Why is this a story?

Teacher who commented on cleavage resigns

OMG!!!! I was like, you knowww, wearing my clothes and trying to blend in.  Then she made me feel stupid.  How embarrazzing.  See it on fb later. My mom says she won't be around to bother other girls like this.


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/florida-teacher-resigns-commenting-student-cleavage-article-1.1052653

teacher will fight child abuse accusation after dry ice burn

http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/g-e-t-coach-teacher-will-fight-child-abuse-charges/article_bc4b6344-756b-11e1-9080-001871e3ce6c.html

Sure ...some kid comes home with a quarter sized skin irritation and someone loses their livelihood.  Why not?

Teacher reads a passage from "Ender's Game" now on leave

A parent called the book "pornographic."

http://io9.com/5893478/teachers-job-in-jeopardy-for-reading-to-kids-from-enders-game

Police were called....nation on red alert.

Peeing in bucket could cost district $25 K

Actually, it might be more.  Art teacher Gonja Wolf told a student she could pee in a bucket if she had to go that bad.  I suspect she was tired of the "endless stream" of requests, and used some sarcasm, not expecting it to be taken seriously.  Now the student's parents want a $25 K settlement with the district. 

People who haven't taught don't necessarily understand how disruptive and detrimental little things like bathroom breaks can be.  Remember the teacher that took away points when kids said "bless you?"  He had many adults riled up over the small courtesy of saying "bless you."  But in a classroom context it becomes a game which I witnessed myself.  You might get 5 sneezes and "bless you's" in a minute's time.  The same goes for bathroom breaks.  They become an excuse to get out of class, and disrupt whatever momentum the teacher has.  I often had 8 requests for the bathroom in a period.  I probably had about that many academic questions in a year.  I must have been a "bad" teacher like Ms. Wolf.  Note the anger in the commentary on huffington post.  There's a real wave of bitterness in the population towards teachers, in general.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/14/gonja-wolf-teacher-student-urinate-in-bucket-california_n_1343737.html

The flogging will continue until morale improves

Coach Jason Mair, is on investigative leave.  He used a foam sword called the "motivator" to tap students here and there.  The accusation of abuse unraveled when one of his students was found in the locker room crying.

http://www.9news.com/comments/255961/188/Parents-students-show-up-to-support-coach-accused-of-assault

Teacher terrorizes class

David Mason, a teacher at Freeport Middle School is on investigative leave after allegedly making a threat. Can't wait to hear what this "threat" was. 

"If you don't get an education, you will have trouble getting a decent job."

http://www.wmtw.com/mostpopular/30551979/detail.html#comment

I recall saying something like that and having it turned into.."you told Carlos he will never get a good job."  I had to meet with the concerned mother at the school.

Teacher puts student in CAGE! Now waitressing

Is it possible to look at things like this in context?  It was a  dramatic joke.  Why do teachers resort to humor like this?  They spend a great deal of time attempting to control that segment of the class that reverts to shenanigans out of boredom.  You know: the kids that don't want to be there.  It is easy to sit there with a straight and somber face and question what thinking leads to this.  Ironically, it is the anal retentive,linear thinking, humorless teacher who never takes a risk that ends up keeping their job and makes school a hell for the ones that can't sit still.

http://www.koat.com/r/30549914/detail.html

Teacher accused of slapping back of boys head during lockdown

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/article1216221.ece

I can see out gunned soldiers in a foxhole with the opposing army advancing and one of the guys can't shut up...someone gives him a pop on the head and ends up being court martialed.  If there is any time you are not to play around, it is when a school is in lockdown.  The kid could end up getting his classmates killed as well.