Tuesday.
What can be said about Tuesday?
Feels like Monday...times two.
Lovely day at school. One of my "Three T's for Trouble" (all boys with names beginning with T) decided to "pop off". Anger management skills lack. So tantrums prevail. Today was the day that one of my "T's" decided to pop off...not once, but twice. Silly stuff. First time because we didn't sharpen pencils when he wanted to. (We always wait as a class until after the announcements due to late busses.)
The second time he popped off, he did it because he felt he didn't deserve time out for attempting to put a chokehold on someone on the playground. Gee...what DOES he think he deserves for that???
Add to his tantrums that my toe got crushed by his foot as he stomped around. Not intentional. But totally unnecessary.
Fists were slammed against the nearest portable.
I've been a teacher since 1984. Along this timeline, two things concern me. No, let's make that THREE.
1. Kids have become more violent & lack patience.
2. Kids no longer have an attention span. (They can't even listen through a storybook!)
3. Kids no longer have the manners & respect they once had.
Are there exceptions?? Of course! There are a lot of GREAT kids out there. But I sometimes wonder where we're heading. Where have we as parents & as role models fallen through?
The above child I told you about?? He's in Second grade.
Sadly, I've seen it in Kindergarten, too.
We've got to do a better job. Bring back the caring. Be concerned.
Your kids might thank you one day...
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3 comments:
I hope that your week gets better!
Kids surely are not the same when I was growing up. Its sad and scary!
Gretchen
http://journals.aol.com/ksgal3133/LivinginSavannah2
How does your principal support teachers in regards to classroom discipline? I'm assuming you have classroom rules posted, and the rewards for following them and consequeces for not following them. Choke holds on another student would be cause to send a child to the principal's office in my classroom. A second grader may not be that big, but same child in fifth grade can really hurt someone. Many of my students attempt to show disrespect when they first come to me, but I go to my principal for support. She will suspend a student for showing such violence. We have zero tolerance for that kind of behavior. Parents don't like getting phone calls to come get their kids, so if the parent works with us (for instance, doesn't allow tv, video games, etc when the kid has to stay home all day during suspension), the student will not want to be sent home. We also have in-school suspension, where the student stays in the office or in another classroom, with great restrictions. I know some principals expect the teachers to handle everything in classroom management, but sometimes there are those kids who don't care ... and a disciplinary prinicipal who backs up her teachers can really make the difference. Kids need to be taught manners, and respect... and if parents are not doing their part at home to teach and enforce them, it makes our job even more difficult. Everyone loses, not just the acting out child. Bea
We've witnessed the same concerns this side of the pond.
http://journals.aol.co.uk/acoward15/andy-the-bastard
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