This video is intense, and I don’t even know where to begin to describe my feelings about it. Obviously, it is so disheartening to see a teacher behaving like this. He allows the student to personally enrage him and engages in a childish and almost pointless argument in front of the class. This behaviour alone is enough to question the teacher’s right to teach. If I ever saw a colleague behave like this, I might just lose it myself. I feel like our primary goal as educators is to help our students, whether it is through teaching in class, assisting in their personal growth, or protecting them from those who would attack them. This is our mandate, regardless of how annoying, disruptive, or disrespectful that student may be. This teacher is doing the exact opposite; he is attacking his student.
Clearly there are some serious problems with the teacher’s behaviour in this video clip and nothing could ever excuse them. However, I do feel that there are two sides to this story and only one side is being told. Even though it would not excuse the behaviour of the teacher at all, the student is most likely not as innocent as he is being portrayed. Firstly, this is a special education school, which would include students who have behaviour issues as well as learning issues. This may be a very intense and challenging environment, with issues that most of us may never have to address. I read the extensive comments under this clip, and even though they obviously can’t be taken as fact or in any way reliable, there was mention of gang related activity and consistent behaviour issues with this student. This puts a slightly different spin on things. When the teacher mentions the student “chopping” him, he is referencing an automatic weapon or a “chop.” Gang violence may be a reality for this school and this specific student. The student also says “when I get out of this school, you ain’t going to be calling me special no more.” This could be the student’s way of saying that he will succeed after high school and will prove his teacher wrong, or that when he leaves school that day he will make his teacher sorry for provoking him.
The most disturbing part of this news clip was the responses from people via their facebook accounts. A few individuals offered very mature and insightful critiques of the teacher, the student, and the system. However, the majority simply showed themselves as irate, ignorant, and abrasive. Several posts were from students, who ineloquently and with much profanity defended their teacher and explained the extremely volatile behaviour of their classmate. It was clear that these were high risk students, and in the midst of their threats and inappropriate comments to others, I was amazed to see that they connected with their teacher and their school. Other people viscously attacked the teacher, with one comment saying that the author hopes the teacher “loses his job, I hope he loses his house and I hope his kids start [starve] to death.” This post and others like it turned my stomach. The people who were critiquing the actions of this teacher were behaving just like him, except outside of the classroom. I still don’t exactly know how to feel about all of this because it just seems like an incredibly bad situation from all sides. However, it is an excellent reminder that whatever happens in a classroom is necessarily held to a much higher standard than what is expected from the rest of society, regardless of the whatever provocation we as teachers might receive.
Now, I’m going to go eat chocolate and think about happier things.
I think Jackie makes a very good point with her comment that "there are two sides to the story and only one is being shown". I am very very leary of believing things caught on iPhones and then reported as the entire incident. We have not way of knowing what was happening before the video or recording device was turned on. Though I also do not agree with this teacher's behaviour, it makes me question in a school environment that is as volatile as this one is, what support is being provided to teachers in order for them to address their negative feelings and difficult situations with the students. I think most people go into teaching out of a genuine desire to help students, and if it has come to a situation such as this, it makes me question where things went wrong for this teacher.
If you are referencing my previous post, please read the references I left at the bottom.... because I'm not sure how "technology in the classroom" in this case supported any constructive learning or anything that constructive at all??? In fact I'm not quite sure what your point is here....
Does this use of "technology" help us any further along in teaching and learning...please explain this to me...??
This video doesn't seem to advance the debate of technology and education in any meaningful way....unless you advocating for every student to have a smart phone so they can monitor the practices of teachers ....is that what you are saying?
Blair, my post was just about bullyin. Didn't mean to have it refer back to yours though I know that's exactly how it looks.
And I was not trying to say that every kid should have a smart phone, but at the same time, while there is two sides to every story, teachers are being held at the same level as judges. We are the examples by which people are following, so what example is he setting?
Agreed poor example set there....I was just trying to stir the pot a bit anyway....my ego got in there a bit thinking someone actually might have read my post LOL! - peace - B
Wow... I am actually speechless right now. The way Jackie felt basically sums up how I feel. Yes, there are two sides to the story but a teacher should NOT behave the way this one did in any circumstance.
I guess we can learn something valuable from this- we, teachers, are humans too. Everyone has their ups and downs but we should NOT bring them into the classroom as this teacher did (marital problems, I believe?) or let those problems affect us while working. It is important to leave all our worries/problems at the door and give our full attention to our students. After all, that is our goal, right?
Hey Nichelle,
ReplyDeleteThis video is intense, and I don’t even know where to begin to describe my feelings about it. Obviously, it is so disheartening to see a teacher behaving like this. He allows the student to personally enrage him and engages in a childish and almost pointless argument in front of the class. This behaviour alone is enough to question the teacher’s right to teach. If I ever saw a colleague behave like this, I might just lose it myself. I feel like our primary goal as educators is to help our students, whether it is through teaching in class, assisting in their personal growth, or protecting them from those who would attack them. This is our mandate, regardless of how annoying, disruptive, or disrespectful that student may be. This teacher is doing the exact opposite; he is attacking his student.
Clearly there are some serious problems with the teacher’s behaviour in this video clip and nothing could ever excuse them. However, I do feel that there are two sides to this story and only one side is being told. Even though it would not excuse the behaviour of the teacher at all, the student is most likely not as innocent as he is being portrayed. Firstly, this is a special education school, which would include students who have behaviour issues as well as learning issues. This may be a very intense and challenging environment, with issues that most of us may never have to address. I read the extensive comments under this clip, and even though they obviously can’t be taken as fact or in any way reliable, there was mention of gang related activity and consistent behaviour issues with this student. This puts a slightly different spin on things. When the teacher mentions the student “chopping” him, he is referencing an automatic weapon or a “chop.” Gang violence may be a reality for this school and this specific student. The student also says “when I get out of this school, you ain’t going to be calling me special no more.” This could be the student’s way of saying that he will succeed after high school and will prove his teacher wrong, or that when he leaves school that day he will make his teacher sorry for provoking him.
The most disturbing part of this news clip was the responses from people via their facebook accounts. A few individuals offered very mature and insightful critiques of the teacher, the student, and the system. However, the majority simply showed themselves as irate, ignorant, and abrasive. Several posts were from students, who ineloquently and with much profanity defended their teacher and explained the extremely volatile behaviour of their classmate. It was clear that these were high risk students, and in the midst of their threats and inappropriate comments to others, I was amazed to see that they connected with their teacher and their school. Other people viscously attacked the teacher, with one comment saying that the author hopes the teacher “loses his job, I hope he loses his house and I hope his kids start [starve] to death.” This post and others like it turned my stomach. The people who were critiquing the actions of this teacher were behaving just like him, except outside of the classroom. I still don’t exactly know how to feel about all of this because it just seems like an incredibly bad situation from all sides. However, it is an excellent reminder that whatever happens in a classroom is necessarily held to a much higher standard than what is expected from the rest of society, regardless of the whatever provocation we as teachers might receive.
Now, I’m going to go eat chocolate and think about happier things.
I think Jackie makes a very good point with her comment that "there are two sides to the story and only one is being shown". I am very very leary of believing things caught on iPhones and then reported as the entire incident. We have not way of knowing what was happening before the video or recording device was turned on. Though I also do not agree with this teacher's behaviour, it makes me question in a school environment that is as volatile as this one is, what support is being provided to teachers in order for them to address their negative feelings and difficult situations with the students. I think most people go into teaching out of a genuine desire to help students, and if it has come to a situation such as this, it makes me question where things went wrong for this teacher.
ReplyDeleteIf you are referencing my previous post, please read the references I left at the bottom.... because I'm not sure how "technology in the classroom" in this case supported any constructive learning or anything that constructive at all??? In fact I'm not quite sure what your point is here....
ReplyDeleteDoes this use of "technology" help us any further along in teaching and learning...please explain this to me...??
This video doesn't seem to advance the debate of technology and education in any meaningful way....unless you advocating for every student to have a smart phone so they can monitor the practices of teachers ....is that what you are saying?
Or is your post about bullying?
Blair, my post was just about bullyin. Didn't mean to have it refer back to yours though I know that's exactly how it looks.
ReplyDeleteAnd I was not trying to say that every kid should have a smart phone, but at the same time, while there is two sides to every story, teachers are being held at the same level as judges. We are the examples by which people are following, so what example is he setting?
Agreed poor example set there....I was just trying to stir the pot a bit anyway....my ego got in there a bit thinking someone actually might have read my post LOL! - peace - B
ReplyDeleteWow... I am actually speechless right now. The way Jackie felt basically sums up how I feel. Yes, there are two sides to the story but a teacher should NOT behave the way this one did in any circumstance.
ReplyDeleteI guess we can learn something valuable from this- we, teachers, are humans too. Everyone has their ups and downs but we should NOT bring them into the classroom as this teacher did (marital problems, I believe?) or let those problems affect us while working. It is important to leave all our worries/problems at the door and give our full attention to our students. After all, that is our goal, right?