A teacher's rant....

[Cinder & Smoke]

I could never be a teacher -
wouldn't last a week without throttling one of the little darlings!

Oh, SO True, so true!!

Years ago in Endwell, New York - my Assistant Fire Chief was a part-time school bus driver.
He "worked" 3rd shift at IBM; I worked second shift; and we played firefighters in the daylight.
He recruited me to drive bus with him ... "Just take a trial ride with me."

"OK, Lou, I'll do a ride-along ... but I HATE getting up in the mornings!"

My Bus Drivin/Ridin career lasted ONE Day!
We started out with a 2-Kid *Biff* *bam* *Sock-em-Up* FIGHT on the morning run!
Louie jammed on the brakes, jumped up, and rattled the windows with a "KNOCK-IT-OFF";
which returned semi-order to the mob in the back. "We" had a chat with the HS Principal.
No Bus for the two combatants for the rest of the week was thought "fair" ... Louie was pleased.

Guess Who was back on the bus that afternoon?

I told Chief Louie I thought my sanity and sleep were a LOT more important
than a little extra money to chauffeur a few junior mobsters around town.

/s/ Phred

[lizbud]

There was a huge deal made about a cheating scandal involving 2nd yr
dental students here not to long ago. It involved older students who should
have known better, but it still happened. So it's not just grade school or high
school age students who make mistakes like this.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...AL18/705080400

[mugsy]

What should have happened to the little darlins that did this is they should have been expelled and started their high school careers at our alternative school...but, alas, they take an "F" on the test and a day off of school. The girl who did it is also a cheerleader...nice role model eh? You should have seen the face of the one girl, that I know of, who still had the test when I announced that the test was a different test! lol It was priceless. I enjoyed that immensely! Yep, I am a vindictive one. Unfortunately, the girls that took zeros only dropped about 4% points to fall from an "A+" to and "A". I cannot tell you how disappointed I am in these kids. I have lost an awful lot of faith in them. I definitely won't trust anymore.

[Catty1]

My mom was a teacher for decades....

I heard (not from her) that there were two good things about being a teacher - July and August!

[JazzySteph]

I graduated high school about 3 years ago now, and I know a lot of "good" kids did similar things. I wonder if it may have something to do with looking "cool" or being "accepted". There is a lot of peer pressure around so maybe some of their friends were testing their other friend to see if they had "guts".

Also I wonder if it could have something do with the pressure of schools these days. I know when I was in high school it was pretty much life or death to be a A+ student, be really high in class rank, and get into only the best colleges. Even though they may have a good grade standing sometimes the pressure of their lives in general drive them to make poor decisions.

By all means I don't think any of those are good excuses or anything or they should be let off the hook. Just my observations!

[Blue_Frog]

I cannot tell you how disappointed I am in these kids. I have lost an awful lot of faith in them. I definitely won't trust anymore.

I can see how frustrating this would be for you as a teacher - but try not to lose all faith in these kids -- from your first post --

Two girls stayed after class and told me one of my best girls had stolen copies of my final and was handing it out to other kids.

It must have taken some courage on the part of these girls to tell you what had happened in the first place -- think of the situation that this will put them in with the rest of the class if they find out about it. They went out on a limb to do the right thing and should be commended (at least here) about it.

[Whisk_Luva]

At my school my friends and I are labelled the 'boffs'... (we never care, at least we work hard and will probably get a decent job etc) we also have people trying to sit next to us, most of us arent smart, we just work hard, I hate tests but would never dream on doing anything like what those children did! I just revise and revise and revise, other people in my school would deffo cheat. The annoying thing is most teachers dont realise they cheat and you have to tell the teacher..........

What gets into some kids heads?

[mugsy]

I will personally organize a mass demonstration, to peacefully demonstrate, in front of your school if this poor, misunderstood "yout" of today is punished in any fashion.

Shame on you!

Joh, Mike is laughing hysterically at you and said he would be right there for you. He agrees that the youth today is so misunderstood.

As a side note...on the whole, I like my kids...however, there are very, very few that I can say I truly trust.

[Edwina's Secretary]

There was a letter to the editor in the OC newspaper. A high school student lamenting all the hard work required to get good grades. Complaining that it is not enough to be smart...you have to work really hard too! It's not fair!

Maybe it comes from living here in OC...where many high school kids drive BMWs to school. And then there is the column in the newspaper for parents who have questions about schools and their kids. ("My child was suspended for swearing at a teacher and hitting another child. I know my child. He would never do that. The school is picking on him, etc, etc, etc.")

I am the one who made the "mommy bailing out" comment in another post. That post was ABOUT a mommy going to school to bail out her son...who proceeded to verbally abuse the administrator in front of her.

"Broad generalization" is not necessarily a bad thing. For example..."police officers are the good guys. If you are in an emergency, they will help you." Broad generalization? Yes. Are there bad cops? Yes. Sometime you might encounter a bad cop who won't help you? Yes.

The very statement "broad generalizations seems to me to mean "many in this group are this....but not all."

And I know many teachers (and ex-teachers) who would agree with the broad generalizations expressed here.

So I am offended by those who are offended by broad generalizations.

So there.....

[Lady's Human]

Frankly, Sara, I'm offended that you are offended.

[caseysmom]

Frankly, Sara, I'm offended that you are offended.

I find it offensive that you are both in agreement to be offended

[Sevaede]

I find it offensive that you are both in agreement to be offended

Oh yeah?! Well, I'm offended that anyone is offended over anything deemed offensive.

That kind of shocks me and then it doesn't.

My dad would have strung me up by my toes had I done anything of the sort. Thankfully, I was one of the quiet kids who did their work and enjoyed school.

[Edwina's Secretary]

So much offended and offensiveness....and here we are trying to claim maturity!

[Barbara]

My dad would have strung me up by my toes had I done anything of the sort. Thankfully, I was one of the quiet kids who did their work and enjoyed school.

My dad too.
Thankfully I never was one of the quiet kids who did their work and enjoyed school.

Sorry that is totally off topic.

[ratdogg]

I find it offensive that you are both in agreement to be offended

hahha, thats funny. I always post in the dog house with attitude and opinions but I do it in good fun. I'm usually not serious when I bash adults or teens or teachers (still traumatized from my own HS experiences). I really thought people were just being facicious (spelling?) at first. Then I was suprised when people started actually being offended