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NO ONE with any confidence in their authority would even NEED to make a big confrontation with a little girl about the girl touching her own hair. I would suggest to you that if the simple sound of beads touching one another (and you don't know that is what it was because the article doesn't even mention beads) is so distracting to students that they can't study then it has more to do with ADHD than it does with the little girl's hair. And if your parents would have actually beaten you when you were a little girl because you touched your hair in class then I have sincere pity for you.
So you see no importance to instilling a sense of authority into children?
When I was a kid, if a teacher said "jump" I asked "how high?".
Teachers aren't there to be their friends, or ensure that the students like them, their job is to teach the material. In order to do that, teachers must make students understand that their authority is not to be questioned or challenged.
No wonder many inner city kids come out of school with a complete lack for authority and then enter the military and their entire persona changes.
So you see no importance to instilling a sense of authority into children?
When I was a kid, if a teacher said "jump" I asked "how high?".
Teachers aren't there to be their friends, or ensure that the students like them, their job is to teach the material. In order to do that, teachers must make students understand that their authority is not to be questioned or challenged.
No wonder many inner city kids come out of school with a complete lack for authority and then enter the military and their entire persona changes.
You seem to be lacking a sense of proportion. If you can equate a child absent mindedly touching her own hair with chaos then maybe you need to consider the actual "offense" in proportion to the "punishment."
You also seem to believe that children should be raised to never question authority. That is a very dangerous thing to teach a child. That is how children end up molested and suffering in silence. That is how children are recruited into gangs and obey the gang leaders. That is how children mindlessly accept lies as truth and never question what they have been told. And that is how things like the holocaust happen. That is how suicide bombers happen.
I believe that a teacher should teach children HOW to think, HOW to question, HOW to make wise decisions, HOW to learn, HOW to get along in a world where everyone is not just like them, HOW to be thoughtful people who WILL question and make wise choices. It may take a teacher more time and effort....and yes more paitence...to actually educate rather than to just teach a child to ask how high they should jump. But the results are much better for the child and for the society in which this child will function as an adult.
You seem to be lacking a sense of proportion. If you can equate a child absent mindedly touching her own hair with chaos then maybe you need to consider the actual "offense" in proportion to the "punishment."
You are making the assumption that I concur with the teachers actions, which I don't. I explicitly stated that the teacher was wrong. I did however question the students ability to follow direction from an authoritarian figure.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LML
You also seem to believe that children should be raised to never question authority. That is a very dangerous thing to teach a child. That is how children end up molested and suffering in silence. That is how children are recruited into gangs and obey the gang leaders. That is how children mindlessly accept lies as truth and never question what they have been told. And that is how things like the holocaust happen. That is how suicide bombers happen.
Children should question authority, but that isn't what this child did. This child defied authority. If the child felt that the teacher was out of line with their direction, she should have respected that teachers direction and then taken her complaint, along with her parents, to the principle. Because I don't agree with a 20 mile per hour school speed zone doesn't mean that I get to go 40 and when getting ticketed explain that I am "challenging" authority. Instead, I do 20 and then make a case for an adjustment I feel is warranted.
THAT would be the correct way to "challenge" the direction. You have put it in your mind that the direction handed out by the teacher was ill founded and that the child didn't have to oblige. I am taking the position that you, the student, and the parent are wrong for thinking that since you don't agree with the direction you dont' have to follow it.
My response to the situation doesn't lead to holocosts or child molestation, and does lead to the teacher having control over the classroom and the students. The options to address overstepping that bounds are available, and aren't blantley ignoring the direction of the teacher as you are supporting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LML
I believe that a teacher should teach children HOW to think, HOW to question, HOW to make wise decisions, HOW to learn, HOW to get along in a world where everyone is not just like them, HOW to be thoughtful people who WILL question and make wise choices. It may take a teacher more time and effort....and yes more paitence...to actually educate rather than to just teach a child to ask how high they should jump. But the results are much better for the child and for the society in which this child will function as an adult.
I agree. And in this instance, the choice the student made was wrong. Regardless if the teacher could have expressed more patience or whether or not the teachers actions impacted the teachability of the class, the student should have confirmed with the request and then made a complaint after the fact.
None the less, as I said before, the teachers actions were wrong for cutting off a braid.
I agree. And in this instance, the choice the student made was wrong. Regardless if the teacher could have expressed more patience or whether or not the teachers actions impacted the teachability of the class, the student should have confirmed with the request and then made a complaint after the fact.
None the less, as I said before, the teachers actions were wrong for cutting off a braid.[/quote]
I just wanted to remind you the student was in the first grade.
I'm so glad that someone finally remembered that we are talking about a FIRST GRADER. To read some of these responses you would think that we were talking about a 16 year old gang banger who threatened the teacher's authority and was turning the classroom into a turmoil filled place where no child could possibly learn. People, we are talking about a 6 or 7 year old little girl who TOUCHED HER OWN HAIR. I have a sweet little great grandson in the first grade and if his teacher ever even scolded him he would desolve in tears. The very idea that his teacher would approach him with scissors in hand and begin cutting off his hair would traumatize him....maybe for life. Can you not even imagine the fear, shame, and helplessness that a little 6 year old girl would feel to have an adult.... let alone the teacher who she should be able to trust....do such a thing to her? My gosh. Have we lost all sense of compassion? Are we so determined to show everyone we meet "who's the boss" that we don't even draw the line at bullying a little 6 year old girl in the name of "teaching her a lesson?" Well, she sure WAS taught a lesson. She was taught that she isn't safe anywhere....not even in her classroom. And she was taught that she can't trust anyone not to hurt her...not even her teacher. And she was taught that she is bad, bad, bad and deserves terrible punishment...because she touched her own hair.
If a teacher did this to a child of mine...or a grandchild or great grandchild of mine...she'd be looking for a new job because I would slap a lawsuit against the district that could only be settled by her dismissal. And I say that as a former teacher AND a former member of the board of education. Such cruel disregard for a child's feelings prove her unsuitable for the job of teacher. PERIOD.
Exactly! This person should lose his/her job (but they are protected by unions, I suppose )
Great reason for getting your kids out of public school. We home schooled. And our kids have scored way higher (high 90 percentile) on every standardized test (which in Ohio they have to take annually as homeschoolers, unlike public school kids)
When a teacher says to do something, you do it. The little girl had beads in her hair, thus "playing" with it, could have been making a distracting noise in an enviornment where noise needed to be kept to a minimum.
You are making a judgement call on whether it was justified or not for the teacher to demand that the child not play with her hair.
Actually she didn't make a judgment on that issue at all. She correctly identified the issue as one of inappropriate consequence, specifically assault and battery.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jcarlilesiu
I don't think you have the insight into the situation to make that judgement.
She absolutely does. For starters, she correctly identified the issue - and she spells judgment correctly, to boot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jcarlilesiu
None the less, the student was told to stop doing something. Whether that be tap their feet, tap their pencil on the desk, make funny faces, or play with their hair; the student needs to understand the importance of authority.
no dispute on this. You are absolutely correct. And a teacher is within his/her right to exercise his/her authority in the classroom by appropriate consequence meted out. Assault and battery is not appropriate consequence in any situation and specifically is way over beyond appropriate for this situation. Does the child need a consequence? Yes, but not what was meted out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jcarlilesiu
My point stands that if the teacher took the authority to give the child a direct direction; that direction stands, regardless of whether you or her mother thought it was a justified direction.
This is not in dispute. Whether the child should have stopped touching her hair is not in dispute. What is being disputed is the punishment for not obeying.
You seem to be lacking a sense of proportion. If you can equate a child absent mindedly touching her own hair with chaos then maybe you need to consider the actual "offense" in proportion to the "punishment."
You also seem to believe that children should be raised to never question authority. That is a very dangerous thing to teach a child. That is how children end up molested and suffering in silence. That is how children are recruited into gangs and obey the gang leaders. That is how children mindlessly accept lies as truth and never question what they have been told. And that is how things like the holocaust happen. That is how suicide bombers happen.
I believe that a teacher should teach children HOW to think, HOW to question, HOW to make wise decisions, HOW to learn, HOW to get along in a world where everyone is not just like them, HOW to be thoughtful people who WILL question and make wise choices. It may take a teacher more time and effort....and yes more paitence...to actually educate rather than to just teach a child to ask how high they should jump. But the results are much better for the child and for the society in which this child will function as an adult.
I'm so glad that someone finally remembered that we are talking about a FIRST GRADER. To read some of these responses you would think that we were talking about a 16 year old gang banger who threatened the teacher's authority and was turning the classroom into a turmoil filled place where no child could possibly learn. People, we are talking about a 6 or 7 year old little girl who TOUCHED HER OWN HAIR. I have a sweet little great grandson in the first grade and if his teacher ever even scolded him he would desolve in tears. The very idea that his teacher would approach him with scissors in hand and begin cutting off his hair would traumatize him....maybe for life. Can you not even imagine the fear, shame, and helplessness that a little 6 year old girl would feel to have an adult.... let alone the teacher who she should be able to trust....do such a thing to her? My gosh. Have we lost all sense of compassion? Are we so determined to show everyone we meet "who's the boss" that we don't even draw the line at bullying a little 6 year old girl in the name of "teaching her a lesson?" Well, she sure WAS taught a lesson. She was taught that she isn't safe anywhere....not even in her classroom. And she was taught that she can't trust anyone not to hurt her...not even her teacher. And she was taught that she is bad, bad, bad and deserves terrible punishment...because she touched her own hair.
Well said.
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