writing 100 sentences...?

[peapod1980]

L'il Pea #1 came home today (from high school) saying two kids in his geography class got in trouble for "smacking" gum. The teacher assigned the entire class 100 sentences--"I will not smack gum in class." #1 thinks it's unfair to punish the whole class, Mr. Pod thinks the punishment is just plain stupid. Teacher says any kid who doesn't do it won't be allowed to start on classwork tomorrow until the sentences are completed. Parents of high schoolers, what do you think?

[scooterbug44]

A teacher is discipling their class to keep order.

Since their chosen discipline neither singles out a student nor is harmful or illegal, I say you go teacher!

[TooFarTampa]

That is the easiest high school homework I have ever heard of. Some punishment! Lil pea 1 should be happy for the night off!

[SHELLY]

I think it's brilliant! The next kid that gets caught smacking gum in class will award the class 1,000 punishment sentences and will get pummeled out in the school yard by the rest of the class. It will no longer be a problem after that.




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[Smiling JOe]

I like the idea. I have stayed after class and written many sentences, but I cannot recall any of them being about gum. Group punishment works in an environment like school or the military. It might be the best method for that particular teacher. Be thankful that the teacher is willing to get the attention of the kids and establish some rules and back them up.

[TooFarTampa]

I think it's brilliant! The next kid that gets caught smacking gum in class will get pummeled out in the school yard by the rest of the class. It will no longer be a problem after that.

I agree, it sure sounds like the teacher has had it up to here ...

Too bad it's April. This could have been even more effective in October.

[Bdarg]

Finally, they are teaching handwriting in schools again!!!!

[peapod1980]

I find myself going back and forth on it. On one hand, I feel like--big deal, write the sentences, get over it. On the other hand, I'm just annoyed by it all.

[kathydwells]

Jesse had to write the dreaded "Gum Report" when got caught chewing gum. It is about a 5 page report all about gum and how it came to be etc. He would have been happy with the 100 sentences. I personally don't think the punishment should apply to the whole class though. Just the one's that were chewing the gum. IMHO.

[scooterbug44]

Why are YOU annoyed? You don't have to write sentences.

I'm guessing the whole class got the punishment because it's a recurring problem that is driving the teacher nuts.

[Smiling JOe]

Peapod, maybe all the parents should write a hundred sentences to the kid who was caught smacking gum, informing the kid that he or she needs to shape up and stop getting the other kids into trouble.

[peapod1980]

Jesse had to write the dreaded "Gum Report" when got caught chewing gum. It is about a 5 page report all about gum and how it came to be etc. He would have been happy with the 100 sentences. I personally don't think the punishment should apply to the whole class though. Just the one's that were chewing the gum. IMHO.

Right. That's the part that's tripping me up, I guess. And Mr. Pod asked him if maybe this was a case where it's been a problem all year and the teacher was just finally fed up. #1 said no.
I can definitely see, though, that after this kids might think twice before committing the same offense. Might being the operative word.

[cp]

Well,this opens a can of worms!! As teacher, it always was a complete no-no to punish the whole class. Parents called board members,etc over such !
With that said ,I think this late in the year,just write the lines and be done with it.Teachers and students are plain tired right now and still having to get it full force until after the achievement test in May.

[ShallowsNole]

This is to sway peer pressure against the ones smacking the gum. They think they are funny and being cool (or whatever it is they say today), but when the whole class turns on them, they find they are not the idols they thought they were.

We've had sentence-writing here too. Not in high school, though that's a thought...

[Smiling JOe]

How do you think lil P#1 will write the sentences? the same one word 100 times, before going to the next word, or, the complete sentence, one hundred times?

[scooterbug44]

One of the biggest problems my teachers had when trying to keep order in the classroom was that some parents were constantly undermining their authority and removing even the minimal penalties they could still impose for bad behavior.

I bet this teacher would think they won the lotto if 1) they could teach w/o being interrupted by smacking gum 2) their students actually got in MORE trouble when they got home for causing trouble at school

Seriously, if the teacher is at the point of giving the entire class sentences it means there is a behavior issue, not that a kid was caught chewing gum once.

[Mermaid]

This is to sway peer pressure against the ones smacking the gum. They think they are funny and being cool (or whatever it is they say today), but when the whole class turns on them, they find they are not the idols they thought they were.

We've had sentence-writing here too. Not in high school, though that's a thought...

I was thinking along those lines, too. When the entire class is put out because of the actions of one, the kids will police each other.

This reminds me of detention at Immaculate Heart of Mary, my kids' alma mater. If a kid was given detention, it didn't involve staying after school. No siree bob. It was at 7:30 am, AND said parent of offending student had to deliver the kid AND sign him/her in. I had to bring Alex in once and I was so ticked at having MY beauty rest disturbed because HE acted like an idiot that I made sure he never felt like misbehaving again. And he didn't. I was punished because he was punished and to this day it steams me up, but hey, it worked.

[TooFarTampa]

One of the biggest problems my teachers had when trying to keep order in the classroom was that some parents were constantly undermining their authority and removing even the minimal penalties they could still impose for bad behavior.

I bet this teacher would think they won the lotto if 1) they could teach w/o being interrupted by smacking gum 2) their students actually got in MORE trouble when they got home for causing trouble at school

Seriously, if the teacher is at the point of giving the entire class sentences it means there is a behavior issue, not that a kid was caught chewing gum once.

This is a great post. I still don't have full understanding of the phenomenon described in the first paragraph, but I have seen enough of it to be . I am starting to see how some teachers can just get desperate, or silly, or just ticked off.

[Johnrudy]

Jesse had to write the dreaded "Gum Report" when got caught chewing gum. It is about a 5 page report all about gum and how it came to be etc. He would have been happy with the 100 sentences. I personally don't think the punishment should apply to the whole class though. Just the one's that were chewing the gum. IMHO.

this would make the most sense to me. At least the offender might learn something new.

[Miss Kitty]

Wonder what would happen at Belleville East?

[peapod1980]

How do you think lil P#1 will write the sentences? the same one word 100 times, before going to the next word, or, the complete sentence, one hundred times?

He's been doing complete sentences but is now going to try the one-word-at-a-time method. I suspect before it's over, he may have discovered a third method.
I don't know Kitty. Maybe this is why some people think the new Belleville West looks like a prison.

[SHELLY]

I find myself going back and forth on it. On one hand, I feel like--big deal, write the sentences, get over it. On the other hand, I'm just annoyed by it all.

Get behind the teacher on this one and let it go. Just tell #1 do the assignment given pronto or you'll add 100 more.


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[peapod1980]

Get behind the teacher on this one and let it go. Just tell #1 do the assignment given pronto or you'll add 100 more.


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Shelly, already did it. Was just getting some input! I'm not one to undermine teachers.

[Kase626]

I've had teachers use this method before...when I was in elementary school.

High school?? That's kind of ridiculous. Surely the teacher can come up with a more constructive way to discipline the class: Taking notes from a recent chapter, copying definitions, even an extra assignment or two. But one sentence over and over 100 times? That's just a waste of time in my opinion. At least in elementary school it helped us perfect our cursive.

[peapod1980]

I've had teachers use this method before...when I was in elementary school.

High school?? That's kind of ridiculous. Surely the teacher can come up with a more constructive way to discipline the class: Taking notes from a recent chapter, copying definitions, even an extra assignment or two. But one sentence over and over 100 times? That's just a waste of time in my opinion. At least in elementary school it helped us perfect our cursive.

Kase! I was hoping you'd show up.

[Kase626]

Kase! I was hoping you'd show up.

I aim to please!

[Smiling JOe]

Maybe they should type the sentences. ??? We are in the technology age, aren't we?

[Kase626]

Maybe they should type the sentences. ??? We are in the technology age, aren't we?

I'm sure all the students would love to copy and paste.

[Smiling JOe]

Only the smart ones would cut and paste, leaving the others in the dark. Survival of the fittest.

[Kase626]

I don't know... I'd think the "others" would have had more practice with the paste tool. I've read some of my peers' papers and you might be surprised to find that only a small handful of them even try to paraphrase what they find on wikipedia.

[SWGB]

I had a teacher that used to stand on her desk, put the garbage can on her head, and cry. This got our attention a lot faster than writing sentences. Of course she gave us pretty good fodder at times too (yes better than that one). I understand the sentences in elementary school, it's a punishment, but it also teaches writing. In high school you need to do something else like an extra assignment such as a short research paper on gum, the economic effects of gum left stuck to things, etc.

Where is NoHall to weigh in on this one?

[kingfishn]

As an old Rickstar sez, "Worried about the wrong thing at the wrong time."

(Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do...)

[SHELLY]

I've had teachers use this method before...when I was in elementary school.

High school?? That's kind of ridiculous. Surely the teacher can come up with a more constructive way to discipline the class: Taking notes from a recent chapter, copying definitions, even an extra assignment or two. But one sentence over and over 100 times? That's just a waste of time in my opinion. At least in elementary school it helped us perfect our cursive.

I think high school students who smack gum during class are displaying childish behavior....so therefore it's befitting of "elementary school-style" punishment. Perhaps the students who display this type of behavior were products of social promotion and skipped lessons on maturity and responsibility somewhere along the way.

.

[SWGB]

I think high school students who smack gum during class are displaying childish behavior....so therefore it's befitting of "elementary school-style" punishment. Perhaps the students who display this type of behavior were products of social promotion and skipped lessons on maturity and responsibility somewhere along the way.

.

Probably just the ones whos parents will call the school board to complain that there prince/princess was punished in a cruel way.

[lucky13]

Wonder what would happen at Belleville East?

Lancers would NEVER even think of chewing gum . Actually, weren't we allowed to chew gum in class? Maybe not, that was so long ago...

I got caught chewing gum in Mrs. Barth's music class in junior high. Silly me, I was sitting right in front of her desk. She lived in our neighborhood and thanks to the pristine reputation my older sister left before me (), she was reluctant to give me honor codes, but I still had to write ten of them. An honor code was a paragraph about disrespecting school rules - depending on the severity of the offense, had to be written multiple times, in front of the principal's office (on the floor in the hallway) during recess. That was the only time I had to write them and I wrote so fast I got nine done in one day.

I just hope they fill the offender's locker with silly string or maybe fill his backpack with the cutouts from a hole punch, something!

[ktschris]

Your kids can chew gum at school? Must be one of those progressive "eastern" schools

Can't help you, mine can't even wear ankle socks without getting a demerit....

Mermaid, our detentions are also BEFORE school and knock on wood, I've never had to get him there early yet....4 weeks to go!

[lucky13]

Your kids can chew gum at school? Must be one of those progressive "eastern" schools

Can't help you, mine can't even wear ankle socks without getting a demerit....

Mermaid, our detentions are also BEFORE school and knock on wood, I've never had to get him there early yet....4 weeks to go!

I meant when I was in school! Somehow I was thinking maybe we were able to chew gum in high school, but I think I am totally wrong. Like I said, it was a while ago...

No kiddos for me yet, but I imagine when they are in school there won't be much they CAN do!

[Andy A]

L'il Pea #1 came home today (from high school) saying two kids in his geography class got in trouble for "smacking" gum. The teacher assigned the entire class 100 sentences--"I will not smack gum in class." #1 thinks it's unfair to punish the whole class, Mr. Pod thinks the punishment is just plain stupid. Teacher says any kid who doesn't do it won't be allowed to start on classwork tomorrow until the sentences are completed. Parents of high schoolers, what do you think?

I am not a parent of high schoolers any longer but this type of occurrence makes me wonder what kind of teachers we are allowing to instruct our youth these days. Having said that, I certainly hope this is an isolated instance. Punishment should be for those who commit the offense, not everyone within sight of the offense.

[seagrovegirl]

My 12 yo step son had a similar punishment but it was after school detention for the whole class because a knife was missing in home ec. They knew who did it and were PO'd about it. The kid was found out and suspended. The knife thing is pretty serious.

[steele mama]

Hard to believe but in high school I had to write an essay on being late to class. I decided to be creative and I wrote a poem instead.
Never be late to class my friend
You see it doesn't pay
Although causes detention
It happens every day
One minute you think you're right on time
The teach will probably faint
Then suddenly the bell rings
and you realize you aint............

That's all I can remember.

I say the sentences are OK even in high school. They act like children so.....

[ASH]

I wore out many a pencil writing sentences when I was in grade school.
Never had to write because someone else did something stupid though.
I would only agree with punishing the entire class if this was an item happening over and over again.
The way kids are getting so violent nowadays, I would really question allowing children to police themselves. It's not just a fat lip anymore.

[NoHall]

L'il Pea #1 came home today (from high school) saying two kids in his geography class got in trouble for "smacking" gum. The teacher assigned the entire class 100 sentences--"I will not smack gum in class." #1 thinks it's unfair to punish the whole class, Mr. Pod thinks the punishment is just plain stupid. Teacher says any kid who doesn't do it won't be allowed to start on classwork tomorrow until the sentences are completed. Parents of high schoolers, what do you think?

I'm not a parent, but I'm a teacher of high school students:

He's learning some good lessons. We have all learned as adults (I hope) that one person's screw-ups have consequences for all of us. Likewise, when we screw up in a group, everyone else pays for it. My classes know that the ease or difficulty of my class is based on everyone's cooperation. I have one class of 15 students which is consistently miserable for all of us because there are 3 boys who act like fools. The other 12 are starting to make it clear to the others that they want things to change.

Also consider this: I've had students do things (like smack gum) that seemed pretty benign and isolated. But 1) the student does it for attention from the class and 2) the class obliges. That's when the class usually pays for the behavior of one student--when they giggle and snort and generally disrupt the class as a response. When that behavior is unchecked, it tends to get passed around. If just the gum-smacker is punished, one of his buddies finds a way to disrupt the class tomorrow. This way, the teacher is sending a message once instead of having her class disrupted a dozen times.

I see your point and Mr. Pea's--it IS a ridiculous assignment. But at some point a teacher sometimes has to give those assignments to underscore and eliminate ridiculous behavior. I have no doubt that all the students in that class will think twice before disrupting class again.

[SHELLY]

And what about cellphones?.......

YouTube - MAD REACHER SMASHES MOBILE/CELL PHONE


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[Andy A]

Do you think the student on the cell phone got the point? NoHall, I see your point about the whole class being a part of the problem, but I still think punishment for the whole class is only justified once the situation has reached a certain level and only the teacher in question can determine when that level has been reached. My first reaction may have been too harsh, but in many cases I remain displeased with our present day teaching techniques. But then, that is just one person's opinion.

[NoHall]

Do you think the student on the cell phone got the point? NoHall, I see your point about the whole class being a part of the problem, but I still think punishment for the whole class is only justified once the situation has reached a certain level and only the teacher in question can determine when that level has been reached. My first reaction may have been too harsh, but in many cases I remain displeased with our present day teaching techniques. But then, that is just one person's opinion.

Honestly, Andy A., I didn't see your first post about it until now--I had to skim because I'm just finishing up a day with the darling boys who hold our future in their grubby little paws.

The problem with doing the Monday morning quarterback in these situations is that we're doing exactly that--like you said, only the teacher can determine that. Teaching techniques are easy on paper. They are harder when you factor in the individual personalities of a couple dozen teenagers.

My other gut reaction (again, given after a long day with high-spirited teenaged boys!) is that if she's giving that sort of punitive busywork this time of year, she is sending a message that probably needs sending. The last few weeks is probably the hardest time of a high school year. They have a lot to do, and it's not like kindergarten where things can just slide.

We are trying to teach the kids to function maturely in the world, too. I had a kid get in my face today and ask me why I acted the way I do. (I separated him from the others because he was throwing paper, carving up projects from another class, and cussing.) I told him that when he fails to respond to instructions when I treat him like a 14-year-old young man, I have no choice but to treat him like a juvenile delinquent. If they respond to rewards, I give them, but if they only respond to punishment then that's how I have to communicate.

[NoHall]

I had a teacher that used to stand on her desk, put the garbage can on her head, and cry. This got our attention a lot faster than writing sentences. Of course she gave us pretty good fodder at times too (yes better than that one). I understand the sentences in elementary school, it's a punishment, but it also teaches writing. In high school you need to do something else like an extra assignment such as a short research paper on gum, the economic effects of gum left stuck to things, etc.

Where is NoHall to weigh in on this one?

Cry? Puh-leeze... I work in a military school, so I have a longer leash, but I had an incident with a kid yesterday. He all but threatened me, and I bowed up on him. (I was a good 3 feet from him, but I planted my feet and stared him down and dared him to take another step. He sat down.) I've heard about teachers who cry--it's not pretty.

I think high school students who smack gum during class are displaying childish behavior....so therefore it's befitting of "elementary school-style" punishment. Perhaps the students who display this type of behavior were products of social promotion and skipped lessons on maturity and responsibility somewhere along the way.

.

I see a lot of kids who are not disciplined (and are thereby rewarded) for bad behavior. It's going to be interesting when they go to college or to a job and act that way.

Probably just the ones whose parents will call the school board to complain that their prince/princess was punished in a cruel way.

Most of our parents stand behind our discipline (knowing that if their son is shipped, they lose the $30,000 they paid us for his tuition.) But we have one kid who actually was kicked out earlier this year and Mom & Dad begged ($$$) for another chance. He's an absolute nightmare, and he knows he can get away with it.

I really will shut up soon, but after reading over everyone's posts, I'm glad to see so many people who do care about discipline, maturity and responsibility. Sometimes I wonder.

Peapod, I hope that for LP1's sake and the teacher's, the sentence-writing is an isolated case and she can get back to her work.

[peapod1980]

Peapod, I hope that for LP1's sake and the teacher's, the sentence-writing is an isolated case and she can get back to her work.

I'm sure he will. Much bigger fish to fry--he's driving now, so I'm currently a driver's ed teacher. 100 sentences is nothing compared to driving around with a 15-year-old. I'm proud to say I haven't slammed my invisible break pedal yet!

[NoHall]

I'm sure he will. Much bigger fish to fry--he's driving now, so I'm currently a driver's ed teacher. 100 sentences is nothing compared to driving around with a 15-year-old. I'm proud to say I haven't slammed my invisible break pedal yet!

By she I meant the teacher--I knew Pea was a he.

p.s. Parents like you are the best teachers ever. Best of luck to you!

[kathydwells]

I'm sure he will. Much bigger fish to fry--he's driving now, so I'm currently a driver's ed teacher. 100 sentences is nothing compared to driving around with a 15-year-old. I'm proud to say I haven't slammed my invisible break pedal yet!

One month from yesterday for me. Please pray.

[Andy A]

NoHall, it is obvious you are a good, fair and thoughtful teacher. Unfortunately, it would seem from my, admittedly minimal, experience with today's teachers, that not all come up to the standards you possess. BTW, I, too, have taught classes both in high school and the military. My teaching in high school was limited, however.