• Trouble logging in? Send us a message with your username and/or email address for help.
New posts

ASH

Beach Fanatic
Feb 4, 2008
2,153
443
Roosevelt, MN
I wore out many a pencil writing sentences when I was in grade school. :shock:
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

hmmmm......can't remember
May 28, 2007
9,032
996
Northern Hall County, GA
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.
 

Andy A

Beach Fanatic
Feb 28, 2007
4,389
1,738
Blue Mountain Beach
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

hmmmm......can't remember
May 28, 2007
9,032
996
Northern Hall County, GA
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

hmmmm......can't remember
May 28, 2007
9,032
996
Northern Hall County, GA
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...:roll: 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

percy
Oct 3, 2005
4,591
86
59
Up the hill from the Gateway Arch
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. :shock: 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! :lol:
 

NoHall

hmmmm......can't remember
May 28, 2007
9,032
996
Northern Hall County, GA
I'm sure he will. ;-) Much bigger fish to fry--he's driving now, so I'm currently a driver's ed teacher. :shock: 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! :lol:

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

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

kathydwells

Darlene is my middle name, not my nickname
Dec 20, 2004
13,303
420
63
Lacey's Spring, Alabama
I'm sure he will. ;-) Much bigger fish to fry--he's driving now, so I'm currently a driver's ed teacher. :shock: 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! :lol:

One month from yesterday for me. Please pray. :shock::wave:
 

Andy A

Beach Fanatic
Feb 28, 2007
4,389
1,738
Blue Mountain Beach
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.
 
New posts


Sign Up for SoWal Newsletter