Saturday, May 28, 2005
A Letter For My File
Once again in the endless and mindless bureaucracy that is the Department of Education, we the teachers are the scapegoats of all the ills of mankind. Case in point. We are not allowed to touch or confiscate any possession of the child. We cannot do this because it usurps the rights of the child, and then the parents will become irate, and it will be bad for the school if the parents are unhappy for any reason whatsoever. So we are told to demand that the student give us the offending item. Aside from that if we do take the cell phone they are talking on, the mp3 player they are listening too, the camera phone they are recording us with, the hat they refuse to take off (and are not allowed to wear and we get in trouble if they are wearing these apparel accessories) we then become liable for infringing their rights.
One day a student was playing with a lighter. I warned him to put it away because or I would call the Deans office to confiscate it. He did so. Now in this beatific program we call RAMP UP, I have to, at times read picture books to the class, and I was doing so on this day. Soon I smelt something burning, and saw the student with the lighter had burned a corner of a book (for his INDEPENDENT READING, too bad it wasn’t Fahrenheit 451 because then he could argue he was making a social statement). The pages were singed, and I called security. He bolted out of the room before they could arrive, when he did so, they (AP of Security) figured he didn’t have to come because the student had left the room.
The AP security calls AP of my department. I am called into a meeting and reprimanded for what the student did. Days later I get a letter, for my file that said I should have physically confronted the student and take the offending item from him. The lighter. Had I done this, I would have gotten in trouble for physically contacting the student, and for confiscating a possession, neither of which is in my job description, and if I had done either, even if it is in common sense, the right thing to do, I would have been in the wrong, thus is the logic in the Department if Education.
One day a student was playing with a lighter. I warned him to put it away because or I would call the Deans office to confiscate it. He did so. Now in this beatific program we call RAMP UP, I have to, at times read picture books to the class, and I was doing so on this day. Soon I smelt something burning, and saw the student with the lighter had burned a corner of a book (for his INDEPENDENT READING, too bad it wasn’t Fahrenheit 451 because then he could argue he was making a social statement). The pages were singed, and I called security. He bolted out of the room before they could arrive, when he did so, they (AP of Security) figured he didn’t have to come because the student had left the room.
The AP security calls AP of my department. I am called into a meeting and reprimanded for what the student did. Days later I get a letter, for my file that said I should have physically confronted the student and take the offending item from him. The lighter. Had I done this, I would have gotten in trouble for physically contacting the student, and for confiscating a possession, neither of which is in my job description, and if I had done either, even if it is in common sense, the right thing to do, I would have been in the wrong, thus is the logic in the Department if Education.
Comments:
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a scathing indictment of the Dept. of Edu. struck between a rock and a hard place...an impasse...catch 22...you don't have to be a teacher to relate to this piece ...we've all been there...that's the beauty of it...Don (the Foggyblogger )
# posted by 
: Sunday, May 29, 2005 2:06:00 AM
: Sunday, May 29, 2005 2:06:00 AM
Catch 22 indeed - the bastards at the DOE have had their heads up asses for so long to get out of the classroom as soon as they can. Then they come up with rules that, had they been teachers, they never could have pulled off on their own.
And of course don't forget that the children have rights. And the AP Security did not back you up.
And kids are allowed entry with all the emenities of home (what, no portable dvd players yet?). Maurice has covered classes where kids talk freely on their cell phone, listening to mp3 player, using the camera phone to tape the teacher (watch out if your guard slips). They walk in past the lethargic slug APS with hats despite the rules.
But they (including the Daily News) must always blame the teacher first.
The de-klein of education.....
And of course don't forget that the children have rights. And the AP Security did not back you up.
And kids are allowed entry with all the emenities of home (what, no portable dvd players yet?). Maurice has covered classes where kids talk freely on their cell phone, listening to mp3 player, using the camera phone to tape the teacher (watch out if your guard slips). They walk in past the lethargic slug APS with hats despite the rules.
But they (including the Daily News) must always blame the teacher first.
The de-klein of education.....
# posted by : Sunday, May 29, 2005 5:49:00 PM
: Sunday, May 29, 2005 5:49:00 PM
Now I remember why I got out of the teaching business. If they would just allow the teachers to carry the guns as well ..
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# posted by : Monday, June 06, 2005 9:05:00 AM
: Monday, June 06, 2005 9:05:00 AM << Home
