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Us Girls..Our Views 
Seems like the student is pretty smart. Got exactly what he/she wanted. No class work, no homework AND every other teacher will now bend over backwards to make sure they don’t startle the little angel.
I say suspend the kid for using a cell phone in class!!
This reminds me of a kid who was in our band the first year I worked as a teaching assistant for a middle school. He was a good horn player, but had a rep as a “bad” kid – always getting in trouble, defying teachers, etc. There was a rumor going around that this boy, who was in 7th grade that year, had a business card that he kept on his person/in his wallet, that said, “do not speak to me without my lawyer present”. He was supposed to show it to any teacher that “got him in trouble”. My boss/band director was terrified of this kid, kept telling me, ‘don’t discipline him, just leave him to me, don’t cross him.’
Uh, huh. Right. I made it my goal to have him flash that card at me. And the thing was, I couldn’t *not* discipline this kid – I took his section once a week into a separate room for sectionals. But the kid never did mess with me much beyond that first class, because when he tried, I didn’t let him get away with anything. And when I talked with his parents, I was straight with them – yeah, your kids a bit of a handful, but he’s been respectful toward me, and he’s a decent player. I don’t care if he doesn’t like me, I’m not here to be liked.
It’s amazing how many parents and teachers have forgotten that last bit. Teachers are not there to be liked, they are there to do a job. Kids need to understand that. I actually had another parent pull me aside and tell me that I needed to be nicer to her hoodlum kid because he didn’t like me. I looked her straight in the eye and said, “so?” and she was completely flabbergasted. “But, but… he doesn’t LIKE you!!” “Yeah, I’ve got enough friends.”
Here is what I’d do if I were in charge:
1) Prosecute the kid for a fraudulent 9-1-1 call.
2) Make the child write a research paper on slander and libel.
3) Remove the child from math class. Give her a janitorial job to do during that period instead. Let her make up the 8th grade math class next year.
4) Confiscate the cell phone and donate it to a women’s shelter.
5) Provide the teacher with a gift certificate to a nearby spa to be utilized during his/her administrative suspension with pay.
6) Make sure all students are informed of 1-5 above.
What wonderful idea’s. If it were my child, I’d be so mad and enforce a very high penalty for this. I really have to say though, my kids would have been terrified had this happened and calling 911 would have been the last thing on their mind. They would probably been more afraid of me than the police. When you work in a school, like Laura mentioned, you see it all.
I agree, all I could think of was “if that was my kid . . . Lord help her!!” If the kid were younger, a solid spanking might have been on the list, too.
Oh, and how dare the teacher expect the kids to pay attention in math class! Send him to retraining camp!!
This also brings up the very good question. Why are cell phones even allowed in class?
In one article I read, the girl left the class (right in the middle, just up and walked out… who allows THAT???) and got her cell and made the call. Not that it’s any better, but at least in that situation, she had to go get it.
Ahh, Joy, I’m so glad you put this up. I started to write a post on it, and the flu took over.
SKL, I love your ideas! … except the teacher is a guy, so instead of the spa, maybe a gift certificate to the local bowling alley?
I don’t know, first let’s ask him if he likes a good massage!
The teacher was causing a disturbance?! Okay! He didn’t cause any harm, what else are they supposed to do when they can’t get their students attention?
I had a substitute teacher in the 6th grade once that slapped the hand of a student with a ruler. He was taken out, never to return. That is uncalled for, rattling a desk is just fine in my opinion!
I like SKL’s ideas too!
Some of these little tidbits I search for these posts are very short and sweet and I’d really like to hear more about some of them. I’d like to know what the parents thought and what they did, if anything? It doesn’t say. I’ve searched and searched and this is about all I can find. It’s my guess the parents didn’t side with the child because if they did, don’t you think we’ve have heard from them or lawyers? Don’t you think they’d have been on GMA and the talk show circuit by now? I think that would have happened. This story is just kind of hanging which leads me to believe the parent’s didn’t do anything with it. Don’t you think we’d have heard more had the parents jumped on this teacher?
This doesn’t surprise me. Some kids think they can just do what they want to. Some kids are such brats. There are some really nice kids out there but there are some real doozies! Sometimes the parents see it and other parents don’t. I also do think some parents care. Some don’t but some do. Had things not taken the turn they did with parents butting so much into the school, I’d still be working but I couldn’t be the type to let disrespectful stuff go unpunished. When I quit my job and moved here, it was just starting. Like the student Laura mentioned. I do think parents who think their kids are getting “picked on” should go work in the lunchroom and on the playground for a few months. Your eyes will be WIDE open.
I agree with you – except that I REALLY love these “what’s your take” posts because they are so open-ended, and hopefully not a ton of work to put up (though I really wouldn’t know about that).
I agree, Joy… I think that if the parents had pursued the kid’s version, it would be plastered everywhere. This is one of those stories just made for the morning shows.
SKL I agree 100% with your ideas on this. And most schools have a rule against cell phones being in school or used in school. I think the girl being removed from the class and having to repeat it next year is an inspired idea!
Hey Laura, remember the teacher, Mr. K. (when Ally had him he taught 4th grade math) who would throw erasers at kids to get their attention? I’m not sure what he was teaching when you and Nee were there, but I know Nee said he did it back then too..
However, rattling a desk? Let’s get a grip here. And being put on administrative leave? RIDICULOUS! Why reprimand the teacher? What would’ve happened if this kid had pulled a fire alarm? Her punishment should be the same in this case!