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A teachers' sit-in is ridiculous!
published: Monday | February 25, 2008
The Editor, Sir:
A sit-in is an action taken by persons to oppose the rules, policies, requirements, etc, given by those in authority over them. It would therefore be correct for employees to organise a sit-in when they oppose the policies made by the heads of their organisation.
In the school environment, teachers can sit in if they oppose the policies of the school's board and the Ministry of Education; students can also have a sit-in to show disagreement to certain rules of the school and so on.
Now for teachers to sit in because of students is ridiculous! Are the students the boss? Who is really holding the handle in our schools?
In other employments when the job becomes harder and threatening, employers proceed to pragmatic and proactive actions that result in the change of work policies and methods. They do this in order to achieve specific results and maintain productivity. Why can't our schools do the same?
The development and training of students is the job of the teacher. In the past, a good caning would surely have helped, but that has changed. Isn't it obvious then that today even a public reprimand or rebuke is inappropriate? That should surely change too.
Products of society
Students, they say, are the products of society. Their reactions are based on what is happening around them in their community and on what they identify with in music and on cable TV. For some years now, the main focus is maintaining one's rights, and if these rights are violated ... then some blood must draw! Therefore, when a teacher belittles, rejects, embarrasses and disgraces a student before others - that teacher will feel.
Teachers are to be agents of change. The student who continues to be late, who disrupts the class, who expresses himself improperly, etc, should be dealt with appropriately, bearing in mind that he/she is acting out what is probably even acceptable in his/her own home. The teacher should not use the same action of the student to bring about change in him/her.
To chase the student out of the classroom, to develop an argument with him/her, to punish before counselling, to refuse to grade his/her work, and so on - is only fighting fire with fire. I think this is what is fuelling the raging fire called 'school violence'.
Identify students' rights
One suggestion for dealing with school violence is to identify the rights of students and to respect them as well as to identify the rights of the teacher and to teach students how to respect them. It is a time for 'rights for rights'. Teachers respecting students' rights can only result in respect for them and others.
Teachers, you are the ones in charge, sitting in has only revealed that you really don't even know the purpose of such an action. Stop wasting your time and the time of the students. It would have been better to have heard that you were all locked in meetings to deal with redrafting new policies on interpersonal relationship with students, new punishment strategies and new curriculum objectives for dealing with volatile students.
I am, etc.,
S. A. ANDERSON
esaa1911@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 1166 Kingston 8
published: Monday | February 25, 2008
The Editor, Sir:
A sit-in is an action taken by persons to oppose the rules, policies, requirements, etc, given by those in authority over them. It would therefore be correct for employees to organise a sit-in when they oppose the policies made by the heads of their organisation.
In the school environment, teachers can sit in if they oppose the policies of the school's board and the Ministry of Education; students can also have a sit-in to show disagreement to certain rules of the school and so on.
Now for teachers to sit in because of students is ridiculous! Are the students the boss? Who is really holding the handle in our schools?
In other employments when the job becomes harder and threatening, employers proceed to pragmatic and proactive actions that result in the change of work policies and methods. They do this in order to achieve specific results and maintain productivity. Why can't our schools do the same?
The development and training of students is the job of the teacher. In the past, a good caning would surely have helped, but that has changed. Isn't it obvious then that today even a public reprimand or rebuke is inappropriate? That should surely change too.
Products of society
Students, they say, are the products of society. Their reactions are based on what is happening around them in their community and on what they identify with in music and on cable TV. For some years now, the main focus is maintaining one's rights, and if these rights are violated ... then some blood must draw! Therefore, when a teacher belittles, rejects, embarrasses and disgraces a student before others - that teacher will feel.
Teachers are to be agents of change. The student who continues to be late, who disrupts the class, who expresses himself improperly, etc, should be dealt with appropriately, bearing in mind that he/she is acting out what is probably even acceptable in his/her own home. The teacher should not use the same action of the student to bring about change in him/her.
To chase the student out of the classroom, to develop an argument with him/her, to punish before counselling, to refuse to grade his/her work, and so on - is only fighting fire with fire. I think this is what is fuelling the raging fire called 'school violence'.
Identify students' rights
One suggestion for dealing with school violence is to identify the rights of students and to respect them as well as to identify the rights of the teacher and to teach students how to respect them. It is a time for 'rights for rights'. Teachers respecting students' rights can only result in respect for them and others.
Teachers, you are the ones in charge, sitting in has only revealed that you really don't even know the purpose of such an action. Stop wasting your time and the time of the students. It would have been better to have heard that you were all locked in meetings to deal with redrafting new policies on interpersonal relationship with students, new punishment strategies and new curriculum objectives for dealing with volatile students.
I am, etc.,
S. A. ANDERSON
esaa1911@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 1166 Kingston 8
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