Day 9 - Alarmed But Not Afraid

The behaviour I've witnessed by many (although certainly not all) of the students in this school that I am currently placed in would shock any responsible, decent citizen in our community, whether they be 8, 18 or 80. Here's just a few examples:

• Students not showing respect by talking in class and not listening to the teacher.
• Students grafitti-ing chairs, swinging in their charis, kicking chairs, having feet on chairs. (and a general lack of respect for school property such as walls, tables, equipment etc).
• Students talking back to teachers in a most inappropriate tone of voice.
• Students 'wagging' or cutting class.
• Disorderly behaviour in classroom.
• Students refusing to work in class or complete homework.
• Students wearing baseball caps at school during class time.
• Students kissing and demonstrating inappropriate behaviours in the corridors (you try breaking that one up!!)
• Students swearing constantly at each other and occasionally to teachers during and outside of class time.

Are you alarmed? I certainly was. Perhaps you yourself went to a school where the behaviour above was 'typical'. Perhaps not. Perhaps you yourself were the instigator of such behaviour?I do not claim to be ignorant of all these things during my time back in high school. When I was in high school, sure, students did all of the above (not I of course!!! :o) - I was Miss Goody-Two-Shoes back then - but I knew that those behaviours existed and were demonstrated some students.

The fact that I went to a girls' school probably explains why I am so alarmed by this behaviour, as I was (thankfully?) spared from the common, but not typical, brutish and rowdy behaviour of our male counterparts). :o) (I could go on and describe the pros and cons of single-sex education here, but lets just save that for a rainy day, shall we?)Anyway if there's one thing that I've gained from this first teaching round of mine, it would be the application of discipline and classroom management techniques.

In my humble opinion, the 'naughty' kids in this school have no respect for teachers, let alone their parents, due to the fact that there is little or no discipline. When teachers try to discipline in the classroom, I think it falls on deaf ears. Because the kids do not receive discipline at home, the message of respect, responsibility and other social values which teachers try to impart. are not enforced in the home.

The thing that irritates me the most is when these unruly youngsters laugh in response to any teacher's attempt to discipline them. It's true that kids these days have their rights. But until they are legally adults, they are children who need to be taught right from wrong, and the adults in their lives need to be free to teach them this.

I believe that parents are responsible for bringing their children into this world, bring them up correctly, teach them morals, and discipline them. Kids have too many rights and not enough responsibilities, and if their parents don't make them responsible for their actions, well it'll be a pretty hopeless situation for many teachers.

So anyway. I've been alarmed by the things I've witnessed at this school. But I am not afraid!! Hear! Hear!

Another way of looking at it is that if I had been placed in such a prim and proper school, there's no way I would've been able to learn all I've learnt about classroom discipline, nor would I be writing all the stuff I've written so far in this blog. Yes - it's true, I can probably talk and talk 'til the cows come home, but thankfully, this has been more than just your idle banter. :o)

Mooo On!!!!