Mean teacher caught on tape

[Heffernhyphen]

I just can't help but think, what did the kid do to push the teacher to this point? There are always two sides, you know.

[elizawill]

oh wow! i've not seen that before or heard about it! that's unbelievable!!

i was equally floored by some of the comments! one person actually comments how unfair it is that the teacher's rights were so violated by being secretly recorded & how awful that was!!!! she was so upset for the teacher!!!! WHAT????

[GranoLLLy-girl]

You ARE kidding I hope--this child was FIVE YEARS OLD.::

[Oriole]

Here is a few thoughts...

1. I teach. I had a kid who cried in a parent-teacher conference accusing the team being mean to him. It was heartbreaking... IF you were not a teacher who he talked as if you are trash to the day before, and the day before.. and the day before... no matter how much kindness and patience you showed him, it was not enough. There were days the kids literaly sighed with relief when he was removed from the classroom. We heard from his mom quite a bit. Even after he slammed another kid into a locker. It was sill us making up stories about the kid. So... I'm with "what's the other side of the story" camp.

2. The teacher obviously had said things she shouldn't have... Wrong things that I would never tell to another 5 y.o. YET, I have seen parents even here confessing "their crimes". As a parent, do you always say the right thing? Do you ever lose your temper? Are you sure that when faced with a difficult child you would always have patience to work through it?

3. Maybe the teacher IS awful and the children are lucky to be rid of her. Or maybe she is simply human and was at the end of her rope with a difficult child. Don't judge, and you will not be judged.

4. Would you want to be videotaped by your neighbor at your worst parenting moment and for the judge to make her devision on custody based on that?..

[elizawill]

talking to my child that way would never.ever be excusable. she is a trained teacher with a degree and chose her profession. this was not an isolated incident at all.... so imo, it is not permissive under any circumstances.

[purslaine]

[QUOTE=Oriole;11345750]Here is a few thoughts...

1. I teach. I had a kid who cried in a parent-teacher conference accusing the team being mean to him. It was heartbreaking... IF you were not a teacher who he talked as if you are trash to the day before, and the day before.. and the day before... no matter how much kindness and patience you showed him, it was not enough. There were days the kids literaly sighed with relief when he was removed from the classroom. We heard from his mom quite a bit. Even after he slammed another kid into a locker. It was sill us making up stories about the kid. So... I'm with "what's the other side of the story" camp.

It does not matter. You do not get to talk meanly to a child because you are the adult and a role model.

2. The teacher obviously had said things she shouldn't have... Wrong things that I would never tell to another 5 y.o. YET, I have seen parents even here confessing "their crimes". As a parent, do you always say the right thing? Do you ever lose your temper? Are you sure that when faced with a difficult child you would always have patience to work through it?

As a paid professional, you do not get to lose your temper this way. No, I have not lost my temper "this way". I have said things I regret, but I have not called names or singled out a child the way that teacher did. .

3. Maybe the teacher IS awful and the children are lucky to be rid of her. Or maybe she is simply human and was at the end of her rope with a difficult child. Don't judge, and you will not be judged.

I would never be able to trust the teacher again. As per judging - I guess that is up to God, but I would at the least remove my child from her class and would very likely ask for her dismissal

4. Would you want to be videotaped by your neighbor at your worst parenting moment and for the judge to make her devision on custody based on that?..

I think vidoetaping was probably the right move. I cannot see the teacher admitting to what she said, and kids do occasionally confuse things. It's a primary source.


I am sure the teacher has a "side" - maybe he is a diffiuclt child, but that in no way excuse the behaviour of the paid, professional adult.

[Heffernhyphen]

Originally Posted by kathymuggle

As a paid professional, you do not get to lose your temper this way.

Really? So no paid professional is allowed to exhibit basic human flaws or weaknesses, or just professionals in education? We teachers have to be perfect, all day, every day? Wow. That sounds really hard. Good thing we get paid so well.

[Heffernhyphen]

Originally Posted by Oriole

Maybe the teacher IS awful and the children are lucky to be rid of her. Or maybe she is simply human and was at the end of her rope with a difficult child. Don't judge, and you will not be judged.

[elizawill]

oh my gosh - he's 5. FIVE. it doesn't matter what HE did, it's how SHE chose to respond to her kindergarten student. this was recorded because it was an ongoing incident that was red flagging his parents at home. i honestly do not believe this was a single incident where she merely lost it and unfortunately got caught on tape....this imo is one of many times and thank god it was finally put to an end. if this child was pushing her buttons so bad because he was satan's spawn or something - well, as a 13 year veteran teacher, she should have known how to handle it .....whether that be through working with the parents or the principal or a glass of wine at night...i don't know. -- but i do know that having an ongoing (not a few words that slipped out) but an intentional dialogue like this in front of a classroom of peers is NOT okay. EVER.

[LindaCl]

Originally Posted by Oriole

4. Would you want to be videotaped by your neighbor at your worst parenting moment and for the judge to make her devision on custody based on that?..

That's a good point. But ... would you like to be a small boy forced to go to school every day to a teacher who is cruel and verbally abusive to you and everybody assumes you're the liar or a bad person who brings it on yourself. There are lifelong consequences of this stuff. Many adults I know tell me stories about teachers they were forced to endure that make my hair stand on end. We're all human, but let's be realistic. There are psycho teachers out there that can that cause a lot of harm undeterred because children aren't always believed. And when somebody is rendered so powerless, singled out and essentially dehumanized like what was going on here, there's unfortunately a very human tendency for others to join in the exclusion.

[mama_at_home]

That is horrible! I can't imagine how I would feel if someone treated my child like that.

[kwg]

I dont think this was a case of a "bad moment"; it sounds like it went on for while both on the recording and also the little boy didnt want to go to school.

It is horrible. I was a teacher....I had some doozies in my class and plenty of things I wish I had not done but this is......just awful.

[purslaine]

Originally Posted by Heffernhyphen

Really? So no paid professional is allowed to exhibit basic human flaws or weaknesses, or just professionals in education? We teachers have to be perfect, all day, every day? Wow. That sounds really hard. Good thing we get paid so well.

Did you read the article? I highlighted a few sentences....


"I've been more than nice to you all year long and you've been ignorant, selfish, self-absorbed, the whole thing! I'm done!" Woodward says to Gabriel on the tape.

Gabriel can be heard crying on the tape.

Edwards said that the worst part of the tape was when Woodward singled Gabriel out in front of the whole class.

"So you guys think, is that somebody you want to be with?" Woodward asks the class.

In unison, the other students reply, "Noooo."

"See, your friend doesn't want to be with you. I don't know what else to tell you. So you're not going to have friends because of your actions."

I do not think I am being harsh at all. I am suprised anyone is offering up justification for such behaviour. Quiter frankly, it sounds like verbal assault to me.....

And as per your crack on pay - it is irrelevant. I would not tolerate anyone talking to any child like that - whether they made minimum wage or were paid a million dollars a year.

[SarahGuinn]

I'm not watching it and I'm angry at even reading "teachers are humans and cut them some slack." I have "____________" this much slack to cut a teacher where inappropriate hurtful things are concerned.

That teacher has no right. NONE. You people excusing her behavior are making me crosseyed.

[LauraLoo]

If you had a friend who spoke to her child like this, would you be concerned for the child?

Who is the adult here? I really don't care what the child did, he *did not* deserve that.

[momtokea]

Simply unacceptable behavior for a teacher.
It would be interesting to hear her side of the story. I really would like to know what this FIVE YEAR OLD BOY did to make this grown woman talk to him like that. She was the adult in the classroom ....

[Heffernhyphen]

Originally Posted by kathymuggle

And as per your crack on pay - it is irrelevant.

Yes, I did say it just as a wise crack, but you're wrong to think it's irrelevant. There is certainly a direct correlation between low pay and high stress. And if you don't think teachers exist on a steady diet of stress, you're just wrong.

Of course what the woman did was wrong. She is certainly mortified, as I would be caught in one of my less shining moments. But we can't know where she's coming from if we aren't her. You know, that stuff about walking a mile in her shoes . . . casting the first stone . . . all that hokey don't judge stuff. I'm a fan of it.

[SarahGuinn]

I'll happily judge anyone who hurts my child, physically or emotionally.

If she's too stressed, she needs a student teacher to help her or she needs to freaking quit. There is no gray area here in early childhood education. This isn't about teens, these are five year olds.

[purslaine]

Originally Posted by Heffernhyphen

Yes, I did say it just as a wise crack, but you're wrong to think it's irrelevant. There is certainly a direct correlation between low pay and high stress. And if you don't think teachers exist on a steady diet of stress, you're just wrong.

Stress is not an excuse for her behaviour. Take yoga. Fight for more pay. Do what you need to do - but do not take it out on a young child. To maintain pay/stress is in any way relevant to her behaviour is wrong.

Of course what the woman did was wrong. She is certainly mortified, as I would be caught in one of my less shining moments. But we can't know where she's coming from if we aren't her. You know, that stuff about walking a mile in her shoes . . . casting the first stone . . . all that hokey don't judge stuff. I'm a fan of it.

Actually, as a adult and parent it is my job to judge - and say "this is not OK behaviour - and you will not do this to children".

As per not judging - if you are a teacher - aren't you a mandatory reporter??? If I were abusive - you may very well call CPS on me. Doesn't it go both ways? If I see a teacher being abusive, isn't it my job to report it - and try to stop it - not excuse it?

Kathy

[Jackson'sMom]

Originally Posted by elizawill

oh my gosh - he's 5. FIVE. it doesn't matter what HE did, it's how SHE chose to respond to her kindergarten student. this was recorded because it was an ongoing incident that was red flagging his parents at home. i honestly do not believe this was a single incident where she merely lost it and unfortunately got caught on tape....this imo is one of many times and thank god it was finally put to an end. if this child was pushing her buttons so bad because he was satan's spawn or something - well, as a 13 year veteran teacher, she should have known how to handle it .....whether that be through working with the parents or the principal or a glass of wine at night...i don't know. -- but i do know that having an ongoing (not a few words that slipped out) but an intentional dialogue like this in front of a classroom of peers is NOT okay. EVER.

I could not agree more. I have been a special ed teacher for many years, and dealt with many kids with behavior problems. I could not ever imagine saying those things to one of my students, and I teach HS students. There is absolutely no excuse for her behavior that I can possibly think of. Obviously this was an ongoing problem, otherwise the student would not have been so distraught that the parents felt the need to record. Teachers are supposed to be trained in behavior management techniques, so she should have had some ideas on how to better deal with his behavior, whatever that was.

Not to mention this is a 5 year old child...I hope she is out of teaching forever.