Virgil Showlion
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Post by Virgil Showlion on Nov 3, 2015 22:12:01 GMT -5
An excerpt from
Bob's Hypothetical Teaching Adventures Chapter 8: Violence is Never the Answer
The ribald in the classroom had died to a murmur since Bob had set the students to work on individual projects. Jane still hadn't put her phone away and the device's occasional chimes seemed to fill up the room. Students' eyes darted between their workbooks and the rebellious Jane, the atmosphere thick with anticipation.
Bob got to his feet. As he walked over to the north end of the class, nearing the row in which Jane was seated, even the most studious of his pupils gave up the pretense of studying their workbooks and plainly stared at their teacher.
Jane either didn't notice him or was pretending not to. She stared down at her mobile phone, her elbows planted on her desk, the slightest hint of a grin on her face, not deigning to look up at Bob even when he was standing directly beside her.
Her phone chimed loudly.
Bob braced himself against her desk and slowly knelt down so that he could meet his pupil at eye level.
Still no eye contact.
"Jane, is there a reason you haven't put your phone away yet?" He asked, his voice hushed and lenitive. "I've asked you three times now. We've got to sort this out."
Looking over at him for the briefest moment and then back to her texting, Jane replied, "I told you to fuck off. I'm talking with a friend."
Her rebuke elicited a subdued wave of laughter and muttering from the other students. Those on the other side of the room, furthest away from the spectacle, had stood up to get a better view of it.
Bob's passive expression and demeanor didn't react to the insult.
"Are you having problems at home?" He asked in the same tone as before. "Teenagehood can be a trying time in life. Sometimes we feel trapped or like we can't talk to anybody, and anger just builds up inside us."
He paused.
Jane remained transfixed by her mobile phone, this time not even bothering to glance over at him.
When her silence persisted for more than ten seconds, Bob continued, "You can share your pain with me, Jane. Please share your pain with me or I might have to call in your parents to deal with this situation."
Jane lowered her mobile and stared ahead morosely for a moment. Her expression darkened to one of contempt and disbelief. She finally made eye contact with her plaintive teacher.
"So call my parents," she said. "What part of 'fuck off' do you not understand? Are you a retard or something?"
Another wave of laughter ran through the class, more raucous and derisive than before. From somewhere in the back of the room, a male voice dared yell out "Call her parents!"
Bob shifted his stance just enough to clasp his hands together on Jane's desk. The girl noticed his change of posture and drew back slightly, aghast, as she witnessed a tear roll down his cheek. The teacher stared up at her plaintively over his knitted hands, his gaze imploring her to relent.
"Let me help you, Jane. Precious, empowered Jane." He pleaded with her in a voice befitting his humbled stature. "We can banish the violence that stirs inside you. We can tackle your problems together. Just let me help you, Jane, pl-"
"Fuck, no!" Jane roared back at him, recoiling further as he continued to shed tears less than a foot away from her. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
The urgency in Bob's voice rose to match hers.
"Please Jane! Take the first step. Put away your phone and let me wipe away your tears."
"Get b- F- I'm going to fucking slit your throat if you don't get back right now!" Jane howled.
"Don't resist it, Jane!" Bob pleaded, his eyes reddening. Before Jane could protest again, he cleared his throat and began a broken singing: "Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can, no need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man, imagine all the people..."
Panicked, Jane shoved the crooning teacher back, nearly striking her head on the floor in her haste to extricate herself from her desk. She wound up on all fours, scrambling ahead drunkenly until her shoes finally found purchase on the linoleum. She vaulted up the row of desks towards the exit like a sprinter. It wasn't until she was at the door that she finally had the presence of mind to scream, "Fuck! Fuck you fucking psycho!"
The class was in an uproar. All but a handful of the students had taken to laughing, hooting, shouting, or trying to catch their breath. Bob remained on his knees, reorienting himself to face the door and reaching out in a final overture of reconciliation as Jane sprinted into the hallway.
"Let me help you." He begged the fleeing girl, his voice crescendoing into a roar before being cut short by mournful sobs.
"Jane. Jane." He wept, muttering her name over and over again. "Oh Jane. Jane. Jane. Violence is never the answer. Never the answer. Love is the answer."
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Nov 3, 2015 23:23:22 GMT -5
Always fun to read your flights of fantasy.
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jambo101
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Post by jambo101 on Nov 4, 2015 1:29:36 GMT -5
Smart phones these days can do pretty much every thing a laptop can do(Says my daughter) so she may have been using it instead of a laptop. A more civil way of handling this problem would have been for the cop and the assistant to calmly pick up the chair with her in it and deposit it outside the classroom.
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Virgil Showlion
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Post by Virgil Showlion on Nov 4, 2015 3:53:19 GMT -5
Always fun to read your flights of fantasy. I was hoping you'd put up a bit of counter-satire.
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truthbound
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Post by truthbound on Nov 4, 2015 5:20:58 GMT -5
It is not illegal to film the cops, unless you are stopping them from doing their job. Breaking someone's arm is doing their job lol. The problem is the only reason this made it on the news is because the girl was black. We do not have a black/cop problem . We have a thug cop problem.
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Nov 4, 2015 7:52:47 GMT -5
It is not illegal to film the cops, unless you are stopping them from doing their job. Breaking someone's arm is doing their job lol. The problem is the only reason this made it on the news is because the girl was black. We do not have a black/cop problem . We have a thug cop problem. Nice to see you posting again, Truth.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Nov 4, 2015 8:44:14 GMT -5
I had to make an Ikea run yesterday. Bratty kids whining while being placated by wimpy parent ruining the small dining area for everyone. Parent's constant pleas for good behavior were ignored and as I finally gave up and left, I said to other adults loudly, "How grateful I am to not teach anymore." This is why kids behavior sucks at school. They aren't special needs, they're just "special."
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Nov 4, 2015 10:33:50 GMT -5
Smart phones these days can do pretty much every thing a laptop can do(Says my daughter) so she may have been using it instead of a laptop. A more civil way of handling this problem would have been for the cop and the assistant to calmly pick up the chair with her in it and deposit it outside the classroom. You bought that? I'd like to see your daughter write a 15 page research paper, or manipulate an Excel spread sheet on a smart phone. Making notes in class would be pretty useless too. My IPhone is pretty much useless running AutoCAD or SolidWorks. Where it is comparable is surfing the net.... LOL at trying to lift the 100+ lb student plus desk and carry it away.
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jambo101
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Post by jambo101 on Nov 4, 2015 11:19:21 GMT -5
We arent talking full computer replacement just something by which she can read the days class if she forgot her lap top. Also that cop and the assistant and a third person if necessary would have no trouble lifting girl and desk up and carrying it outside the classroom or even the school for that matter.Physically assaulting the kid taught that class nothing positive only that violence was the best option the school could come up with to solve a minor dilemma.
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Nov 4, 2015 11:24:17 GMT -5
I'm pretty sure one of the articles I read stated that the girl had admitted she was using her phone inappropriately. She acknowledged being on her phone but stated that it was only for second or something along those lines. No. She wasn't using it to study. She was using it in a manner that was against the rules. She acknowledged that, admitted it and then tried to minimize her infraction.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Nov 4, 2015 11:29:42 GMT -5
Had she simply said sorry and put it away, problem solved. Somewhere along the line she was taught rules don't apply to her. First by whatever raised her and then probably by the school. When you try to change the rules by now actually enforcing them, issues will occur. I'm sure she was shocked that she was forcibly removed, thinking no one would ever dare to lay a hand on her exalted self. Had the school trained her from day one that rules are for all, even special people like herself, this could have been avoided.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Nov 4, 2015 11:58:50 GMT -5
We arent talking full computer replacement just something by which she can read the days class if she forgot her lap top. Also that cop and the assistant and a third person if necessary would have no trouble lifting girl and desk up and carrying it outside the classroom or even the school for that matter.Physically assaulting the kid taught that class nothing positive only that violence was the best option the school could come up with to solve a minor dilemma. That's not what you said. Most schools have a 'no cell phone' rule going on, do you really think that this is an acceptable substitute for a computer? You want a cop and an assistant to lift 150 lbs of resisting student plus desk? She obviously was not going to comply to being escorted out of the classroom, what makes you think that she would comply with being lifted up and out - assuming that you can grab a desk/chair/student as a single entity?
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jambo101
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Post by jambo101 on Nov 4, 2015 12:37:56 GMT -5
We can debate the issue forever but ultimately it comes down to you thinking the officers actions were justified and me thinking a place devoted to higher learning should have better options than physically assaulting students for transgressions of rules.
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Virgil Showlion
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Post by Virgil Showlion on Nov 4, 2015 13:38:43 GMT -5
We can debate the issue forever but ultimately it comes down to you thinking the officers actions were justified and me thinking a place devoted to higher learning should have better options than physically assaulting students for transgressions of rules. Nobody has been able to define "better options". The 'assault' ended the standoff quickly. Nobody's time was wasted. The teacher's authority was upheld. The takedown strongly disincentivized ever pulling the stunt again, and I defy you to propose a more effective deterrent. The girl may have suffered pain, but no injury as far as I can determine. The only negative things anyone has been able to say about the takedown are pie-in-the-sky theories about how it will inspire the students to go apewild beating their spouses and children. These theories have already been entertained far more than they deserve in this discussion. Which leaves what? "Violence is bad, mmm'kay?" Who cares why.
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Nov 4, 2015 13:42:21 GMT -5
We can debate the issue forever but ultimately it comes down to you thinking the officers actions were justified and me thinking a place devoted to higher learning should have better options than physically assaulting students for transgressions of rules. Nobody has been able to define "better options". The 'assault' ended the standoff quickly. Nobody's time was wasted. The teacher's authority was upheld. The takedown strongly disincentivized ever pulling the stunt again, and I defy you to propose a more effective deterrent. The girl may have suffered pain, but no injury as far as I can determine. The only negative things anyone has been able to say about the takedown are pie-in-the-sky theories about how it will inspire the students to go apewild beating their spouses and children. These theories have already been entertained far more than they deserve in this discussion. Which leaves what? "Violence is bad, mmm'kay?" Who cares why. Same argument that people make for why dropping the atom bomb on japan was the right thing to do. Some people agree with that argument. Some people never will.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Nov 4, 2015 13:52:36 GMT -5
Nobody has been able to define "better options". ... No one has been able to define an option that Virgil thinks is better. Let us play:
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Nov 4, 2015 13:55:23 GMT -5
We can debate the issue forever but ultimately it comes down to you thinking the officers actions were justified and me thinking a place devoted to higher learning should have better options than physically assaulting students for transgressions of rules. But you have not been able to come up with a viable better option either. In a bad situation, what trumps? Do you let one student ruin things for the rest of the class? If that one student is allowed to run roughshod over the teacher and administration, that opens it up for other students to do so as well and turns the classroom into anything but a learning environment. I'm not sure WHAT should have been done, but the problem was dealt with and the other students were shown that if you try to pull a power play on the teacher/administrator/SRO, it's not going to work.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Nov 4, 2015 13:59:11 GMT -5
... I'm not sure WHAT should have been done, ...
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Nov 4, 2015 14:04:39 GMT -5
I would hope, that as an alternative, the officer would say something like, "You are going to leave this classroom as you were told. That is absolutely going to happen and it's going to happen now. You can get up and leave with me now, or I will remove you forcibly." She should have been given a chance to leave the desk on her own one last time before being forced. And maybe he did do this. We can't see what happened prior so I don't know. I still think, having watched police officers in action for a lot of years, this could have been accomplished without a flipped over desk and a child hitting the floor. Again, I don't know. Perhaps I'm judging him too harshly. I wasn't there.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Nov 4, 2015 14:15:33 GMT -5
I would hope, that as an alternative, the officer would say something like, "You are going to leave this classroom as you were told. That is absolutely going to happen and it's going to happen now. You can get up and leave with me now, or I will remove you forcibly." She should have been given a chance to leave the desk on her own one last time before being forced. And maybe he did do this. We can't see what happened prior so I don't know. I still think, having watched police officers in action for a lot of years, this could have been accomplished without a flipped over desk and a child hitting the floor. Again, I don't know. Perhaps I'm judging him too harshly. I wasn't there. I have no doubt in my mind that the officer did give an ultimatum using those or similar words. My understanding of human nature in general and teenagers specifically, I am not surprised that it ended the way that it did. Avoiding getting to an ultimatum is the key to working with human beings.
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Nov 4, 2015 14:24:44 GMT -5
It appears to me (again I wasn't there) that they did their best to avoid an ultimatum by having 3 different professionals address the situation one at a time over a period of time. I wouldn't spend the entire day trying to avoid telling the child she has to do something...or else...either. If it's hurts her little feelings, so be it. Avoiding giving that child an ultimatum is what got her to the point of the officer intervening.
Please, dear, leave the classroom. You violated the "no phone" rule. Nope. Only did it for a second. Chill. Please? What are you going to do if I refuse? Nothing except ask you again. Please? Screw you. All right then, I'm going to have to call the Principal to ask you. Whatever. Please, you sweet deprived child? Would you come with me? Nope. All right then, I'm going to have to call the resource officer to ask you. Call God and see if I give a shit.
She had plenty of chances to avoid an ultimatum being given to her. Enough coddling is enough.
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b2r
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Post by b2r on Nov 4, 2015 14:29:07 GMT -5
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Nov 4, 2015 14:32:20 GMT -5
Besides, we all face ultimatums every single day. Pay your electric bill or get cut off. Show up to your job or get fired. Turn in your homework or get an F. The list is endless. I've not heard of anybody's delicate psyche being damaged because of them. I have heard, however, of teens being damaged by overly lenient adult authority figures.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Nov 4, 2015 14:36:16 GMT -5
... Please, dear, leave the classroom. You violated the "no phone" rule. ... Or: Class please read on your own. (Goes and kneels next to student): Hey remember we don't allow phone usage in class. What is going on? I just needed to send a quick text. Okay. You done? Yeah. Alright. Since it was just a quick text, it will only cost you one lunchtime detention. Will you serve that today or tomorrow?
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Nov 4, 2015 14:40:00 GMT -5
Besides, we all face ultimatums every single day. Pay your electric bill or get cut off. ... Welllll, actually that isn't true. If you need help with electric, utility, or heating bills.
There are a number of places you can turn to if you need help with paying your electric, utility, water or heating bills. Several different applications to energy bill assistance programs are provided by numerous federal and state government organizations. There are also non-profits that may offer emergency grants for paying a portion of a bill and there are solutions, such as payment plans, offered directly by utility companies. www.needhelppayingbills.com/html/need_help_with_electric_bills.html
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Nov 4, 2015 14:43:36 GMT -5
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Nov 4, 2015 14:45:53 GMT -5
Who said anything about addiction? I just don't like getting out of bed in the morning. Is there a coddlingdowhatyouwantwithoutconsequencesutterlyridiculous program for that? Or will I probably get fired?
As for your other example, it still stands. Pay your electric bill (in whatever means is found) or your electricity gets cut off.
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Nov 4, 2015 14:46:59 GMT -5
We aren't going to agree. I'm not a lenient coddling type of person. You evidently are.
Unless, of course, it's me being coddled. Then I'm all for it.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Nov 4, 2015 14:55:00 GMT -5
Who said anything about addiction? I just don't like getting out of bed in the morning. Is there a coddlingdowhatyouwantwithoutconsequencesutterlyridiculous program for that? Or will I probably get fired?
As for your other example, it still stands. Pay your electric bill (in whatever means is found) or your electricity gets cut off. It goes to the issue of giving ultimatums. I have cited examples to counter your claim that ultimatums are given in those two situations. Most school districts have alternative programs in which there are no homework requirements and students unable to successful complete homework can transfer to them. Again, an example of how our modern world does not issue the ultimatums you claim.
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Nov 4, 2015 15:01:39 GMT -5
Yeah....the world issues tons of ultimatums every day. It's semantics to argue otherwise. Now stop it or else.
(I really don't know what "or else" is. My mom just said it a lot and I was never dumb enough to find out.)
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