I am STEAMED

[Alan H]

This morning my calsses went well, which is saying something because I'm teaching Algebra II/Trigonometry, and believe me, my multivariable equation with fractional radical reduction skills have eroded since I was a junior in High School. However, I let the classes teach themselves...basically let the smart kids teach the problem sets while I corrected obvious goofs, and it went fine. But Karen Vo***att, the REALLY nice woman that teaches remedial algebra next door and has helped me with Math classes many times before came to me right after 2nd period really.. VERY upset.

She had let the kids in her 2nd period class get out of their seats and stand by the door for a minute before the bell rang. Some kid threw a rock at her...not a big one, about eraser-sized, and hit her in the head with it. This is INSIDE the classroom; you get this?. It opened up a little slice in her head...and you know how head cuts are, it bled a lot into her left eye, though it's not at all a serious cut. Get his: None of the other kids would tell her who it was.

I took her 3rd period for about 20 minutes while she calmed down and went to Admin and reported it.

If I'd have been there when it happend, their ears would be burning and that class wouldn't have moved out of that room until School Security took the kids out one by one for some questioning. Karen V. is a GREAT teacher, teaches the hardest math classes in the school and has the toughest students. She's dedicated and prepared................and people wonder why teachers burn out? People blame SCHOOLS for all the problems of society? People...including people on THIS BOARD say "if I had had any good teachers I would *or wouldn't* have...blah-blah-blah."

Maybe you had ONE bad teacher. Maybe you...and the kid that threw that rock today AND the sixteen kids who know who it was but won't "snitch"...had one or two bad teachers..... of the EIGHTY or more you/they have through elementary school Jr. High and High school, yeah, maybe you had one or two bad ones.

That's a pathetic excuse. Over and over and over and over and over again I see dedicated teachers dealing with disruptive students that have checked out, don't care and are in-your-face disrespectful, if not combative. Yet those teachers come to school day in and day out, trying to make a difference, and YOUR teachers were no different. DON'T BLAME YOUR TEACHERS for YOUR decisions. If YOU checked out of school in about 6th grade, if YOU decided not to finish High School, if YOU raised hell in your school that was YOUR decision.....just like that kid today, and the sixteen that won't "snitch" made THEIR decisions today.....and physically hurt someone who devotes hours upon hours of her time to help them.

It's CRAP.

[Alan H]

"school" is not for everybody. Ain't it the truth.

But you know, one of the lessons that kids...ALL Kids have to learn is that you take responsibility for your actions. THAT lesson you have to learn whether you're in school or not...you take responsibility for your own actions....

INCLUDING checking out of school...and INCLUDING pinging your remedial algebra teacher in the head with a rock.

[Caradoc]

Get this: None of the other kids would tell her who it was.

This does not surprise me in the slightest.

If the rock-thrower is enough of a little turd to chuck a rock at the teacher, then I don't see where they might have learned any self-control at all.

The other kids are probably very afraid of the rock-thrower, and what might happen to them if they ratted.

[Monkey@Arms]

Some kid threw a rock at her...not a big one, about eraser-sized, and hit her in the head with it. This is INSIDE the classroom; you get this?. It opened up a little slice in her head...and you know how head cuts are, it bled a lot into her left eye, though it's not at all a serious cut. Get his: None of the other kids would tell her who it was.

Damn. Sorry to hear about it, Alan.

Best regards,

Jake

[bubba]

WOAH! Let's back up here a bit. The FACT that some of us had far more indifferent teachers than good ones has nothing to do with the little puke that threw that rock, nor does it mean WE were particularly disruptive in class. I don't blame you one bit for being angry, such things make me angry as well but I think you went overboard telling US what OUR teachers were like. Personally I think the quality of teachers today in my area is far better than when I was in school. They HELP kids that are having trouble for the most part, unlike the schools I went to where if you didn't get the material you weren't worth bothering with. Now, how to handle YOUR situation, bring in the police to investigate an assault with a dangerous weapon.

[Alan H]

WOAH! Let's back up here a bit. The FACT that some of us had far more indifferent teachers than good ones has nothing to do with the little puke that threw that rock, nor does it mean WE were particularly disruptive in class. I don't blame you one bit for being angry, such things make me angry as well but I think you went overboard telling US what OUR teachers were like. Personally I think the quality of teachers today in my area is far better than when I was in school. They HELP kids that are having trouble for the most part, unlike the schools I went to where if you didn't get the material you weren't worth bothering with. Now, how to handle YOUR situation, bring in the police to investigate an assault with a dangerous weapon.

Fair game, Bubba. 40 years ago, in another State besides California....I don't know what it was like. I wasn't there. There ya go.

But you know what? I bet that when these kids are 40 years old, they will whine and piss and moan about how the school "failed them" and it's all their teachers fault. You know what the problem with that is?

They....sometimes........vote. So policiticans listen to them, and cater to that attitude, and THAT is what results in unbelievably stupid political agendas that drive school instruction in this state.

End Of Rant.

[Mike1]

End Of Rant.

So, moving right along...

[bubba]

Alan, I do agree with alot you say about the blame game. No, I don't blame my old teachers for where I am now. That was a different time, different place and much different attitudes. If you tried being disruptive then there was a liberal application of the Board of Education, ie, a wooden paddle. Of course parents were then told and you caught hell again when you got home. That's not how it works today and I think there's a good side and a bad side to that. I was serious about police involvement though. A rock thrown at another person here is classed as a dangerous weapon and they DO take that seriously, even moreso if the target is a teacher, firefighter or police officer. It should be pursued.

[HeathBar]

This hits close to home. My mother is a retired math teacher. I can't imagine what myself or my father would have done if this had happened to her. I wouldn't blame your friend for packing up and leaving that school. Schools are always looking for good math teachers.

[cessna152towser]

The FACT that some of us had far more indifferent teachers than good ones has nothing to do with the little puke that threw that rock

and a sad, pathetic, wimpish, cowardly little puke that's too ashamed of what it did to have the guts to own up.