Math Teacher in Reading Wears Kilt to Motivate Students

**bricelythgoe** · 3rd March 09, 06:17 PM

Found this article that the many teachers we have here might be interested in.

Math Teacher in Reading Wears Kilt to Motivate Students

http://wfmz.com/view/?id=656389

I could not watch the video, but I think I found this article a little disturbing. Tell me if all of you see this differently. I don't see the students WANTING to see their teacher in a kilt. To the students, I think they see this as a type of humiliation (maybe to strong a word) for the teacher. Sure, it motivated them to do better, but what were their intentions with the kilt? Did they really want to see the kilt or did they want to see their Math teacher dressed in a 'skirt'. Maybe I am reading this wrong. It is just that from my experience as a teacher, most of my students. don't see the kilt as something positive.

I hope I am seeing this wrong.

Brice

**chasem** · 3rd March 09, 06:32 PM

I didn't get that from the video or article.

I think it's more that the students wouldn't expect their teacher to wear something like that to school. Not so much berating, but unexpected. A good friend of mine is a youth minister, and he set a goal for them, and he'd wear a kilt if they made it. It was mostly just because they didn't expect he'd do it.

**crboltz** · 3rd March 09, 07:11 PM

My students chastise me if I don't wear my kilt regularly enough. I don't think it has anything to do with seeing their teacher humiliated, it has to do with there technical theatre teacher being just a little out of the ordinary. My students really like my kilts, and a couple of them have bought their own, and I think a few others are saving up.

-Chris

**Kiltman** · 3rd March 09, 09:18 PM

I don't get a negative from the report or the video. I don't know much about 7th graders, but doubt they saw it as humiliation.

**bricelythgoe** · 3rd March 09, 09:34 PM

I guess you might be right. Although it is hard to tell from the video. I think I just based my ideas on my past experiences with my 7th, 8th, and 9th graders. Out of the 200 I teach, I have had about 3 or 4 say they don't mind me wearing the kilt. Oh, well.

**Chas** · 4th March 09, 05:59 AM

Sorry, I must disagree. Does the teacher do push ups everyday in class, has he sported a blue Mohawk for the last year? If the answer to these questions is yes than the wearing of the kilt (which is on a par with these two) is reasonable . If on the other hand he has not done these things, then the wearing of the kilt is unreasonable. From the tone of the article, his kilt wearing was the first of three 'trials' he had to perform.

We have all heard the expression 'Drop and give me twenty!'. Is it said to people who have earned praise or is it said as a punishment.

This is an humiliation - self imposed - but still done as an humiliation. It reduces the kilt to a mere piece of costume - a tutu, a bussle, fishnet stockings, a kimono, swim flippers and a thong - all would be humiliating in the classroom environment.

If the teacher wore a kilt on a daily basis, then it would be standard, normal, ordinary, not newsworthy.

This is not a good advertisement for kilt wearing.

Regards

Chas

**sathor** · 4th March 09, 06:07 AM

Originally Posted by Chas

Sorry, I must disagree. Does the teacher do push ups everyday in class, has he sported a blue Mohawk for the last year? If the answer to these questions is yes than the wearing of the kilt (which is on a par with these two) is reasonable . If on the other hand he has not done these things, then the wearing of the kilt is unreasonable. From the tone of the article, his kilt wearing was the first of three 'trials' he had to perform
....

If the teacher wore a kilt on a daily basis, then it would be standard, normal, ordinary, not newsworthy.

Of course, one might ask just where did that Kilt come from? Did he alreqady have it? Did he actually 'pull a fast one' in making it look like it wasn't his idea so that he could wear it? Did he just pull a con to get the Kilt in the door, so to speak?

**GreenDragon** · 4th March 09, 06:29 AM

maybe he's one of US?

**Rex_Tremende** · 4th March 09, 07:47 AM

It's not humiliation if you're playing along and suggested it in the first place. Best case it is nothing more than motivation, and I'm willing to bet most teachers will look for all kinds of creative ways to do that. Worst case, it's trickery--a way of sneaking the kilt into the workplace when that was his objective all along. Not a punishment at all, but the reward for getting the students to meet the goals set out for them.

Regards,
Rex.

**bricelythgoe** · 4th March 09, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by Chas

Sorry, I must disagree. Does the teacher do push ups everyday in class, has he sported a blue Mohawk for the last year? If the answer to these questions is yes than the wearing of the kilt (which is on a par with these two) is reasonable . If on the other hand he has not done these things, then the wearing of the kilt is unreasonable. From the tone of the article, his kilt wearing was the first of three 'trials' he had to perform.

We have all heard the expression 'Drop and give me twenty!'. Is it said to people who have earned praise or is it said as a punishment.

This is an humiliation - self imposed - but still done as an humiliation. It reduces the kilt to a mere piece of costume - a tutu, a bussle, fishnet stockings, a kimono, swim flippers and a thong - all would be humiliating in the classroom environment.

If the teacher wore a kilt on a daily basis, then it would be standard, normal, ordinary, not newsworthy.

This is not a good advertisement for kilt wearing.

Regards

Chas

You make a very good point. That is what I was thinking when I original read about it.