Students swearing

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Classroom Discipline Chatboard

Students swearing

by Daniel Hanson

May 21, 2011

I teach at a public high school in California.)

With regard to student swearing, I hear a LOT of it at my school. Out in the hallways everyday as I walk back and forth from the back of campus (where my classroom portable is) to the front of the school (where the office and the staff lounge are) and I hear it in my classroom as well.

Our student handbook says that students may be suspended or expelled for habitual profanity or vulgarity. If we write a referral to the office for the use of profanity, obscenity, or vulgarity among students, the student is assigned Saturday School. After the second time, the student starts getting suspended. If the referral says the profanity was directed toward the teacher, the student automatically gets suspended.

At my school there was one dean that if I wrote a referral for profanity, the student automatically got suspended on the first offense. I thought that was a little too much. So, I decided to pick my own battles. Some ...See MoreI teach at a public high school in California.)

With regard to student swearing, I hear a LOT of it at my school. Out in the hallways everyday as I walk back and forth from the back of campus (where my classroom portable is) to the front of the school (where the office and the staff lounge are) and I hear it in my classroom as well.

Our student handbook says that students may be suspended or expelled for habitual profanity or vulgarity. If we write a referral to the office for the use of profanity, obscenity, or vulgarity among students, the student is assigned Saturday School. After the second time, the student starts getting suspended. If the referral says the profanity was directed toward the teacher, the student automatically gets suspended.

At my school there was one dean that if I wrote a referral for profanity, the student automatically got suspended on the first offense. I thought that was a little too much. So, I decided to pick my own battles. Some teachers issue a verbal warning for the first time and then write the student up if he or she continues to swear. As for me, lately, I've just been giving verbal warnings about it because I don't want to write referrals for it. I could probably easily write 3 or more referrals per class period for each time I heard a student swear in class. However, the thing is: I personally don't like to hear swearing...period.

So, do you think I should be consistent next year and just start writing referrals every time I hear a student swear in class?

On 5/21/11, Bulldog says NO!...more inside wrote: > First of all, "shut up" is polite where I came from (L.A.) ha-ha > Rude was "shut the *&%%$ up". > Second, cursing at students is not acceptable by ANY adult > within the school system. This includes sports coaches (where I > here it the most). I will admit I have said the word He'll > (less the apostrophe) when refering to places, but to just out > and out curse is inappropriate. I had a group of students one > year that were very foul-mouthed. I instituted a cuss jar. > Everytime a student cussed, s/he had to put his/her name in the > jar. At the end of the semester, there were only 2 of 21 > students without their names in the jar. Those students were > given a gift card for $25 for a restaurant of their choice. the > money came from our Honor Society. The other kids in the class > complained how it wasn't fair, but when I explained that part > of "honor" was self-control. The next year I had several of the > same students for their 12th grade Government class. Amazingly, > they asked if I was going to do the cuss jar again. I said yes > and the class had 10 of 18 that got gift cards. > > Bulldog!

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Stephen Marion Cursing in the classroom is a major problem. For a good part of my teaching career I have worked with kids who were labeled as severely emotionally disturbed. In some places it is referred to as Behaviorally Disabled or BD. These students have a tendency to come from some very rough environments. Street language is most prevelant. For them the scho...See MoreCursing in the classroom is a major problem. For a good part of my teaching career I have worked with kids who were labeled as severely emotionally disturbed. In some places it is referred to as Behaviorally Disabled or BD. These students have a tendency to come from some very rough environments. Street language is most prevelant. For them the school environment is about the only element of their life that is not built around being tough, and for some of them they try to bring this toughness into the classroom by the way they act and they way they talk. We are hearing this cursing language more and more in business today, even on the radio and the television. None- the-less overall it is still considered inappropriate to use fowl language in public. It still reflects poor taste. I, like you, prefer not to hear it as do a lot of folk. However, I believe this is becoming one more of those things that is being left to teachers to correct or provide guidance. I like the idea of the cursing jar. It is built on a good philosophy of reinforcing in a positive nature those who do not curse and that begins to carry over to the population whose behavior we are trying to shape. I have not tried this, but I can assure you it will be on my list for next school year as I try to create a curse free environment in my classroom and in my hearing area. Thanks for sharing the idea. I hope others will pick up on it as well. Stephen Marion On 5/21/11, Daniel Hanson wrote: > (I teach at a public high school in California.) > > With regard to student swearing, I hear a LOT of it at my > school. Out > in the hallways everyday as I walk back and forth from the > back of > campus (where my classroom portable is) to the front of the > school > (where the office and the staff lounge are) and I hear it in my > classroom as well. > > Our student handbook says that students may be suspended or > expelled > for habitual profanity or vulgarity. If we write a referral > to the > office for the use of profanity, obscenity, or vulgarity among > students, the student is assigned Saturday School. After the > second > time, the student starts getting suspended. If the referral > says the > profanity was directed toward the teacher, the student > automatically > gets suspended. > > At my school there was one dean that if I wrote a referral for > profanity, the student automatically got suspended on the first > offense. I thought that was a little too much. So, I decided > to pick > my own battles. Some teachers issue a verbal warning for the > first > time and then write the student up if he or she continues to > swear. > As for me, lately, I've just been giving verbal warnings > about it > because I don't want to write referrals for it. I could probably > easily write 3 or more referrals per class period for each > time I > heard a student swear in class. However, the thing is: I > personally > don't like to hear swearing...period. > > So, do you think I should be consistent next year and just start > writing referrals every time I hear a student swear in class? > > On 5/21/11, Bulldog says NO!...more inside wrote: >> First of all, "shut up" is polite where I came from (L.A.) > ha-ha >> Rude was "shut the *&%%$ up". >> Second, cursing at students is not acceptable by ANY adult >> within the school system. This includes sports coaches > (where I >> here it the most). I will admit I have said the word He'll >> (less the apostrophe) when refering to places, but to just out >> and out curse is inappropriate. I had a group of students one >> year that were very foul-mouthed. I instituted a cuss jar. >> Everytime a student cussed, s/he had to put his/her name > in the >> jar. At the end of the semester, there were only 2 of 21 >> students without their names in the jar. Those students were >> given a gift card for $25 for a restaurant of their > choice. the >> money came from our Honor Society. The other kids in the class >> complained how it wasn't fair, but when I explained that part >> of "honor" was self-control. The next year I had several > of the >> same students for their 12th grade Government class. > Amazingly, >> they asked if I was going to do the cuss jar again. I said yes >> and the class had 10 of 18 that got gift cards. >> >> Bulldog!

May 23, 2011

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Sara On 5/21/11, Daniel Hanson wrote:

> . > > So, do you think I should be consistent next year and just start > writing referrals every time I hear a student swear in class?

Do other teachers write referrals? The short of it is - whatever your school is doing isn't working because you say you hear frequent swearing in the...See MoreOn 5/21/11, Daniel Hanson wrote:

> . > > So, do you think I should be consistent next year and just start > writing referrals every time I hear a student swear in class?

Do other teachers write referrals? The short of it is - whatever your school is doing isn't working because you say you hear frequent swearing in the school. And - what's your goal? What do you want to achieve? No swearing in class?

I don't blame you - swearing brings a class down, it's not the way I want my class to be and I tell them - "I don't swear in class. None of you know how I may speak at home but you all will know that I never swear in school - ever. Does that mean I never get mad? No. There are times, not many, but there are times that something happens that does make me feel angry. Do I swear? No, never.

I expect that same from you. If you're allowed to swear at home, swear at home, get it out of your system there because I won't have it here. I don't swear because I see it as not respectful to the community of this classroom. I know many of you use swear words casually between yourselves - that's your business but what you say in this class - and in the halls if I'm walking by - becomes community business. Let's all of us watch our mouths when in the hearing of others."

Saying that, I don't have any further problems. Once in a rare while, someone slips and my face goes cold, the class goes silent and an instant apology is offered.

Writing referrals is retroactive - after the fact. Explain to your students that you hold yourself to the same standard - no swearing - and explain why you don't swear.

If I'm walking down the halls and someone standing at their locker swears, I say "Hey, it's more than the locker that's hearing you." They turn around and say, "Sorry, Ms. M, I didn't see you there."

We can't control how they speak in their private lives nor should we want to but we can control and without referrals I think how they speak in our classrooms and in the halls.

> > On 5/21/11, Bulldog says NO!...more inside wrote: >> First of all, "shut up" is polite where I came from (L.A.) > ha-ha >> Rude was "shut the *&%%$ up". >> Second, cursing at students is not acceptable by ANY adult >> within the school system. This includes sports coaches > (where I >> here it the most). I will admit I have said the word He'll >> (less the apostrophe) when refering to places, but to just out >> and out curse is inappropriate. I had a group of students one >> year that were very foul-mouthed. I instituted a cuss jar. >> Everytime a student cussed, s/he had to put his/her name > in the >> jar. At the end of the semester, there were only 2 of 21 >> students without their names in the jar. Those students were >> given a gift card for $25 for a restaurant of their > choice. the >> money came from our Honor Society. The other kids in the class >> complained how it wasn't fair, but when I explained that part >> of "honor" was self-control. The next year I had several > of the >> same students for their 12th grade Government class. > Amazingly, >> they asked if I was going to do the cuss jar again. I said yes >> and the class had 10 of 18 that got gift cards. >> >> Bulldog!

May 27, 2011

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