teacher destroys kids!

Join Teachers.Net

Chatboards

Recent Groups

Upper Elementary

MEMBERS

0 Members

+ Join Group

Pinned Posts

ALLAll Teachers

Teachers.Net LIVE CHAT Support group - Tues eve!

Featured Jobs

Full-timeMontessori Teacher

Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada

TemporaryTeachers, rural schools

Peace River North School District

Full-timeHead Teacher: 2nd/3rd Grades – Mills College Children’s School

Mills College

Teaching Jobs on Teachers.Net

Featured Job special only $39!

https://teachers.net/jobs

Become a Teachers.Net sponsor!

Upper Elementary Teachers Chatboard

teacher destroys kids!

by Margo

Jan 29, 2009

I am not sure what to tell my kids. They've been spending their recess times building snow forts. Yesterday there were arguments about who 'owned' which snowballs. Irritating, but usual. We had worked things out by the time school finished and I thought the problems were done.

This morning the students were in a tizzy. Someone had destroyed all their forts and snowmen and all the snow creations they had made on the yard. They were angry and dismayed. They looked for clues and tried to figure out who would have done such a terrible thing.

I found out it was another teacher in the school. He thought it would solve the problem if there were no forts, etc. for the kids to argue about. I did not tell the students, but they have started to deduce this themselves. (They did a pretty good job of putting some clues together.)

I have tried to move them on from this, but I sympathize with them in this case. If I was in Gr 4 and someone destroyed my creation I would b...See More

Comment

(3)

report post

Leah How did you find out that a male teacher had done it? Did another teacher tell you? Are you sure? Perhaps you could talk with him about him talking with the children. Or, the principal could set a policy on building snow forts.

I'm afraid it a life lesson for the children. Life is sometimes unfair.

Jan 29, 2009

report post

vet teacher Wow. But he destroy the kids - we need to be careful not to pour oil on the fire. He did destroy what they regarded as their property.

Interesting gesture on several levels. How did he 'solve a problem'? Indeed, I'd say he did the opposite of problem solving. Problem solving is putting your heads together and figuring out a solution to th...See MoreWow. But he destroy the kids - we need to be careful not to pour oil on the fire. He did destroy what they regarded as their property.

Interesting gesture on several levels. How did he 'solve a problem'? Indeed, I'd say he did the opposite of problem solving. Problem solving is putting your heads together and figuring out a solution to the problem. Has that been done? What does this teach the kids? Argue about snowballs on my watch and I'll take matters into my own hands. These arguments are work but on the other hand they're ripe territory to teach things like compromise, discussion and - problem solving. I think recess can offer a lot of real life learning. Clearly your colleague doesn't. What's your principal think? What's the philosophy of your school on matters like these? Is this a new teacher? If so, someone might have a friendly chat with him about the value of recess and how you're inclined to treat with regard the things the kids build and how you're not inclined to have things destroyed as a 'solution'. If this is not a new teacher, is this behavior out of keeping for this teacher?

The best thing to happen would be this teacher apologizes - that's powerful and a powerful lesson to kids when a teacher apologizes. It shows that we're not above making mistakes, no one is perfect but we own our mistakes and apologize for them. But not every teacher is comfortable admitting mistakes to colleagues much less to students or willing to apologize for those mistakes.

That old statement 'the teacher is always right' lingers on even though it doesn't serve schools, teachers or students well.

> > > > > > I have tried to move them on from this, but I sympathize > with them in this case. If I was in Gr 4 and someone > destroyed my creation I would be pretty upset. I think the > teacher who did this was so wrong. I'm not sure what to say > to this teacher and how to (further) deal with anything the > kids say when they discuss who they think it is. One kid > simply said he wanted to know who did it so he could tell > them to apologize to the kids. > > Any comments? I would like to have some guidance.

Jan 29, 2009

report post

staceyu/FL/4th Recess? What is this "recess" you speak of? (Living in a FL county where recess is all but banned.....

Feb 6, 2009

report post