Teachers trick students with fake Disney trip

[moon]

She posted details of the ordeal on Facebook this week, and got calls from the principal and teachers involved apologizing.

I agree that the slide presentation was a bit much, but "ordeal" GAB

 

[allison443]

I'll be honest and admit I haven't read most of the thread. But here's where I stand:

1. I'm a teacher. We have such a hard time fitting in all the material that needs to be taught. Why on earth did these poor excuses for teachers waste class time on a prank? Had they taught ALL there was to know about EVERYTHING in the syllabus-- by February???

2. You NEVER discipline one child by punishing the whole class. It's poor classroom management.

3. My job is to teach, to educate, not to prank.

4. I've got to wonder-- where was the teacher while a child or a group of kids was repeatedly snooping around the teacher's desk??? What sort of classroom management issues were in the picture before the teacher decided to pull this idiocy?

5. If I were a parent, I would be VERY unhappy with this on so many levels!!! And as an educator, I'm also very unhappy. I a child does something wrong, the punishment should be proportional. It seems to me that these poor excuses for educators didn't understand that concept at all.

Is it the end of the world? No. But it will be THE THING that they'll most remember about the time they spent in that school.


People who don't like kids REALLY need to find a different profession!

Great post!

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

Bullying or not, isn't really the problem. The problem is the idiot teachers thought they were being so smart in doing this. How many teachers were involved? Not just one. THAT is a problem. The kids can take from that "heard mentality" and remember that just because someone else decideds to do something stupid, they can always choose to not be involved.

Again, the teachers are a bunch of jerks.

 

[Tiger926]

Bullying or not, isn't really the problem. The problem is the idiot teachers thought they were being so smart in doing this. How many teachers were involved? Not just one. THAT is a problem. The kids can take from that "heard mentality" and remember that just because someone else decideds to do something stupid, they can always choose to not be involved.

Again, the teachers are a bunch of jerks.

Yes, the herd mentality is something we are always dealing with in our schools.

Five teachers were involved in this, and that does send a very negative message about banding together to humiliate others.

Not a great message to come from trusted adults...

Tiger

 

[Hrhpd]

I have no problem with leaving the fake materials on the desk to teach snoopers a lesson. The children have no business looking there, and had they behaved, nobody would have been disappointed.

But I'm not sure I understand the slide presentation part. If they actually told all the student they were going to Disney, then I consider that part a mean prank.

That is exactly what I thought.

If they had just left the paper on the desk and then never commented on it again except to staunch the rumor:
"There is a rumor that we are going to Disney. That is false.", that would have been fine. It would have been a good lesson on spreading gossip on information that did not come directly from teachers.

But the teachers crossed the line with the power point presentation. That ruined the whole lesson on gossip as the teachers played into the gossip.

 

[Tiger926]

That is exactly what I thought.

If they had just left the paper on the desk and then never commented on it again except to staunch the rumor:
"There is a rumor that we are going to Disney. That is false.", that would have been fine. It would have been a good lesson on spreading gossip on information that did not come directly from teachers.

But the teachers crossed the line with the power point presentation. That ruined the whole lesson on gossip as the teachers played into the gossip.

Yes, and this is how we usually would handle this type of thing.

But when they showed the video to other peers in the school, it crossed the line even more.

Tiger

 

[kaytieeldr]

Let's try this again...

Thurs. Feb. 14 - students were told verbally that they would be going to WDW for grade 8 graduation trip.

I'm genuinely not finding anywhere that indicates the students were officially told of this "trip" at any time before the PowerPoint presentation. Anything they heard between a classmate or two snooping, and that session didn't come from the teachers.

 

[kaytieeldr]

1. I'm a teacher. We have such a hard time fitting in all the material that needs to be taught. Why on earth did these poor excuses for teachers waste class time on a prank? Had they taught ALL there was to know about EVERYTHING in the syllabus-- by February???

Probably one 30 minute session in the eighth grade is typical, customary, planned into the syllabus, etc., to provide information about the senior trip.

4. I've got to wonder-- where was the teacher while a child or a group of kids was repeatedly snooping around the teacher's desk??? What sort of classroom management issues were in the picture before the teacher decided to pull this idiocy?

In a different part of the room helping or working with one or more students with the understandable expectation that the other teens should be trusted to behave? Out of the empty classroom where the door is required to be kept open? Briefly talking to another teacher in the hall? Answering an emergency call of nature?

Those are all guesses, I truly don't know.

 

[Aliceacc]

Probably one 30 minute session in the eighth grade is typical, customary, planned into the syllabus, etc., to provide information about the senior trip.
But apparently the slide show didn't accomplish that-- since it was all about a trip they weren't going on. Won't they need another 30 minute session devoted to the actual trip???


In a different part of the room helping or working with one or more students with the understandable expectation that the other teens should be trusted to behave? Out of the empty classroom where the door is required to be kept open? Briefly talking to another teacher in the hall? Answering an emergency call of nature? How many of those emergency calls of nature leave kids unattended? In the 27 years I've been in front of the classroom-- even while pregnant-- I've never, ever left a class unattended. We don't hang out in the hall talking to each other. And maybe it's just my school, but our rooms aren't so very large that I can't see a student who is out of his or her seat, up at my desk. As a math teacher, I'm frequently at the desk of a kid who needs a bit of extra help. But I can see every single kid in the room, particularly one who is standing at my desk. Nor do I leave anything "snoop-worthy" on my desk. So if a kid does glance down on his way to the door to use the bathroom, he's not going to see anything that would cause me any concern. No need to retaliate.

Those are all guesses, I truly don't know.

My point is that these teachers don't exactly seem to be potential nominees for Teacher of the Year. There are so very many absolutely wonderful teachers out of work, yet these "teachers" chose not to do their job.

I hazard to guess that the prank is just a symptom of their general attitude towards their jobs, and I think that attitude stinks.

Again, teachers who don't like kids should not be in the profession.

 

[Tiger926]

I'm genuinely not finding anywhere that indicates the students were officially told of this "trip" at any time before the PowerPoint presentation. Anything they heard between a classmate or two snooping, and that session didn't come from the teachers.

Ok, you are looking at the wrong articles then.

Search for articles that are in The Windsor Star, which is their local paper.

Tiger

 

[Disneyland1084]

A good punishment for the students who snooped would have been detention
and a few days of staying after school to help the janitor clean.

 

[MrsDuck]

I have no problem with leaving the fake materials on the desk to teach snoopers a lesson. The children have no business looking there, and had they behaved, nobody would have been disappointed.

But I'm not sure I understand the slide presentation part. If they actually told all the student they were going to Disney, then I consider that part a mean prank.

Agreed!

The slides were too much but the rest I'm fine with...

 

[diamondpixienc]

If the teen hadn't "known " about it, a short slide show wasn't going to cause him emotional confusion or hurt of disappointment. If , because of the snooping there was additional anticipation, that's not on the teacher.

These kids aren't 5, the are 14. They hadn't been promised a trip and then had it taken away after weeks of planning and fund raising. They hadn't been thinking about this trip for a year. The teachers didn't show this slide show and then keep it going for weeks. If they can't handle a "disappointment" from a short slide show, we have bigger issues.

^Ditto^

 

[kaytieeldr]

Ok, you are looking at the wrong articles then.

Have already said I am close to this situation, and they were told on Thursday.

Search for articles that are in The Windsor Star, which is their local paper.

Tiger

I'm sorry, I still can't find anything official (and really, that would only be from students/parents, since teachers can't talk to the media) that indicates the students were told anything by teachers on that first Thursday, the day before the PowerPoint presentation. Everything I found indicates all information from the teachers came in that session :

 

[sam_gordon]

Ok, you are looking at the wrong articles then.

Have already said I am close to this situation, and they were told on Thursday.

Search for articles that are in The Windsor Star, which is their local paper.

Tiger

But WHO told them on Thursday? I'm sorry, I'm still not following.

And I would like to hear some facts from the presentation. Did the presentation IMPLY they were going to Disney or was it stated?

 

[Tiger926]

I'm sorry, I still can't find anything official (and really, that would only be from students/parents, since teachers can't talk to the media) that indicates the students were told anything by teachers on that first Thursday, the day before the PowerPoint presentation. Everything I found indicates all information from the teachers came in that session :

But WHO told them on Thursday? I'm sorry, I'm still not following.

And I would like to hear some facts from the presentation. Did the presentation IMPLY they were going to Disney or was it stated?

Not sure what to tell either of you at this point?

If you follow the news from that city, it clearly states the timelines that all students were told by the offending teachers on Thursday that they were going to WDW.

The following day, the teachers provided details on their presentation about the trip, and then showed another class a record of this presentation and student reactions.

Tiger

 

[Becky2005]

Is it the end of the world? No. But it will be THE THING that they'll most remember about the time they spent in that school.

That they will. I had an experience in 8th grade & not quite the same thing but I remember it very clearly because it had to do with taking what the teacher tells you at face value!

In Science class we had to do a project, turn in the report, etc... It was HUGE...we were told up front -- no excuses for being late & late work won't be accepted. It was stressed big time. Guess who left the folder with the project sitting at home on the day it was due?!? ME. I remembered it way too late & just figured oh well, stinks for me but I forgot it and no late work so I get a 0 for that. I never even talked to the teacher about it.

Toward the end of the semester he asked me to stay after and then asked about the project. Told him what happened and then basically he scolded me for not telling him, asked if I could have called home, blah, blah, blah! WHY in the world would I go tell him about it? When he asked me why I didn't let him know my answer was "because you said you would not accept anything late period". I took that at face value. He made it quite clear that he wasn't going to accept late work & there would have been no way for me to turn it in until after class, so it would have been late. It never even crossed my mind to ask him. He then let me turn it in late. I was actually quite upset with him for basically lecturing me that it was MY fault for not coming to talk to him when I forgot it. STILL irks me to this day -- I should not have gotten in trouble for actually believing you in the first place!

In this situation, I could see the kids not believing a word the teachers say now. Which is not going to be good in an emergency situation...I know I wouldn't trust the teacher after this. I was never a fan of the Science teacher after the situation & it was to MY favor because he let me turn in the project.

All I can think about when I read this was my situation in 8th grade & that was just one on one. I can't imagine if it was built up intentionally by teachers.

 

[sam_gordon]

Not sure what to tell either of you at this point?

If you follow the news from that city, it clearly states the timelines that all students were told by the offending teachers on Thursday that they were going to WDW.

The following day, the teachers provided details on their presentation about the trip, and then showed another class a record of this presentation and student reactions.

Tiger

Assuming that's the case, this had nothing to do with kids snooping, but a flat out lie from the teachers. I don't understand why they'd do such a thing.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Not sure what to tell either of you at this point?

If you follow the news from that city, it clearly states the timelines that all students were told by the offending teachers on Thursday that they were going to WDW.

The following day, the teachers provided details on their presentation about the trip, and then showed another class a record of this presentation and student reactions.

Tiger

The original article (first post in this thread) says the students first found out about the "trip" because somebody saw paperwork on a teacher's desk and shared the information with classmates. The teachers did a presentation Friday and, at the end of that presentation and without anyone leaving the room, indicated (implied? we don't know what was said) first that it was a trip to Disney World and then that they were actually bowling.

Any and all information about who told what to whom is, first, third-hand - students to parents to media - and second, makes zero sense when the apparent intention was to stop students from snooping. The teachers won't or can't talk to the media; the school and the school board aren't releasing any information.

 

[Tiger926]

Assuming that's the case, this had nothing to do with kids snooping, but a flat out lie from the teachers. I don't understand why they'd do such a thing.

Not necessarily. Teacher could have concocted idea a few days before due to snooping. Prob took a few days to put together, and then it was presented to the classes.

Or, the snooping was a lie as a way for teachers to justify their actions.

The original article (first post in this thread) says the students first found out about the "trip" because somebody saw paperwork on a teacher's desk and shared the information with classmates. The teachers did a presentation Friday and, at the end of that presentation and without anyone leaving the room, indicated (implied? we don't know what was said) first that it was a trip to Disney World and then that they were actually bowling.

Any and all information about who told what to whom is, first, third-hand - students to parents to media - and second, makes zero sense when the apparent intention was to stop students from snooping. The teachers won't or can't talk to the media; the school and the school board aren't releasing any information.

As I stated, the article in the first post is incorrect and embellished based on the actual firsthand accounts in the local media. Local media actually interviewed parents, students and other school people. Kids were definitely told Disney, and last slide of presentation was a big gotcha: not only are they not going to Disney, but instead, they are going to a local bowling alley. That had been pretty clear all along, if you are reading local media reports from that city.

Regardless, I fail to see how your obsession with proving me wrong is helpful to the students?

Teachers messed up in a huge way, so who cares if kids first heard on Thurs or Friday?

The actions of those teachers and reactions of kids are most important here.

Tiger