How bad do you think this is?

[Galahad]

The origin of smartass is not profain. We are a pretty prudish household when it comes to language and DW and I and our sons call each other "smartass" all the time. There are much, much bigger problems a high school student could have with a teacher. This one is not worth it, IMO.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I think the kid was a smartass, got called on it, was embarrassed in front of his friends. As a parent, I would be more worried about my kid's remark than the teacher's. I certainly wouldn't be pursuing action against the teacher, I would let it go and be glad that's all that happened to him. JMO.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

A high school teacher here weighing in. OP, your advice to your son to go and talk to his teacher is absolutely the best advice. I can speak from experience that sometimes we teachers can say something in the heat of the moment that hurts a student's feelings, and we are completely unaware of it. A typical class has 35 or so kids, multiplied by 5 periods. With those kinds of numbers, things can be said in the hustle and bustle and reactions not noticed. I have had students (not many, but a couple in 10 years) tell me they didn't think I liked them and I was just shocked! Honestly, I have never disliked a kid, nor have I heard colleagues talk about not liking a certain kid. Really. We'll get frustrated sometimes, just like parents do, but it is really rare for it to become an active disliking of a teenage kid.

The teacher was frustrated and said something inappropriate in the heat of the moment. If it's not a pattern, cut her some slack, and explain to your son that someday he'll need someone to cut him some slack, too. We all do at one time or another.

I work in a High School also and totally agree with this post.

Plus think the hurt is from the look of disgust on teachers face. Kids do get their feelings hurt easily.

At my school "smartass" wouldn't be considered swearing. Isn't an *** or ******* a nondomesticated donkey?

 

[smidgy]

high school is a preparation for adulthood. (not all kids go to college). even though I rarely swear myself, in this case it was a minor swear word, and the kid was being (what she said). at 15 , he better learn to deal with authority figures on his own, and their responses to his behavior. mom will not be there at his first job, or the first time he is pulled over for a traffic offense. and he better learn now, that some authority figures are nice, and some are not (be it teachers, bosses, coaches, police offficers, whatever).
some are fair, some are not. some will handle you with kit gloves, some will give you back what you gave to them.

something weird happens to boys when they turn 12 or 13. these delightful, polite boys turn into sarcastic hormone ridden creatures we don't recognize! (not MY boys, of course!). they best learn in high school, their words WILL have reactions. the teacher may be reprimanded for such a remark, but their coach may just "put another kid in that slot" or their boss at their teenage McJob may just have "no need" for them anymore. and so... life goes on.....
this taught him to think before he speaks. )not that either of MY boys ever deserved that! )

 

[WDWBarb]

At my school "smartass" wouldn't be considered swearing. Isn't an *** or ******* a nondomesticated donkey?

Apparently the Disboards think that the a-word is a "bad" word. And I am far from a prude, but if I wouldn't let my child use a word (and if I heard her say "smartass" I would most certainly correct her) I also wouldn't want her to be called that word.

I am really shocked at some of the things being said to the OP in this thread. She never said anything about her son having "precious little feelings." She just asked a question which is the title of this thread. The question was about an opinion on a situation, not an open invitation to judge her and her son.

I would not be happy with this teacher's choice of words in this situation but I don't think I would take it any further. I would just check in from time to time with my son to ensure that nothing else has happened and that it was an isolated incident. A HS teacher recently called my DD a "stinking liberal" in class (it's a political class) and embarassed her tremendously. We talked about it and I explained that he showed poor judgement and that everyone, including teachers, demonstrates poor judgement from time to time. If that is all that happens, we're done with it. If his comments continue or escalate, I'll suggest she speak with him.

And to the OP -