Was This Fair??

[Pam]

DS was in 8th grade shop on Thursday. His class is working on making wooden cars - although, because the MS is being renovated, they don't have access to the shop portion of the school. They were using coping saws, instead.

Anyways, DS was in a group of 7 students at the front of the class cutting out their cars. Someone in the group yelled (loudly) at another student. The teacher got mad (understandably) and demanded to know who had done the yelling. He [the teacher] said it sounded like it was one of the 2 girls. No one would confess. He got madder. He told all 7 students that someone had better tell him who had yelled. No one did, because quite frankly, DS and a couple of the other boys did not know who yelled.

The teacher then assigned all 7 students a 500 word essay on "Industry". We did not have school on Friday, but we are back in school today. The essay was due today. The teacher told them if they didn't hand it in today, it would be 1,000 words due on Tuesday and if nothing was handed in by Wed., they would be heading to the principal's office.

I didn't call the principal, because DS was upset that it would make the situation worse and I know a couple of the other students felt the same way. The essay was written and ended up being a little over 600 words.

Was the teacher fair and just in handling the matter in this fashion?
Pam

 

[browneyes]

No, he wasn't fair.

 

[Serena]

No way.

 

[pat fan]

In a perfect world he was not being fair.This is not a perfect world though.Not to defend him,but what would you have done?Yelling loudly while others nearby are using power tools is extremely dangerous.The yeller needed to be dealt with.I'm sure someone knew who did it.Think of it this way,if your son jerked at the yell and sliced his hand or finger off,would you still feel an essay was not fair?No,you'd probably think it was too light a punishment.Just playing devils advocate here....

 

[Gail T AGAIN]

School is never fair for the kids, it wasn't when I was in school and more so now, I am glad my son is out of school. That wasn't fair to your son but this is how it goes cause one kid must of done and it and wouldn't confess to it. That is such a same

 

[Kermit]

I do think that teachers do have a right to make other students "tell on" other students when they know who did it, but the teacher should also believe the students when they say they really don't know. You didn't go into specifics, but the teacher should, at the very least, talk to each of the students in private to see if they know anything. It gives the teacher a better feel for if the student is telling the truth, and it allows the students to say what they know without fear. If the teacher wasn't willing to do these things, then he was wrong.

 

[Pam]

Well, they all did their essays. And DS still doesn't know who the yeller was - although he concurs with the teacher in thinking it was a girl.

BTW, they weren't using power tools, as the actual shop room is done while certain areas are being renovated.
Pam

 

[Kallison]

I always tell my kids - sometimes you get punished for something you didn't do, it's not fair but just take the punishment and discuss it in a rational manner with the teacher later. Maybe your son can nicely tell the teacher why he felt the punishment wasn't fair. I don't think it's right for the teacher to expect students to rat on other students. iiiio

 

[mom2boys]

Who says the teacher was trying to get the others to "rat" on the screamer? Perhaps the teacher was hoping the screamer would own up to it. In my book, not owning up to something is lying about it. It's a shame your son was caught in the middle.

 

[Bob NC]

Fair? Probably not, but so what? I remember being in this same situation when I was in school, and as I remember, I didn't even mention it to my parents. All those kids learned a little lesson, and I'm guessing that some of them knew who yelled and they are making sure the yeller is learning an even bigger lesson.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

Fair? Probably not, but so what?

LOL Bob. Last year my son had to write a 1000 word essay on one of two topics: Why you SHOULD behave for your teachers as a 6th Grader or Why it is OK NOT TO behave for your teachers as a 6th Grader.

This was assigned after a substitute left a note for the regular teacher saying that every boy in the class was a jerk for the entire day. The problem? My son was home sick with strep throat that day. :lol:

It never occured to me to make a fuss. I'm sure there was something else that happened some other day that he never got punished for -- life tends to even out that way.

He actually had alot of fun making up reasons why it's ok not to behave. My favorite was "If You Watch TV You'll notice that the Rule Breakers drive the best cars."

 

[snowwhitemom]

Fair...compared to what? Not a good way of handling a bad situation is something that he is guilty of but not being fair, it is his class...I would not like it either.

 

[bobcat]

Its a huge safety isssue when students are yelling in a lab class. While they weren't using power tools they were using tools that when startled could cause serious injury. I am sure that they knew the rules of the lab ahead of time and yelling would have been one of the first things covered. It is also a safety issue when students are loud and can't hear the teacher. Did the teacher have a right to be mad? In my opinion yes. I teach family and consumer sciences and many of my safety rules in labs are the same as my friend the industrial tech teacher's. Do I think his punishment is fair no, but when it comes to my students safety fair is no longer an issue. I personally wouldn't have assigned a writing assignment but you wouldn't have liked my solution any better. If I couldn't tell who the yeller was (which rarely happens, I freak my students out because I hear everything!) not only would their grade have been lowered, which is in their lab rubric they read ahead of time, they also could be taken out of the lab experience for the rest of the labs and have to do book work. These students got off easily!

 

[Pam]

OK - I want this thread locked!
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J/K!!!!!


Well, everyone did their essays - I wonder do you teachers actually read them? DS's ended up being over 600 words, anyways.

Interesting replies and several were thought-provoking. I'm just thankful that this class ends in about 3 more weeks and that's the end of dealing with this particular teacher. DS and DD both had him for 2 years each - and let's just say that we're all glad they're moving on.......
Pam