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A teacher in New York is suspended for washing a boy's mouth out with soap
You know, when I read the article title I couldn't help but think that this woman *knew* what was going to happen. She knew she'd be suspended. Besides the fact that no one does this anymore, there's also the sense that children in school can only be disciplined in very nice ways (and yes, I realize that sort of counteracts the whole purpose of discipline). It has to be all fluffy bunnies and "don't marr their egos", when sometimes what they need is a the verbal equivalent of a swift kick in the butt.
And as a child of teacher folks...even scolding a child can get a teacher in trouble.
What was highly intriguing is the fact that, upon reading the article, the purpose behind the teacher's actions becomes something different. The child was troubled. He's in a foster home. He'd been suspended on more than one occassion. The teacher was disciplining him for using a particularly vile curse word on a 3rd grade girl. She washed his mouth out with soap as a way of trying to keep him from being suspended again, because that obviously wasn't working.
It apparently worked to a degree too. The kid behaved for the rest of the day. It was the boy's brother that told officials who disciplined the teacher. The teacher isn't remorseful.
Sometimes I look at where the schools and society have gotten to and I wonder. Some things we've made amazing progress on. But in the journey to a better future, have we overcompensated in some arenas? Have we taken away all forms of accountability from today's children? Are we doing our jobs as parents and adults if only very, very strict guidelines can be followed to discipline a child?
I'm not for beating children, but sometimes, when one form of discipline doesn't work, others must be employed. You have to reach that child now. If not, they'll grow into someone unreachable later. Tough love does have its merits in some situations.
You know, when I read the article title I couldn't help but think that this woman *knew* what was going to happen. She knew she'd be suspended. Besides the fact that no one does this anymore, there's also the sense that children in school can only be disciplined in very nice ways (and yes, I realize that sort of counteracts the whole purpose of discipline). It has to be all fluffy bunnies and "don't marr their egos", when sometimes what they need is a the verbal equivalent of a swift kick in the butt.
And as a child of teacher folks...even scolding a child can get a teacher in trouble.
What was highly intriguing is the fact that, upon reading the article, the purpose behind the teacher's actions becomes something different. The child was troubled. He's in a foster home. He'd been suspended on more than one occassion. The teacher was disciplining him for using a particularly vile curse word on a 3rd grade girl. She washed his mouth out with soap as a way of trying to keep him from being suspended again, because that obviously wasn't working.
It apparently worked to a degree too. The kid behaved for the rest of the day. It was the boy's brother that told officials who disciplined the teacher. The teacher isn't remorseful.
Sometimes I look at where the schools and society have gotten to and I wonder. Some things we've made amazing progress on. But in the journey to a better future, have we overcompensated in some arenas? Have we taken away all forms of accountability from today's children? Are we doing our jobs as parents and adults if only very, very strict guidelines can be followed to discipline a child?
I'm not for beating children, but sometimes, when one form of discipline doesn't work, others must be employed. You have to reach that child now. If not, they'll grow into someone unreachable later. Tough love does have its merits in some situations.