Godsister wants me to ask all of you ?. Her son's 2nd grade teacher stuffed bookbag and jacket in trash...

Question

This is at a school where I teach.

It was on Friday. The teacher told him that she was going to count to 5 and if his things were not up she will throw it in the trash. She counted to 5 really fast and then stuffed his belongings into the trash bin.

She is going to speak to the director of the school, but she wants to know what type of disciplinary action she should expect from the school.

Her son said all the students were laughing at him and he wanted to cry. He asked her to take it out please and she said, "No it will stay in there until you get out of school."

He is a new student at this charter school and I am the one that recommended that he attended this urban school.

Answer 1

I think your god sister should speak to the director, that don't give his teacher know right to throw his book bag and jacket in the trash..there is other ways you can punish a child.She should have talk to his mother first, I have work in the school for years, i will never do nothing like that, and she should pay for his things and call the police..That makes me anger to hear something like that.

Answer 2

Has the godsister spoken to the teacher yet? That should be the first course of action--before going to the director. This parent should be willing to listen to both sides of the story. The child has had a chance to have his say--now the teacher deserves the same chance. Perhaps there is more to the story than your child is letting on...such as, the teacher asked him repeatedly to pick up the materials and he kept refusing, etc. (By the way, in my district, insubordination is grounds for removal from the classroom.) I do agree that throwing his things in the garbage seems a bit radical, but this parent can easily communicate her displeasure with this consequence to the teacher and request that different methods be used with her son if he is not cooperating--such as a time out. If the parent is still not satisfied with how things went after talking with the teacher, or things like this continue, then it is fine to go to the director.

Answer 3

I do not know what disciplinary action will be doled out to her, but I am so glad you did report it. I can understand that teachers do get frustrated, but some of their actions are traumatizing, and they need to learn that something like this can have devastating effects for years. She has (hopefully unaware) possibly defined a social pecking order for this child. I was raised in a very strict family, and presumed in general that an adults word was law and all powerful and I remember a verbal comment/ incident involving a trash can t that happened to me in kindergarten that terrified me for weeks and have never forgotten. I would think now there is some sort of psychological training these teachers have to take, but I guess there are idiots in every profession.

Answer 4

I would be very careful the child is not telling porky pies. As a teacher myself I can't imagine a teacher doing this and I have known many children to lie so they won't get into trouble because they lost or damaged their belongings. If you are sure he is telling the truth then go speak to the teacher. If he/she doesn't seem to listen or care go to the director. You don't want to get on bad terms with the teacher for the child's sake. The child won't learn well if they think you don't respect the teacher so careful what you say in front of him.

Answer 5

report her to the principal. First of all she/he had no right to throw away your child's personal property. She should be made to replace them. Also she sound like she doesn't have good classroom policies or knows how to do good classroom management. I'm a teacher and I don't care what kind of school the child goes to, there is a right and a wrong way to handle young children. This experience could scare him. She/he could of pulled him aside rather then getting loud and embarrassing the child in front of their peers.
Her/his punishment could be very little or very bad depending on the school, past history and track record of the teacher, but you should go after the teacher because there is no justification for her behavior.

Answer 6

Sounds like self inflicted punishment. His story is that the teacher counted really fast. I suspect, teacher had asked more than once. Teacher might be in the wrong but so might the son. If a resolution is needed, then it will have to go to the head master who will have to hear from all witnesses.

Meanwhile, has the son learned to respond more quickly?

Answer 7

I feel your sense of being responsible for the situation. On the other hand, the facts are not that clear.

If one only listened to one side of the story, especially that of a young child, one would be hard put to know what really transpired. Kids generally oblivious to others, not to mention their lack of listening skill. For that matter, many adults don't have good listening skills either.

In any case, do you know the teacher? and her classroom management style?

How about talking with the teacher, and talk with a few other kids who were there. Then determine if you feel it is a situation that either the teacher needs to know how better to handle the situation, or the 2nd grader needs to learn to follow instructions.

This is a great learning opportunity for all.

Answer 8

by reading that id say that she would be fired if not you can sew i think for emotional and mental abuse and don't fell sorry the teacher a jerk at my school that teacher would git fired and would be mentioned to all the private schools in Wisconsin for lack of knowledge kindness good behavior and understanding you better talk to that teacher and see if any thing like this happened to any other students this year or past years and if their was a family crises that would make her act in this idiotic and bitchy way

Answer 9

the kids now a days get by with alittle bit more than what i got by with, and i think thats beginning to become a prob...meaning i only got the count of 3 to get stuff done......but yes throwin the stuff in the trash and humiliating him in front of a new class room, aint the right thing to do......this should be looked at by the head office, if she is known for this kind of action she needs to be deciplined very well......but if this is a one time accurence, then she should just get a verbal warning.........

Answer 10

Seems like a strange disciplinary tactic. I would talk to the director of the school about it.