APS teacher has crushed my kid’s spirit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, is this about the Swanson 6th grade math teacher who was let go two weeks ago? If yes, she crushed my daughter's spirit too, as well as all of her confidence in math. The fact that APS finally got around to doing something only two weeks before the math SOL was even more infuriating.

Not op, but the one who screamed at everyone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher. I can tell you this teacher is not picking on your kid. You aren’t getting the full story. 90% chance your kid’s behavior is the issue. That’s the cold hard truth. Teachers don’t look for 12 year olds to “pick on.”

Are you for real? My first grade teacher had us arrange our desks in a U shape, with the best-behaved kids on the side in front of her so if someone looked in the class the kids facing the door were the best behaved. Then the next group were along the back wall, and the "worst" kids were in the row closest to the door so they could be most easily sent to the hall or to the principal's office. First grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher. I can tell you this teacher is not picking on your kid. You aren’t getting the full story. 90% chance your kid’s behavior is the issue. That’s the cold hard truth. Teachers don’t look for 12 year olds to “pick on.”

Are you for real? My first grade teacher had us arrange our desks in a U shape, with the best-behaved kids on the side in front of her so if someone looked in the class the kids facing the door were the best behaved. Then the next group were along the back wall, and the "worst" kids were in the row closest to the door so they could be most easily sent to the hall or to the principal's office. First grade.

Actually that is a reasonable idea, maybe not for 1st grade but certainly for older grades. The kids who are misbehaving who need to be sent out can make quite a disruption as they leave when they pass by other kids' desks. Putting them closer to the door negates much of that issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher. I can tell you this teacher is not picking on your kid. You aren’t getting the full story. 90% chance your kid’s behavior is the issue. That’s the cold hard truth. Teachers don’t look for 12 year olds to “pick on.”

Are you for real? My first grade teacher had us arrange our desks in a U shape, with the best-behaved kids on the side in front of her so if someone looked in the class the kids facing the door were the best behaved. Then the next group were along the back wall, and the "worst" kids were in the row closest to the door so they could be most easily sent to the hall or to the principal's office. First grade.

Actually that is a reasonable idea, maybe not for 1st grade but certainly for older grades. The kids who are misbehaving who need to be sent out can make quite a disruption as they leave when they pass by other kids' desks. Putting them closer to the door negates much of that issue.

+1. I'm not sure why people have an issue with teachers minimizing disruptive behavior. Disruptive kids with patterns of disruptiveness and bad behavior should segregated as much as possible. Before you come at me, I say this as a parent of a child who is often 'singled-out' for misbehaving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher. I can tell you this teacher is not picking on your kid. You aren’t getting the full story. 90% chance your kid’s behavior is the issue. That’s the cold hard truth. Teachers don’t look for 12 year olds to “pick on.”

Are you for real? My first grade teacher had us arrange our desks in a U shape, with the best-behaved kids on the side in front of her so if someone looked in the class the kids facing the door were the best behaved. Then the next group were along the back wall, and the "worst" kids were in the row closest to the door so they could be most easily sent to the hall or to the principal's office. First grade.

I don't see anything wrong with that arrangement - it sounds functional. A first grader shot a teacher this year elsewhere in Virginia, and I think you underestimate what first graders are capable of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


How do you know he's telling the truth? Kids this age often blame things on the teacher. Maybe he "doesn't want you to get involved" because you'll find out that he's lying. Maybe he's misbehaving and she's just calling him on it.



Do you know the number one Ted talk is about schools and teachers killing kids’ creativity. It’s been watched 75 million times, so I’d say it strikes a nerve.

Teacher’s routinely fail kids. I’ve seen it. These same teachers may even be phenomenal with other kids.

My mom is a teacher, before you say I hate teachers. I saw many kids come up to her and thank her in public. But, I’m certain she failed kids too.

PP, please proofread before posting.

PP, please take the stick out of your @ss before posting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher. I can tell you this teacher is not picking on your kid. You aren’t getting the full story. 90% chance your kid’s behavior is the issue. That’s the cold hard truth. Teachers don’t look for 12 year olds to “pick on.”

Are you for real? My first grade teacher had us arrange our desks in a U shape, with the best-behaved kids on the side in front of her so if someone looked in the class the kids facing the door were the best behaved. Then the next group were along the back wall, and the "worst" kids were in the row closest to the door so they could be most easily sent to the hall or to the principal's office. First grade.

I don't see anything wrong with that arrangement - it sounds functional. A first grader shot a teacher this year elsewhere in Virginia, and I think you underestimate what first graders are capable of.

Please don't try to normalize a 1st grader shooting a teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher. I can tell you this teacher is not picking on your kid. You aren’t getting the full story. 90% chance your kid’s behavior is the issue. That’s the cold hard truth. Teachers don’t look for 12 year olds to “pick on.”

Are you for real? My first grade teacher had us arrange our desks in a U shape, with the best-behaved kids on the side in front of her so if someone looked in the class the kids facing the door were the best behaved. Then the next group were along the back wall, and the "worst" kids were in the row closest to the door so they could be most easily sent to the hall or to the principal's office. First grade.

I don't see anything wrong with that arrangement - it sounds functional. A first grader shot a teacher this year elsewhere in Virginia, and I think you underestimate what first graders are capable of.

Please don't try to normalize a 1st grader shooting a teacher.

Are you a teacher? Do you work in an elementary school? Because many of behavioral issues are frightening, and I don't think you have any idea what "normal" is with regards to what teachers deal with when simply trying to teach a class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher. I can tell you this teacher is not picking on your kid. You aren’t getting the full story. 90% chance your kid’s behavior is the issue. That’s the cold hard truth. Teachers don’t look for 12 year olds to “pick on.”

Some do, yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, is this about the Swanson 6th grade math teacher who was let go two weeks ago? If yes, she crushed my daughter's spirit too, as well as all of her confidence in math. The fact that APS finally got around to doing something only two weeks before the math SOL was even more infuriating.

Not op, but the one who screamed at everyone?

Yes, the one who screamed at everyone. I still can't believe that it took a student video-taping that teacher with her iPad and emailing it to the counselors to get APS to do something about a situation that everyone knew was going on all year. I tried to talk to Swanson, as did many other parents, and we were repeatedly gaslit that there was a problem in the classroom. Even other teachers tried to flag the problem to Loft, since the screaming was audible through classroom walls and down the hallways. She did nothing until there was video evidence that could potentially go public.

We've had some amazing teachers in APS, and I know it is a hard, underpaid job. But that doesn't mean that there aren't completely crappy teachers out there too who shouldn't be in the classroom. And if your kid gets one of the crappy teachers, especially at a young age, it can do real damage to their confidence.

[Anonymous]

I am. Your worst f—big nightmare.

I’m focused on being mean to your kid! Because it’s fun! Sorry, deal with it!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher. I can tell you this teacher is not picking on your kid. You aren’t getting the full story. 90% chance your kid’s behavior is the issue. That’s the cold hard truth. Teachers don’t look for 12 year olds to “pick on.”

So yeah, these teachers exist. You might even be one of them, PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher. I can tell you this teacher is not picking on your kid. You aren’t getting the full story. 90% chance your kid’s behavior is the issue. That’s the cold hard truth. Teachers don’t look for 12 year olds to “pick on.”

Some do, yes.

If they’re picking on a 12 -year old it’s because they’re misbehaving. They actually don’t find random kids to pick on for no reason at all.