Reply to If teachers are leaving left and right, is it the principal's fault?

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Reply to "If teachers are leaving left and right, is it the principal's fault?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This is a huge reason why public schools are failing. There are no consequences for poor behavior. I think class sizes play a role as well as staffing. We have full grade levels struggling due to the behavior of 5-8 kids. We have parents asking teachers how to parent their kids. It is a mess. [/quote]

I think a lot of kids misbehave at school because they know they can get away with crap there that they wouldn’t at home.  Teachers ‘ ability to deliver meaningful consequences has been stripped from teachers, and school administrators who are more interested in playing politician than in acknowledging their  “in loco parentis” responsibilities, are doing little because they prioritize their own self-interest over the community for which they work.  [/quote]

THIS ^^.  I'm one of the PPs who wound up quitting due to the horrendous behavior of some of my students.  The principal and assistant principal looked at me like I had four heads when I brought the situation to their attention (they already knew about it, but continued to gaslight as if it was my fault).  They refused to call the parents because they clearly didn't want the hassle of having to deal with them.  I'm looking into teaching a private school, where kids troublemakers are not tolerated and teachers are supported.[/quote]

There is so much gaslighting in education at every level. This is why teachers are done. Oh and the [b]toxic positivity-nonsense[/b].[/quote]

what does that mean?[/quote]

DP. Where I teach, it means something along the lines of "He wouldn't be failing/ refusing to come to school/ initiating fights with classmates/ calling you a f****** b**** if you tried a little harder to build a relationship and made your lesson plans more engaging. We know it's Thanksgiving Break but here's some PD to teach you how to do this more effectively!! Please remember to take time to connect with those around you and enjoy your time off!"[/quote]

that makes absolutely no sense. you mean that's the messaging parents give you as a teacher???[/quote]

DP.  That makes perfect sense.  This is the message teachers are given by both the parents and the administration - "It's YOUR fault if your students aren't engaged.  It's YOUR fault if they're acting up and disrupting the class.  What can YOU do to make this child behave better?"  The PP nailed it.
[/quote]

DP, but I could have been the PP and written that post. Not only have I been told that I need to have a plan to support the disruptive students, but I also need to have and communicate my plans to support the students who are most affected (or have parents who are most vocal) by the disruptive students. Apparently if I set expectations, am consistent and model expected behaviors the disruptive students will behave appropriately. When they don’t it must be because I’m not doing these things. I also need to make sure I know what all of the students are doing, 100% of the time, which is tough to manage when so much time is spent working with small groups.

In my decades of teaching for FCPS I never had difficulty managing a class until just a few years ago (still pre-pandemic). I rarely needed to refer to the administrators, but when I did you could be sure I needed assistance. I’ve stopped doing that. It just creates too much trouble for me and draws the spotlight of criticism. Almost the entire day is disrupted in some way by outbursts, side conversations, arguments or students who are just off task in some way. I keep trying Responsive Classroom techniques, but if they work it is short-lived. I’ve always allowed for movement and I never have expected a silent classroom, but something has changed and each day is very difficult. [/quote]

Exactly this.  When I spoke to admin, they asked if I was using the chimes to quiet down the class.  The f-ing chimes??!!?  Sure, I use the chimes - and the kids completely ignore them.  They.do.not.care.  My voice is constantly hoarse from having to yell just to be heard - and I am not a yeller.  If I'm trying to work with small groups, inevitably the troublemakers make it impossible for me to devote any time at all to the few kids who just want to learn and need my help.  I'm constantly putting out metaphorical fires - spats between kids that are absurd - when I could be actually teaching them something.  And apparently, all this bad behavior is my fault.  No wonder teachers are leaving in droves.  No doubt I'll be joining them if I can make it through this year.[/quote]

Oh wow. This is my experience, 100%, down to the chime.

I’m retiring from full time teaching a few years earlier than I had planned.

[/quote]

Are chimes the latest fad?  When I was teaching it was behavior contracts.  You had to write out a document with a list of things the student would agree to do, and then have them sign it.  Like signing a document saying they wouldn't stand up and start dancing on their chair in the middle of class was actually going to have any effect on a student who would do that in the first place.  And it didn't.  But it wasted a whole lot of your time writing that thing up.[/quote]

For us the chime is part of being a responsive classroom school. [/quote]

Same.
Theoretically the students are supposed to stop what they are doing and listen to the teacher. [/quote]

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