Anonymous wrote:Call local media. Seriously: take this to the press.

Document EVERYTHING.

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry, OP. It's really sad, but teachers are sometimes assaulted by students, with very little in terms of consequences. This is why teachers quit. I hope you can get through to your administration.

Anonymous wrote:Teachers need to file a police report any time a student harms a teacher, starting from primary grades. I’ve been a teacher since the 1980s, and bs k then, assaults on staff were almost unheard of. When you report a kid, the courts can mandate treatment for the kid. It’s sometimes the only way to make that happen.

You need to meet with admin to discuss this student and plans going forward. There should be a meeting with the admin, guidance counselor, and you to discuss the future.

In our district you can request that the student be moved to another class.

Anonymous wrote:Call the brat’s parents. File a restraining order. Go outside the school for help.

Anonymous wrote:I'll disclose that I'm not a teacher and found this in Recent, but I'd file a police report and make a complaint through my union.

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Anonymous wrote:I told them this but they said they don’t think he is a threat. I don’t understand how threatening to punch a teacher only warrants a one day suspension.

Teacher here—he didn’t actually punch you, so there was a threat but no assault. One day suspension makes sense (students need to be in school). I also would not want him in my class, I understand why you are nervous. But since your admin won’t help you, here’s my advice (you’re not going to like it):

You need to be kind to this student. If he comes in and feels threatened because you are cold to him and taking notes on him constantly, he will be on edge and that’s what may make him more likely to hurt you. If you focus on repair and “kill him with kindness” attitude, he’s not going to want to hurt someone who is kind to him and who forgave him for something he knows deep down he shouldn’t have said. He may not deserve your kindness, but you extending warmth to him may save you from assault. Also, you gain back the power he tried to take from you. And students who know adults don’t have power are simultaneously thrilled and scared.

You can do this, op. Deep breaths. Head held high. Smile on your face. Eye contact with the boy. Take back control.

I won’t say this is bad advice, it could work but there are plenty of kids this wouldn’t work on. There are people who want to intimidate and harm others that is not connected to how the other person treats them.
-another teacher who has been physically assaulted by a student.

I will.

It is telling the teacher, who is the legitimate authority, that she should cede control to her abuser and let him control the classroom. This is terrible, abusive advice.

“Abuser”?! If this is the way you describe a 12 year old, then Yes you are in the wrong profession. People who work with children are supposed to be tough, brave, and aren’t supposed to be easily frightened. I can remember many times when I was in middle school and a student said something dumb to get a rise and reaction out of a teacher. It was almost a game. And the teacher would respond with a witty remark or something similar and didn’t appear the least phased. Ofcourse most of my teachers were male or taller stockier women (now that I think of it). So maybe if you are smaller and easily intimidated, maybe try to stick with smaller elementary kids?

Either way, your reaction does seem a bit over the top.

There’s something really wrong with you and anyone else who thinks that teachers need to be “tough, brave and not easily frightened” when there are direct threats of physical violence. On the contrary, I think teachers should be kind, supportive, and excellent at communicating their subject material. You are describing prison guards, not teachers!