My students are out of control. They are rude, disengaged, lazy whiners. They curse, discuss drugs, talk back, argue for grades, complain about everything, fancy themselves entitled to whatever they desire, and are just generally annoying.Well, yeah. The problem is that as teachers we sign up to deal with that, and hopefully role-model better attitudes. That said, it's hard out there.
See as well, at WPVI-TV Philadelphia, "CB East teacher defends blog posts."
Plus, Monroe's got a report at the blog: "Bloggate - Day 1: The Scandal Begins":
See, what I'd done was written a casual blog. I talked about everything--such exciting topics as our trip to Sesame Place, my favorite (and least favorite) restaurants, my work experiences, the diaper genie. I had 9 followers--2 of whom were my husband and myself, the other 7 were friends. When I started it, my goal was to write 1-3 times a week, though I didn't usually have time to do it that much. I ended up writing 84 blogs between 8/9/09 and 11/25/10. (I remember that, at one point, my track of blogging was about equal with my gym-going, but my gym-going eventually surpassed my blog track. I went there religiously at least 3 times a week until my morning sickness started...) I slowed down at the end, writing only about 10 blogs between June and November. I was too busy with being pregnant, teaching a new curriculum, and being harassed at school to write anything between November and February.
She was interviewed on Fox by the Judge gal, forget her name, you know, the brunette. Anyway, this "teacher" came across to me as lazy, whiny and self-important. She sneered her way through the interview and shrugged when asked why any school district should hire her now, while saying that she's a great teacher. Her mouth said it but her body language did not. I wouldn't want her RAT FACE anywhere near my kids.
ReplyDeleteDon't like the term RAT FACE? She had no compunction describing one of her students that way.
Some teachers bring out the best in their students. Some bring out the worst. Remember high school? You could take different classes with exactly the same kids. They would behave like angels for one teacher and hellions for the next. I suggest this teacher does not have the skills to cultivate good behavior out of students, and she blames them instead of looking to see what she could improve about herself.
High school students--particularly 12th graders--are the most difficult age group to teach in terms of attitudes and behavior.
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher myself, I can tell you that it's perfectly possible to do your utmost as a teacher, to work with all your might to educate your students, and still feel very frustrated about the kids who are unwilling to work, defiant, spoiled, entitled and untrustworthy.
Natalie allowed herself a personal outlet for the frustrations of her job. She did so in as anonymous a fashion as possible. She did nothing more--in fact, a lot less--than every single employee in America routinely does on a daily basis around the water cooler, in the lunchroom, or on the internet. She occasionally (not routinely, but only occasionally) complained about the unpleasant parts of her job. She also spent a fairly equal amount of blog time talking about the joys of her job, but nobody is reporting on that.
Given that her entire life has been turned upside down as a result, I don't doubt her attitude now is less than warm and fuzzy.
Oh well i aint hip to censoring blogs--regardless of an employers disagreement, that goes for private and public.
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