From The Teacher's Desk...

Some of you may know that I am a full-time junior high/high school teacher. I work with students who are often referred to as "at-risk" due to truancy, out-of-control behavior, or kids who are in the foster care system.

As a teacher, I don't relish the idea of having a "showdown" with my students. I would prefer to work in an environment where kids are willing to learn and I am free to teach. But we don't live (or work) in a perfect world. Without going into great detail, there were a few students who decided to test me with negative, distracting behavior. I finally got tired of it and had to throw down the gauntlet (look at definition #3). Using my top secret teacher tactics, I was able to maintain control of the class and save face for the parties involved.

Parents and guardians: Please verbalize the importance of positive behavior in the classroom. Ask your student(s) how the "flow" of their class goes. Ask them how often they answer/ask questions during class. Ask them why they asked the questions they did, or find out why they didn't ask questions. This will give you a good idea about how your student is doing in that subject area.

Let your student(s) know that you expect them to show courtesy to the teacher and their classmates by not talking while instruction in going on and using appropriate language when they are speaking in class. No puts downs are allowed.

This includes preschool through seniors in high school. I know that sometimes, the material can become a little...dry (okay, boring). The quicker we can get through the boring stuff, the more time we will have to complete projects, have class debates, and do FUN stuff.

You would not believe the amount of cussing going on in school rooms today.
When I call kids on their "dirty" mouths, some seem genuinely surprised when I repeat (the edited version of course) of what they just said. A host of kids use the words to "shock" those around them or "one-up" their peers. Others however are in such a habit of using bad language they don't realize when it comes out of their mouths.

Teachers want students to discuss and debate the materials we present. I personally relish it when students "take over" a discussion and I get to sit back gently guide.
However, everyone in the room has to agree to listen respectfully and, sometimes, agree to disagree without making personal attacks on one another.

That's my input from behind....The Teacher's Desk