Not using profanity was out of line.

"It's a teacher's job, however, to give students the motivation to learn"

A good teacher can provide some inspiration, however, it's not their job. I think one of the biggest problems with education is that far too little emphasis is placed on the responsibility that students themselves must take for their own futures. Give kids ANY excuse why their non-performance is 'not their fault' and they will grab it with both hands and never let go! It's good somebody has the balls to do what is no longer politically correct, and that's criticize lazy kids for being lazy. That's EXACTLY what they need. No it's not the teacher's fault you're too lazy to pick up a damn book. Provided she didn't use their names, I don't see the problem.

There is much talk in the US about the 'causes' of lacklustre education performance. But the fact is that US children still enjoy amongst the best learning opportunities in the entire world, the envy of most nations. Even the worst 'public schools' are better than what passes for schools in many developing countries, never mind all the other opportunities available in society.

I remember how popular the "blame the teacher" game was amongst kids at my school. But I was taught, rightfully, that ultimately I am the only responsible for my performance at school, and the only one who must live with the consequences. Your employer one day when you grow up isn't going to cut you slack for being a clueless idiot when you whine how it's because your teachers didn't motivate you. You're just going to end up flipping burgers and it's your own dang fault.

Too bad truth isn't a valid defense in this case. The teacher would have it made in the shade.

Some of her insults are lyrics from the musical "Bye Bye Birdie"!

This is from the song "Kids":
"Kids! They are disobedient, disrespectful oafs. Noisy, crazy, sloppy, lazy LOAFERS."

Sure you have the right to blog about anything you want, but employers have the right to terminate you if they believe you're bitching about your job. Rights go both ways. And free speech protects only federal government retaliation. What does her state constitution say?

But, bottom line here is that the teacher was probably right, and a parent or student got pissy about it and wanted the school to shut her up for not thinking that the brats were angels.

I read some of the cached entries. She wrote that she told a student to stop tapping his pencil on his desk, the student kept dong it, she asked if he wanted her to write him up, he told her to go ahead. She asked if he had heard her, he told her "Yes, but you were ignored."

If some little fucktard had done that in my class, I would have gotten fired for yanking the little fuck out of his desk and down into the pushup position a la basic training.

We need to start throwing kids out of regular school for being little brats and disrupting classrooms.

Once you clear out that 10-15% (made up numbers)of kids who disrupt the learning of others, teachers will likely be better able to bring whatever teaching skills they do have to bear on the remaining kids.

Of course, a fair number of teachers similarly need to be cleared out, but that was a different topic a few months ago.

I am believer that education should be free (if needed). One of the few government program I support. Repeat educating students not giving tenure and high wages to lazy union teachers.

BUT

I also believe Education should be a privilege not a right. Student does not pass a grade he does not repeat, he is kicked out of school. Unless he or she can prove a real learning problem or excuse. You rude or do not listen, gone! You fight, gone. Criminal behavior, out! The school is their to educating not discipline. Let the parents deal with them.

I would also institute these with a law for any school age kid out of school in public will be fined or arrested or even possibly sent to do work. So these kids would be become the problems of mom and/or dad. After a few months of this and parents start seeing the children/teens costing other parents money and having to be actually dealt with and not shoved off to school. Every parent will send their kid to school with a beating and the words do not get your ass kicked out of school or I will kick you ass.

Sorry the above is my own little private fascist dream.

As a teacher, I can say this. I do not like all of my students. Their are some I like, some I love, some I tolerate, some I am indifferent too, and few I would love to see, well you know - disappear off the earth. I am not paid to love your little princess or prince, I am there to teach them, but like the old saying about the horse and the water do not expect me to make them drink.

Robert Says:

"Sure you have the right to blog about anything you want, but employers have the right to terminate you if they believe you're bitching about your job. Rights go both ways. And free speech protects only federal government retaliation."

I'm not sure I agree with this portion of what you wrote.

In order for any work environment to function properly, a protected forum must exist for employees to voice their concerns and grievances. This is one of the reasons whistleblower protections exist, such that employees can express issues regarding illegal or unethical conduct within their workplace without having to sacrifice their ability to pay next months rent.

Now if what the employee is saying is factually incorrect then we are discussing an entirely different thing and that person should be open to being fired.

When considering this specific situation I can’t help but wonder what your feelings would be about a student being expelled from school for writing something unfavorable about a teacher or one of the administrators.

I see nothing wrong with people writing blogs about things so long as they keep information accurate about the events in question and refrain from identifying specific people.

I think that what she did was unprofessional, but she certainly was free to do it (and be held accountable for it).

She expressed contempt for her students. Not exactly the best way to develop a good teacher-student relationship. If she takes her profession seriously, she should be a little more discreet in her complaints.

Also, she seems as whiny as her students. If her students are "out of control," who is the person to take control of the situation? She is! She should quit complaining about it (granted, these days, any sort of discipline could get you sued, so I am sympathetic that her hands might be tied).

And, it is a little too simplistic to say her job is to teach. Part of effective teaching is to motivate your students, whether that is a motivation to learn or the motivation not to get a bad grade. You can't force anyone to learn, and, if they are not learning, she is not teaching; the relationship between student and teacher requires active participation on both sides and she has to figure out how to get them active (whether by encouragement, punishment, or both).
-Jut

If you want free speech, don't take the king's shilling.

Part of effective teaching is to motivate your students, whether that is a motivation to learn or the motivation not to get a bad grade. You can't force anyone to learn, and, if they are not learning, she is not teaching; the relationship between student and teacher requires active participation on both sides and she has to figure out how to get them active (whether by encouragement, punishment, or both).

A friend of mine taught school at a high school in Oakland, and had students jumping out the window of her classroom, along with numerous other such behaviors. She was supposed to be teaching them English. Was she also supposed to be "motivating" them to stay in their seats?

Ever heard of the 2003 book "There Are No Shortcuts" by elementary Los Angeles teacher Rafe Esquith?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafe_Esquith

He also had a documentary on PBS - it was P.O.V.'s "The Hobart Shakespeareans."

From the book:

"I'm sorry to say this, but there are times when even superhuman effort will not save a child from his environment or himself. It's not the job of the teacher to save a child's soul; it is the teacher's job to provide an opportunity for the child to save his own soul."

And, I would add, one newspaper pointed out that when it comes to getting kids to read for fun, the REAL heavy lifting lies in convincing PARENTS that reading to kids and vice versa is fun. Otherwise, the job of creating a love of reading - and learning - becomes almost too heavy for teachers.

It's a teacher's job, however, to give students the motivation to learn.

Hardly. I had a high school teacher who told us that there are three ways of learning: because of a teacher, despite a teacher, or to spite a teacher. The first inspires scholarship, the second is meh, and the third is either the doofus who's riding out the term, or the hard ass who is challenging you and you bring your A game to show them they're wrong.

Of course, they want you to bring your A game...

And free speech protects only federal government retaliation.

Um, no. It may have been that way, but not for over 100 years. You can read a bit more about incorporation of the Bill of Rights. Otherwise, the states wouldn't be bound by, oh, that pesky 4th amendment right to be free from unreasonable search and seizures.

This is a local story for me - she teaches at the local HS ( CB East ), and so there's been a lot of coverage in the hometown paper.

a couple of points..

The offending posts apparently constitute all of two or three installments on her blog, which otherwise concerns the minutia of her life. The blog is not about teaching or in any way framed as a professional outlet. It's a personal blog that she uses to communicate with friends and family.

She does not identify herself on the blog, nor her school, nor her students. Someone who knows her dug up those posts, which are over a year old, to stir up controversy. They would never have been discovered otherwise.

So while it may not have been prudent for her to write what she did, claims that she has violated her professional responsibility seem overwrought. Teachers are not public property. They should be allowed to publish anonymously, just like everyone else. The standards the some people want to apply in this situation would result in an oppressive regime of speech restrictions on teachers that I suspect would inspire most of them to leave the profession.

This reminds me of a Turkish proverb about telling the truth. It goes something like If you speak the truth, have a foot in the stirrup.

Hard truths are generally unwelcome, and sometimes meet with hostility.

Ok.. I hated school. I was Profoundly dyslexic. My teachers, in ever grade level, used me as the what not to do. I was openly ridiculed for my work and made fun of by the teachers which led to thenother kids around me joining in. When I tried to tell higher authorities, vice principles and councilors, I was reprimanded for being a tattletale and told if I would try harder people would not be so hard on me. I was told I would be in jail by 16 in prison by 20. I was told I would never be able to hold a job and would never find happiness.

I hated teachers and school. My last high school, Smyrna high, I was pregnant with my oldest daughter. My geometry teacher told me he knew the moment he saw me I was worthless and proceeded to throw every assignment I brought in in the trash. Because I had done it in pen or my name wasn't in the right place. I would probably have been one of the kids John Paulson felt indifferent to or wanted out if his class..

If you aren't wealthy or if you even give off the air that you have no adult protection and you aren't cared for then others will pick up on that and treat you badly as well. I was listed as a foster child on the school documents so that labeled me as damaged from the start..

I think it would be nice if teachers would keep their opinions to themselves inside and outside the class room. Yes there are kids whos parent endlessly call and demand muffin get a better grade. There are also a vast number of kids who's parents wouldn't show up for a parent teacher conference unless you paid them. Making a phone call would be too much effort.

Most kids would honestly be better off being dropped off at the park instead of school. And I say this as some one who has gone to school in far off from Nashville in California, to mostly black schools in ark and to*we have 20 whole black people at this school and one mixed one* middle Tennessee. They were all shit

Ok iPod thing.. The post button was right blow where I was trying to move my line..

Anyhow.. They were all shit and all had the same kind of teachers with the same shitty "I don't get paid enough for this, these kids can't learn" attitude. With all the schools the well liked kids who had difficulty had dyslexia, I was just poor and stupid..

I have a feeling some of these kids that are failing are feeling resentment at home and at school so they give up. Then the parent feel insulted and call and raise Hell. The teacher doesn't like the kid and is covering their ass and the parents don't like the kid but how dare anyone say they dont love their child.. The kids know better. I know I did and so did some of the kids I went to school with.

It is a bigger problem than just getting the parents to stop bitching out the teachers and getting the teacher to not take their issues outside of school.. And it isn't the Internet. Teachers have always done this.. Run their mouths about the kids they figured were worthless and told everyone in town why "Jenny", who might not even have hit puberty yet, would be as worthless as her single parent mother..it is the nature of humanity.

It is also why my kids aren't in the public or private school system. They learn from a box o wires and microscopes and telescopes.. If they need flash cards they design them themselves, which is in itself a useful bit of knowledge..

Absolutely. They are union labor being paid to create compliant citizens. It's an established principle that everybody is equal, including union members. Feelings are being hurt.

If the government wants teachers to have an opinion, they'll issue one. If you think any notion of privacy, including legal, will be respected, look no further than our president. His opponent's sealed divorce records were published, somehow.

Sit down and shut up.

Am I too sarcastic? In an era where schools no longer recognize valedictorians?

While its an anonymous blog, she has to realize that in this day an age there is no such thing as anonymity any more. Yes, every career has frustrations and I'm sure dealing with certain things as a teacher can't be easy. But then maybe its time for a career change.

My former sister-in-law taught special ed. She spoke horribly about her students and didn't have a compassionate bone in her body. My son was placed briefly in a special ed class and it was chilling listening to her speak because that could have been my son in her class.

There are certain teachers that you can tell love what they do and it shows in their students. Some don't love it. Do they deserve to lose their jobs? I don't think so. But its another reason why parental involvement is so important. I always made a point of being involved and knowing the principal, teachers, and staff. When it came time for my kids to move up to the next grade I always conferenced with the school to make sure the placement was the absolute best it could be. I recently ran into a principal from a school my kids no longer go to. It was very nice that he not only remembered me but he remembered my kids in a very personal way. Again, not all are like that, but parental involvement helps a great deal to make moments like that happen.

"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place
of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They
contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers."

This quote is attributed to Socrates. I think of it often when I hear the "kids today" complaints. We live in an evolving world and yes, things are different, each generation seems to think they can do it better than the last.

The teacher paints youth with a blanket statement, suggesting that "they" are all worthless. If she does that (as do so many other teachers, at least the ones at my high school and junior high in Houston, Texas) how can she expect them to consider teachers with anything but an equally broad and degrading brush?

I was respectful of my teachers, and think that's very important. But I think the way to cultivate respect in others is by offering them respect, as well. Politeness, etc. I came home from school one time in junior high school and told my dad that I was frustrated because it was obvious that a particular teacher truly disliked me. My dad said, "Just like some kids are assholes, Jess, some teachers are assholes. The teacher is in charge of your grades, so just do what you can to keep your head down, be polite, and get through."

Regarding the teacher's right to free speech - I'm on the fence. It doesn't matter whether I do or don't like what she's saying - I'm as supportive of extremist pundits on either side of the political spectrum in their right to spew vitriol, so certainly I'm for her right to free speech - but on the other hand, in my IT job at the university, if I trashed the students and faculty who came to me for help "anonymously" on a blog, and someone figured out my identity, my job would be forfeit, and I believe that's the employer's prerogative. So she's free to speak but she's equally free to suffer the consequences.

As a 32 year veteran of inner city classrooms it's my contention that Ms. Munroe soft shoed the subject. What do you get for telling the truth? Fired. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go back to my foxhole in the classroom where I'll chuck out the grenades as fast as they're thrown in. You won't see my head above the rim. 3 years to retirememnt, but who's counting?

If Munroe worked in corporate America, she'd absolutely be fired for trashing her boss, clients, or company. Why should this be any different? I find her attitude to be arrogant and entitled and I wouldn't want her teaching my hypothetical kids; why should our tax dollars go to pay her? If she wants to write a private diary now or publish a tell-all manuscript AFTER her retirement, good for her. But if she can't figure out how privacy and the internet works do we really want her teaching in our classrooms?

Oh, and another thing that drives me crazy: parents who write negative/embarassing things about their kids (ie "Why I Sometimes Regret Being a Mother"). I'd say anonymous in this case is fine, but plenty of parents identify their child by name and even photo. Sure, your kid might not be able to read now, but do you really think he's not going to figure out how to google himself 10 years down the line?

A good teacher can provide some inspiration

True, but inspiration is not motivation, that has to come from within the student

Also, she seems as whiny as her students. If her students are "out of control," who is the person to take control of the situation? She is! She should quit complaining about it (granted, these days, any sort of discipline could get you sued, so I am sympathetic that her hands might be tied).

So, she should take charge, even though you admit that there is no way for teachers to take charge?

And, it is a little too simplistic to say her job is to teach.

No it isnt

Part of effective teaching is to motivate your students

Its the parents job to motivate, if the teacher is spending all of their time motivating unmotivated students then when the fuck do they have time to actually teach?

What people do in their private lives should have no bearing on their professional lives if it does not interfere with their professional lives.

That being said, we dont live in a fair world so people need to consider the fact that no matter what they do someone somewhere will try and use something they did, said, or wrote againts them.

That being said, if the school wants to fire her they have that right; if they plan on using the blog as a basis they are going to be out a shitload of maoney as they are going to have to hire a computer expert to 'prove' the anynomus blog as heres and prove that she was talking about her student, school, and superviors directly and not hypothetically.

One other thing I'd like to mention is that if indeed this does go to trial whomever brought the blog to the schools attetntion could be sued civilly if the blog was indeed a private (as in members only can view it) for theft and invasion of privacy.

She might have lost her job, but a student could have just lost their college fund

While its an anonymous blog, she has to realize that in this day an age there is no such thing as anonymity any more.

There is, but it requires diligence and technical sophistication. But your point is correct for the average person.

Amy,

I went to Booker T. Washington elementary in 5th grade and then a magnet school in 6th. Both were when I was living in the projects and I was one of a few white kids. They bussed in other white kids but not many.. And yes that was the standard. There was one white lady living with her black boyfriend right down the street from us and their kids went to school with us. The white kids that were bussed in were gaurded like gold. Then the black kids the teacher liked. And then there were us white Johnson kids and the mixed kids. We were tortured relentlessly. And yes this was a horrible neighborhood. These kids went home to crack heads and ate bread for supper. So did I.. But to be white kids taking what was theirs.. after the magnet school we went to Dunbar middle and that was 7th- 9th grade. Same deal. These kids had one or fewer natural parents in the home and they, in fact, behaved like animals. They beat down our back door once and tore my mothers dress right off her. Another time I watched out my window as "uncle" beat a protisute nearly to death with a stove pipe. Another time Robert, one of the rare men living with his kids, who lived right next to uncle was shot.. By uncle for not giving him his bulldog. After he shot this man he pointed the gun at Nanaes( no idea on her real name) 8 month old daughter. These children cannot be taught with all this going on. There is only one solution. These people keep these children because the state pays them to. Stop paying them. No more welfare. It would have quickly ended my suffering as well. If my mother had not been getting nearly 800 a month in stamps, a small fortune in cash and housing on top of that she would have dumped us kids so fast the earth would have been rocked off it's axis.. We might not have gotten to be together but atleast we would have had a chance.

Josephine in my little pipe dream, you would not have been kicked out as you said you had dyslexia or some learning trouble. In my silly dream, it would be the students who did not try - those that where a detriment to the school or class. Those that PROVE themselves to be waste of time or space. You do the work, you get the grades, you continue, but you waste my time or other students FOR NO GOOD REASON. - Bye Bye.

It sounds like a shame what happened to you and it sounds like you tried to get some help but the schools did not help.

Where I teach it is private - meaning parents are paying good money for their kids. Yet I get kids that just do not care or try. I mean if these kid understood what mom or dad is paying and these kid had to pay the consequences they would try harder. And the thing is - MANY do.

As to the teacher. She got caught she has to suffer. Sorry! Be more careful or find the right audience. Freedom of Speech does not mean freedom from the consequences. Like with my post I open my big mouth people will get angry and they can try and do something to me, it may work, it may not.

For those that want another blog about a teacher with a bigger mouth

http://www.fullduplex.org/tardblog/tardfaq.html

Paulson,

I was a quiet kid really. Till I startedcutting classes, which was a result of my 7th grade math teacher telling me he didn't know why I bothered to come to class. But yeah I understand what you are saying. Some peoe are just there for no reason. I am guessing that the kids in your classes might be doing/ behaving poorly for other reasons than those I went to school with. My classmates were the way they were because of poverty of both morals, finances and parental care. You can be impoverished in any of those areas and get things screwed up for you.. I don't know you but I assume you to be telling the truth. I would say maybe take 30 minutes a week with those kids you feel indifferent to. Especially if they aren't doing well.

And good luck with retirement..

Kids can complain about being stereotyped as being spoiled and badly behaved, but if a stereotype is true more than half the time at a particular school, well.....

It always amazes me that teachers usually have to study hard for four years to get a certificate, but even the most rotten, spoiled 6-year-old has to do very little, if anything, to avoid getting expelled.

With that in mind, even though some teachers may not be nice people in anyone's eyes, here's at least one compelling reason why parents need to start demanding a lot more from their kids than from their kids' teachers (as Jessica F.'s father implied).

"Jobs Outlook: Careers Headed for the Trash Pile"
http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/111881/careers-headed-for-the-trash-pile

In a nutshell, a high school diploma won't cut it anymore - for most good blue-collar jobs.

JosephineMO7 Says:

“I think it would be nice if teachers would keep their opinions to themselves inside and outside the class room.”

And yet here you are expressing your obviously negative experiences and opinions about the educational system in general and teachers in specific.

Sorry, but it cuts both ways. If you as a former student want to enjoy the freedom to criticize the educational system and teachers then you must invariably accept that teachers and other members of the educational system have opinions too and have a similar right to express them.

Should you for example be restricted from entering any academic forum now because you have presented a negative view of the educational system? If not then teachers cannot and should not be removed from the classroom for expressing their opinions either.

The consequences of expressing such things are the push back from people with differing opinions, not the loss of ones job.

What you are talking about happening to you in school is also very different from what we are talking about here. It is unprofessional and inexcusable for a teacher to tell a specific student that they are “worthless”. Posting about ones personal experience on the job without naming names isn’t the same thing by a long shot.

I'm sorry, but I have to wonder if this teacher would support educational tax credits that would allow some kids to transfer all together out of her school? If the answer is no, then she has very little to complain about. The fact is that most of what a person learns in high school is pretty damn useless in adulthood and I think that kids are getting wise to it. I think that the school was right to fire her, because now her students know that she hates them and thinks very little about them.

"Sure you have the right to blog about anything you want, but employers have the right to terminate you if they believe you're bitching about your job."

I completely agree. Don't get me wrong. I'm likewise just exercising my right to voice my disagreement with the termination, not calling for restrictions on termination rights or forced reinstatements.

"Black children are most likely to be children of single unwed mothers"

I was recently looking at the statistics of this and it's indeed horrifying. You'd think a problem of that scale would be getting more public attention, but discussing anything regarding race seems to be too much of a minefield.

She should know that teachers are held up to absurdly high standards of behavior in their personal lives, and act accordingly.

Students get screwed when they whine about their teachers on FB, so I guess the same standards have to apply to teachers as well. Can't have one rule for the rulers and another for the subjects. And she got caught despite her attempts at anonymity, sorry...that is part of the game. Besides, who knows how good of a teacher she was or whether she was a big fat hypcrite.....everything is pretty silent about that.

The blogger was right on target about the general condition of today's middle school and high school students. However, she must have made some stupid mistakes to be outed like this. You know, Facebook does not ask for your drivers license.