Just watched it again. Not only do I think this teacher won't be disciplined, I think he might become a cult hero among teachers for this. He's railing on a class for failing and for insubordination and in response, they're all laughing at him. He also complains about the class being overcrowded.
Politicians want to judge teachers on how well their students achieve. This video does a fantastic job of showing the challenges that teachers have in meeting that goal.
FYI, I am not a teacher.
He spit on a 16 year old student, and when she complained, he kicked her out of the classroom.
He spit on her because he was screaming.
This.
But the video was a good illustration why corporal punishment should still be allowed.
But it's not allowed and for good reason. The guy should get canned.
Like what? Bleeding hearts and feelers getting hurt don't count.
For practical reasons, it is so difficult to draw a line - it is much simpler just to not allow an adult teacher to physically strike a child. I don't know what you're saying would have been appropriate here..A spanking? Maybe a smack in the mouth like Ira suggested? Closed fists? Why would one OK and not the others?
For moral reasons, perhaps because we should protect the rights of our youth? If you think that makes me a bleeding heart, you are a complete jackass, and I really don't give a crap.
I agree it's difficult to draw the line. Firsthand experience (parents) suggests that in Kansas the way corporal punishment was set up was very transparent and welcomed accountability. This was at the end of that era, so it was fairly advanced and already under scrutiny. The way I understand it, teachers can't get control of the kid requiring discipline, so they were legally obligated to go to the principal, who would witness and require a teacher of the same sex to do the swatting.
That seems like a reasonable procedure. Believe me, I DO GET the concept that punishment should be up to the discretion of the parents. But at some point, you have to realize that it only takes one kid to incite the group and the teacher will lose control of the class for years. There is no punishment at school or at home that these kids recognize as sufficient enough to quell their behavior and if there is one tool that teachers and administrators can use to stem students' misbehavior, and it happens to be swatting, then so be it.
And the "moral rights of our youth"...? Until they are LEGALLY considered adults and free to do whatever the hell they want (considering consequences), it is the job of the adults around them to guide them into appropriate social behavior. If you would not advocate that a 15 year old should have full legal authority to act as an adult then you would not advocate they are allowed to act however they please within the social conventions we have set up for them.
