dfiant Wrote:...
The teacher has the tools to identify problems, they have the power to deal with problems, they aren't merely people who stand at a chalk board/white board writing notes. The are paid to do a job which includes liasing with parents and identifying and reporting abuse etc. So yes, they should be punished for not doing their job.
Their job is try and create a stable learning environment, and then to actually teach in this environment.
I've found that their powers don't stretch beyond telling bullies off and removing them from the class. Neither of which are a solution as much as a handing the trouble student to the facilities which actually try and deal with the bullying.
Perhaps my personal experience is unique in this sense...
Failed rehabilitation of bullying behaviour doesn't always mean there's a front-line teacher to blame.
Especially as bullying is normally most prevalent outside of classrooms.
Quote:How hard would it be for a teacher to identify THIS problem??? If they are doing their job this would be glaringly obvious.
Very; from personal experience, but meh.
It's one thing to identify someone who's at high risk, stopping the bullying is a whole other matter.
Quote:To victims, the lines aren't that blurry...to those that care the lines aren't that blurry...there is always someone that IS responsible for bullying wether it be the person calling another person names or the teacher that stands by idly and does nothing to prevent it.
It's easy to get angry and need someone to blame, and yeah, there always IS multiple people to blame.
But it's not as simple as picking out a teacher/teachers and students who might of contributed to it and taking legal action against them.
Quote:We have to start somewhere and we have to make examples so I'm all for the hardline up front.
I really doubt fear of legal action is really going to deter bullies, who rarely think of consequences. Their parents will, and i'm sure they will let all their anger out on their kids, who will, in turn, bully other kids because of it. And thus the loop of bad parenting and social skills is perpetuated.
As for teachers, it's not their job to teach kids empathy and social skills.
While they can kick the bully out of the class, they can't treat the root of the problem. They don't have the resources too.
It's the higher-ups in-charge of the anti-bullying schemes that these trouble-students get put on for bad behaviour that need to be held responsible for their failing system.
And these systems will almost always fail from time to time because more often than not, it's the parent of the bully that's the problem.
Failing to raise a child with basic empathy, or perhaps worse, take out their stress on their child, causing the child to vent on others.
I don't have a solution. But the purposed legal action against the bully and teachers seems like it could be the completely wrong approach.
But meh, what do i know...