Third graders plot teacher attack — Page 3

A teacher doing their JOB protecting their students doesn't equate to deserving a "hit" on them. I'm sorry but I disagree so strongly against your comments.

And egging someone's house is far more NORMAL than plotting to bound, gag and knife your teacher.

If they were smart enough to create this plan - they were smart enough to go to one of their parents or other teachers *IF* something that terrible was going on in the classroom.

I may, indeed, be presumptuous - but I would bet a pretty penny that nothing other than typical teacher scolding was going on. But recent generations, as I have said, have this overwhelming feeling of entitlement - things should be their way all the time exactly how and when they want it.

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Craig, you are just assuming that was all the teacher was doing. All I am saying is we should wait until the full story comes out before judgement is passed.

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I think the kids got the idea from that episode of Malcolm in the MIddle.

I agree with Jane.

What is evidence exists to even suggest that the teacher is at fault. She did her job. That is what she is there to do.

The sad thing is, to most of us who work in education, this story isn't surprising. Most students today completely lack personal responsibility, they're never held accountable at home and when they are held accountable in school they become angry and violent.

Last week we had a third grader punch another student in the throat because the teacher told him to sit down.

I have had chairs, books, pencils, fists and other items thrown at me because a student was reprimanded for improper conduct. Is it my fault because I've reprimanded these students in the past?

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colleen, i told you that was no because of the reprimand. i just like watching you dodge stuff.

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For someone to say that they refuse to discuss education with non-educators is the same as Jack Nicholson's role in A Few Good Men saying that people have no right to question the military.

I'm sure you're frustrated that people may not understand you Jane2, but it doesn't seem to be constructive to simply refuse to discuss it with them, it makes it sound like you have something to hide. But besides that, if you're really committed to making people understand the plight of the educator, wouldn't it be more productive to take the time out to try to explain what you're going through to someone who doesn't understand? I mean, isn't that what educators are supposed to do?

Updated On: 4/3/08 at 10:29 AM

I don't think that's exactly what he means.

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Ya know, it's true. I was first called "gay" in 3rd grade.

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"parent came and picked him up and said well maybe the teacher should watch herself:

If this is true, was the situation fully documented and/or reported to anyone?

Kind of makes me concerned about the future when these kids are adults.

husk, I'm sorry, but your comment about not being in the dark because you did two days of observations seems a little laughable.

I am a first year teacher, but I have done years of observations, practicums, student teaching, plus working with after-school programs, summer camps, etc... I have been bitten, punched, kicked, slapped, cursed at, threatened etc... I had a five year old tell me that he was going to kill me and to go F-myself because I told him that he couldn't have seconds on snack. I have had a second grader charge me and throw a chair at me for asking him to lower his voice as we were watching a movie as a group. I was bitten by a student because he was angry that he had to stop playing a game because he was hitting his classmates. Some of this was in some "rough" areas, other times it was in more affluent areas.

Right now I'm working in a private school and a colleague is teaching kindergarteners and they are very abusive to each other and to her. She has been hit and bitten and the parents do nothing. Their excuse is that "well they are only 5". There is no responsibility taken by the students or the parents for the behavior of these children.

Parents need to realize that they are responsible for how their children behave to a point. Children's behavior is influenced and guided by the boundaries that that are or are not set by the parents and as teachers we are left to deal with the aftermath, both positively and negatively. We have to maintain the safety of all of our students while teaching them and encouraging them to do their best. That is not an easy feat to do when these kids get the message from home that they don't have to do anything other than what they want to do when they want to do it.

These kids were not "normal" (I hate using that term because there is no real "normal") third graders, but if they were able to plan something like this out then Craig (and many others) are right, if there was something awful going on in that classroom they could have told someone or called the police. These kids knew what they were planning and were more than likely aware of the possible consequences of their planned actions. While these kids are too young to really press the kind of charges that these actions deserve their parents need to have charges pressed against them and these kids need to be put into some serious counseling for their behavior/anger management and entitlement issues.

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DG, its amazing what you learn to deal with. I'm actually a little grateful for some of the experience because it helps me have a lot higher patience tolerance. At Easter, my little cousin, who like these kids thinks he can get away with any sort of behavior, got mad at me because he found out that his 4th grade teacher was my best friend from high school and that she and I are still close. We were joking around about it and he got "upset" and hit me in the breast and the stomach. I'm almost 9 months pregnant and my first instinct probably should have been to knock him on his little butt, but instead I stayed calm and was able to just talk to him, in a very stern manner, but still just talk to him.

No teacher, or anyone else for that matter, should have to put up with these kinds of situations, but we as teachers know what we are getting into in this profession. I'm just hoping that we can see a shift in the way that people raise their kids in the near future, but I'm not too sure about that.

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