
Courtesy of theymostdecidedlyaregiants
I wish I thought of this one, but this one came out of someone’s exit interview with the Christiana School District.
They recommended, at the beginning of the year, the Principal needs to get up in front of the entire student body, and state, that anyone acting up in front of a sub, will be severely punished. Acting up in front of substitutes will not be tolerated.
Overheard this year in a Christiana District High School: an administration official telling a student: “don’t worry ’bout it… they’re only here for a day. They don’t know what they are doing…..”
Bottom line: if you let them act up in front of a substitute, they will eventually act up in front of the teacher, then everyone else as each time passes, with impunity.
I was terrible with substitutes in my day… I think everyone is. But fear… would have kept me from being so.
Here’s how the kids tell me it should be phrased… “Ok, if anyone of you acts up in front of your substitute, I’m taking it personally. These teachers come here as MY guests. When they leave here cussing under their breath, swearing never to return, it embarrasses me. Obviously, I don’t like looking like a fool. This is my school they’re talking down about. You do something to make my friends not want to come here to student teach, I will find a way, to pay you back… I promise. No, I’m not being mean; I’m just telling you how I work, so if you do decide to act up in front of a substitute, you will be doing so, already knowing the severity of the consequence I will be bringing down upon you. … I’m not going to tolerate it.
This would go a long way to start taking back the halls of Delawares High Schools from the students who currently own them…..

2 comments
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June 18, 2011 at 7:02 am
Nancy Willing
There is something to be said for how quickly we can fire an ineffective screw up of an administrator. Why all the push on teachers and job security? How about being able to fire the ass who said what you printed to a child?
June 18, 2011 at 11:33 pm
kavips
Firing someone is not the answer. There will be thousands more jumping up to take their place. The right answer is to change the culture, and that has to start from the top.