Bryan, I took a similar course in how to safely restrain elementary-age kids in a special-education environment who were out of control, though the things you mention – web belts and velcro straps – would have gotten us fired. But we had aides and other personnel available to assist at the Behavior Intervention Center. Frankly, I preferred dealing with the crazy kids to dealing with the thugs, with the crazy kids at least everybody knew they were crazy and were expected to do crazy things and we had the institutional support to deal with that, usually, and because of the small classes and institutional support could set up an appropriate behavior management system that actually worked, based on the level system used in psych hospitals and prisons. Although I sort of ignored that one and went with a simpler merit-demerit system that was more along a military style that gave more immediate feedback. Not to mention that the smaller class size also let us interact with the kids as kids rather than a face in a crowd. Having the institutional support and flexibility to actually handle situations in a humane fashion was a great situation to be in, even if the kids were crazy.
Grandmother of one of my BIC students (who had torn up two different classrooms before coming to BIC) asked me how her child was doing in my class. “Doing fine, no behavior problems at all” I said. “Really? Any time I ask her to do something, she just argues, argues, argues with me!” I shrugged. “I don’t argue with children.” And I didn’t, I just calmly explained what they should be doing, why they should be doing it, and what the consequences were. And if they chose to do something they weren’t supposed to be doing, enforced the consequences. The kids got the message, my blood pressure stayed down, and the kids liked having a structured environment where they knew where they stood.
But teaching math in regular schools… oh my. There was one 8th grade class I remember in particular. I swear that 2/3rds of the kids in that class had probation officers, most of the kids were 15 or 16 years old and really didn’t care about school anymore, they were there because their juvie sentence required them to be there, that’s all. I’m surprised I survived that school year without being physically assaulted, though I had someone get in my face. (Not a good idea with me, I get very focused at that point rather than intimidated, and besides when someone is actually in your face they’re not assaulting you, they’re just trying some stupid dominance game that I refuse to play… probably why it only happened *once*). But I was pretty much burned out by that time and the kids knew that there was no telling what would happen if they pushed my levers too hard because I just didn’t give a shit anymore, the principal couldn’t threaten to fire me because I had no intention of ever stepping into a classroom again at the end of the school year and plenty of skills to do other things. So they didn’t push it *too* hard. Though they didn’t spend a lot of time learning anything either, but what can you expect when 2/3rds of the kids have probation officers and the rest probably should? :shrug:
]]>The purpose was to avoid anyone getting hurt. It’s amazing how useful a blanket and few web belts [Velcro straps weren’t widely available at the time] can be when you’re dealing with the K-6 crowd. Actually, just getting people to accept that you have to start small and leave yourself room to escalate, rather then beginning a situation by screaming or claiming authority. The other big thing is that you don’t threaten, you promise, and you keep that promise – even children understand the difference.
]]>Anyway… yeah, schools can be pretty tough! The only reason I decided to get this diploma is because here in Aus now you HAVE to have a teaching credential to train or teach anything. Even though I’ve been in IT effectively 30 years now and want to just teach some basics, I have to get a teaching credential. We’ve gone mad on certifications here. You even need a Cirt IV to be a cleaner! I kid you not. So, a job that was for people who had very low income and couldn’t afford to get a diploma etc, now have to get one and pay anywhere from $2.4k – over $4k to earn a low income! And now, everything is *competency* based. You don’t get a score when you complete any Cirt or Diploma now. you get ‘C’ (competent) or ‘NC’ (not yet competent). As a potential employer, my first question would be “WTF does that mean??” Seriously. It’s REALLY very complicated and studying this, seriously almost did my head in!
Your Dad was right Steve. I’ve had to disarm a *few* people in my life and having a *command voice* and being fearless usually win’s the day. Body language is very important, both reading and projecting. Being very good at it enables one to knew when someone has a *set*… You know they have decided to attack. You have to be ready to react before they do attack. Most of the time, (depending on circumstances) they don’t want to attack, but don’t see a way to avoid it. You have to give them a way out, a reason not to attack. Being all antagonistic and *in their face* isn’t going to do it. π
LOL Bryan! Yeah… My sister put a heavy brick in the bottom of her shoulder bag (and she was strong enough to swing it hard enough to break something) after a couple kids picked on her once. they never picked on her again after they got out of hospital. She was definitely my sister! π Mom wasn’t impressed of course, Dad couldn’t care less as usual, but Granddad was impressed, so was I actually. π My sister once beat up a girl I had finally got a date with after a couple months trying, because she discovered this girl was seeing other guys! Hell… every guy in the school knew that! I didn’t want to marry her! Man… was I pissed at my sister for ages after that! π
Heh… school was fun, sometimes. π
Personally, I wouldn’t be a school teacher without combat fatigues (they are virtually knife proof now. Lot better than what we had in Cambodia), kevlar and a glock! π
]]>Dad “disarmed” far more students observed carrying knives, razors etc., by the terrifying technique (to me at least) of facing them down and demanding, in a quiet voice, that they give him the weapon. He said that every time he held his hand out, he knew he would get the weapon, one way or another. Fortunately, he never lost a finger that way. (In a child-labor accident when he was 13, he DID lose a finger, but that was another matter.)
]]>I switched to the evening session and adult students for that reason, because the recent high school grads were just filling a slot in their schedule, while the adults really wanted to learn what I was teaching. It was night and day. I actually miss teaching because of that switch.
There was a complaint filed because my classes were getting better grades than the day school group. That ended when they got to see my midterm. I was teaching more than the required course work, and I didn’t use multiple choice tests. I just had interested students, many of whom would be reimbursed by their employers if they got a B or above, and they knew why they were taking the course.
In my full-time job I got to arrest some of those “bright-eyed high school students” for just about everything except drugs [who the hell cared about drugs if it wasn’t a dealer and a half key involved]. Most of the arrests were larcenies, but there were a significant number of assaults and weapons violations. I was working security at a high school basketball game and we took knives away from the cheerleaders for Dog’s sake, butcher knives in their purses! Lovely children…
No all teachers are untrained. I have taught defensive and control tactics to elementary school teachers. Their school was for “exceptional children”, and “acting out” got more than a little physical at times. The teachers tended to view child protection services in a much different light than the general population – as a group to protect them from the children, and they did it without tasers. That was a volunteer thing, as I had a connection through friends.
]]>You have no idea. Teaching in the USA today should come with combat pay, except they’re unarmed, untrained in physical combat, and alone in a room with sometimes up to forty teenage thugs in some of the inner-city schools. Having a rocket stuck under your ass and shot into space is almost safe by comparison.
– Badtux the Former Teacher Penguin
.-= last blog ..13 =-.
Very true Bryan. As I have mentioned before, my Mother was always on my case about that when i was younger. π She would say: “There’s no pint regretting things you did or things that happened. You can’t change them. You should regret the things you never tried.” The words might vary, but the message was always the same. She knew me well.
When she was about to pass 12 years ago, I promised here two things. I would never be a bastard (the World has an abundant supply of them already), and I would always try to do the best I could at any given time. I just finished a grueling teacher/assessor’s diploma. I wanted to quit so badly by Nov… I was exhausted and fed up… and scared. I was beginning to feel the way I did just before the breakdown. It’s been a very long time since I felt fear, especially for myself. It made me angry. I pushed myself and did whatever I had to to get through it. It was one of the hardest things I’ve done in my life, and I have done many *hard* things! even 5 years ago, I could have done that course half asleep. I could easily weep over *what I’ve lost*, the fact that what would once be easy is now very difficult. But I don’t. π Because I did it, and because even 1 year ago, I know I couldn’t have. I remembered something I’d forgotten somewhere, some time… every single thing we do is relative! π The important questions is… what do we decide it’s relative to? I judge myself against myself. I don’t judge anyone by my standards, and I don’t hold myself up to others standards. I know that’s right and wrong, I know what is good and bad. and I believe everyone of us does, some just prefer not to know, and some don’t know that they know. The World is in the mess it’s in because too many people want to judge others by their own standards. and what right do they have to decide that *their* standard is the only one, or the best one or the right one? Non at all. But too many others allow them to have the right, because it’s simpler to have someone else tell them what to do than it is to think for themselves. And when it goes wrong, they can feel good that *it wasn’t their fault*. Except, that’s a lie. They gave the right to make their decisions to another, so it is their fault. They can’t escape that, no matter how much they want to. π
I’m not aiming that at anyone for any reason. I just felt like giving another piece of my story. If anyone get’s something from it, well and good. But it’s just my story. π
]]>Ahhh! The mark of a caring Professional! π You have my respect! I feel the same way about *stuff*! π π
So… who said you had to do it for anyone other than yourself, or the cat’s? (Though… they probably wouldn’t appreciate it that much. Cat’s are so fickle!) π
In any case… If I can help with anything, in all seriousness, I’d be happy to do whatever I am able. Even if it’s convincing others to do the *heavy lifting*! π (I can be persuasive I’m told) π
I’ve been told many times that I am “complicated”. But I am not really. I have done complicated things, but the reasons I do things are not so complex I think. Lady Min has come (I think) to understand that after several years (and she’s still sane… well, reasonably sane, given the World we are in!) I think you all are beginning to figure me out at the least by now. π π
It is nice to know that one isn’t alone. π One of the reasons I really love this place Bryan has allowed us to share. Kudos and many thanks Bryan! π
You know Steve… I truly would have loved to be entertained by a performance years ago at your most masterful. And that’s my loss. π
Maybe we’ll all get to meet one day *shrug* I *never* say NEVER! (Yeah… I’m a pessimist that’s an eternal optimist! See… not complicated at all!) LMAO
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