Teacher Suspended After Calling Students 'Trailer Trash'

[Chef Dave]

A high school CTE teacher in West Virginia was supsended after she told students, "If you want to act like trailer trash, I'll treat you like trailer trash."

The teacher said she was under a lot of stress. The superintendent recommended a two day suspension. The school board gave her a one day suspension.

http://www.wtov9.com/news/15838945/detail.html#

What do you think?

[nandz238]

He shouldn't have been suspended at all, not one day, not one minute. He said he was under stress and that's all. I'm sure that if he said something like that the students must have been acting in a way that made him said what he said. Do you really think that this kind of comment has any effect on this students that probably they were the ones harassing the teacher first. The students are getting away with it and the teacher is being punished because of them.

[dangercat]

Nandz238 I don't agree. I think the teacher's comment was uncalled for no matter what stress she was under. I am currently in the process of arguing a situation that I myself was witness to where a caregiver at a before and after school program called a student a dog because the child who was 4 mind you was licking syrup off of his plate and fingers. All the students in the room were upset and the child the comment was directed at started crying.

We may not think words hurt, but they do...no matter the situation in which they are used.

[Chef Dave]

I think one measure of a teacher's professionalism is the ability to maintain an appropriate sense of decorum under the most challenging of situations.

There is no excuse for name calling.

The teacher in question may have only received a one day suspension ... but I wonder whether or not her contract will be renewed at year's end.

[Oak Tree]

I thinking saying they're acting like trailer trash is a lot better than actually calling them trailer trash. The thing is there's nothing wrong with living in a trailer. I really find classism to be one of the most offensive forms of bigotry.

[Aziz]

Also one of the more common forms, Oak Tree.

Racism and sexism get called on and corrected the most nowadays. And yet we still forget about classism, ablism, ageism, homophobia, and other forms of discrimination. I think any negative comment targeted at a certain group of people is not okay. Children belonging to targeted groups are especially sensitive to those types of comments.

As teachers, it is our job to ground ourselves before setting foot in the classroom. We need to remain neutral, no matter what our personal beliefs are. We should absolutely not encourage or practice discrimination and favoritism.

-Aziz

[Boxcar]

I can understand the teacher feeling stressed. I'm sure we all can. However, it is important to work at being professional.

I think the punishment was appropriate.l

In some cases, I can believe that the student wouldn't care what the teacher said. I mean, a student in middle or high school might truly not care. At that stage of development, attention is focused on forming an identity based on group and friendship norms. If a student does not respect a teacher or see a use for that teacher, the comment would have little lasting impact.

On the other hand, another student of the same age might be strongly affected. We have all heard of the self-fulfilling prophecy. If a child is constantly told he/she is a certain type of person, the child will begin to believe that. He/she will see no other choice but to act in the role that has been assigned. As I already stated, identity is being formed in middle and high school. This isn't always easy for children, and a teacher who tells the student he/she is such a way is highlighting a possible identity. The student might think that he/she is a particular way and maintiain that because defying it is painful and confusing.

I guess my point is that the teacher might not know how the student will percieve unkind and unprofessional comments. That is why it is important to guard against these statements.

Recognizing that one is under stress is essential. Taking steps to combat the stress is the responsible thing to do.

[Aziz]

I couldn't agree with you more, Boxcar.

-Aziz

[El Maestro]

My very first post...:)

I've read some very good posts and there have been many good points made. I think that we have to take care not to be too self-righteous. On the one hand, we all know about professionalism. I doubt anyone here needs a lecture on how to conduct oneself. On the other hand, I’ve had days were everything seemed to go wrong. I didn’t get enough sleep, I was hungry, my middle school students were acting a little extra middle school, and my coffee was regular strength instead of strong. Those are the days that I’m most afraid of.

Having said all that, I think the most damaging part was, as others have pointed out, the classism. What if the comment was, “If you act dumb, then I’ll treat you like you’re dumb”? Or, what if the comment was, “If you act stupid, then I’ll treat you like you’re stupid”? If we take the classism out, are we still having the same discussion?

[busbus]

He shouldn't have been suspended at all, not one day, not one minute. ... I'm sure that if he said something like that the students must have been acting in a way that made him said what he said. ...

I agree with you. This teacher never called the students, "trailer trash." The teacher was talking about their behavior.

[Chef Dave]

I think some of you are walking on a semantic tightrope. What is "classism" but a type of name calling?

Okay - so she didn't say that her students were trailer trash. She said they were acting LIKE trailer trash. Is the use of the term "trailer trash" any more appropriate than the use of other derogatory terms like gook, wetback, or the n-word?

There are other ways to express displeasure without using terms that are overtly offensive.

[irish223]

I know that it can be VERY frustrating to deal with some student behaviors. However, I agree that the statement was completely out of line. Depending on the student population at the school, the comment either offended some who live in a trailer, or suggested a negative perception of those who live in trailers to students who do not.

Having said that, I also agree with the one day suspension. It shows that the district does not approve of her comments, and it probably gave everyone a chance to cool down.

[Coach]

Having spent a large part of my childhood and part of my adult life in trailer parks, being compared to school children deeply offends me.

The teacher's comments were totally out of line.

[MissTeach]

The teacher's comment was unprofessional. If we want to be treated as professionals, we have to conduct ourselves as professionals.

[ChocolateNewOrleans]

and what happened to the disruptive kids in class. Did they get a free pass because somebody 'out-wronged' them?

[MissTeach]

Interesting question. Their disruptive behavior should not be over looked!

[jsfowler]

I agree that it was not professional, but I was not there so I cannot judge.

Here is the problem I have been having lately. Some of my students have made comments to me...comments that if I said them I could likely be suspended or fired. I feel that students can get away with a lot more these days and teachers have to toe the line. I blame "sue-happy" parents.

I have had a student call me a b**ch, etc. What if I had said that to them? Isn't this a double standard? The other day I was talking with one of my students who I love dearly - athlete, likable kid, a little lazy in class. I was telling him that I expected better or I was going to have to call mom. He looked at me and said, "You're just jealous because I this Ms. M is hotter than you. Don't worry you're still hot though." You could have knocked me over with a feather. I took him to the office and the principal told him to stand outside and then began to laugh. I explained to him that I did not find this funny and I felt it was sexual harrassment. Long story short I left there feeling like I had done something wrong by taking it so personally.

[MissTeach]

The student was completely out of line. Also, problems could have risen if you had NOT taken him to the office. In our society, we have to be very careful about sexual remarks. The student should have been disciplined!

[Spectre]

I could easily see myself losing it, in my current situation, and saying something like this.:confused:

Stress does awful things to us.

But that would not make me right. As the others have said so well, we should strive to be above this kind of thing.

That is one of several reasons why I am seeking to go elsewhere next school year. I know my current placement is neither good for me or the students there. I will not be as successful in this school as I might be elsewhere....

[BigFish_43]

All the topic is one way. The complete focus on the teacher does not reflect the way the world works. Those of us who teach in poor socio-economic schools know what was going on that day. To be sure to work in a kitchen, you must tolerate heat, and the teacher should govern herself, however, the problem was not there. I am new to teaching but I am an old man. I have a very clear view of what is going on from a 'not married to the problem' view. Children behave in self-distructive low self-esteem ways that they were not doing in such hugh percentages 40 years ago. They rule their families and the the families rule the administration. When I was in school and the principal showed up in our room, we behaved like monks and nuns, now the kids continue as if he was not there. The attitude I saw in the replies was the teacher must be at fault. That seemed to be the decision of the administration and the school board. As an employer of these graduates, I can tell you they are not fit to work and the their administrators are not fit for their job either.
It is not a love or respect for our children that allows them to behave as the spoiled children of gangsters, but a cowardly lack of respect for ourselves and our moral values.
Words are words, and as we said as children, "Sticks and stones break my bones, but works can never hurt me." To treat these children as damaged because someone said they acted like 'trailer trash' is to say the kids are so weak minded that they believe everything that is said to them.
Everything has been said to them. You are good, You are bad. You are smart. You are stupid, etc. Each and everyone has chosen on his own to select some words as his personal truth. No one, that is no one, has made his mind up for him. To think otherwise is to call the children stupid, weakminded, etc.

[nicole1971]

[QUOTE=Coach;19846]Having spent a large part of my childhood and part of my adult life in trailer parks, being compared to school children deeply offends me.

Lol, that was funny.

Ladies and Gents, be not quick to judge...

If you have never said anything you do not regret, then good for you. I know I have. Our job IS stressful. Not too many people I know are around 150+ teens all day. It is not impossible to lose your cool.

[Boxcar]

i've totally said things I regret. I think everyone has. These things don't include calling students names, but i know what you mean.

[DarrenB]

It's those stressful times when students have pushed my buttons that I rely most heavily upon my system of class management. If I didn't have some way to insulate my ego from the behavior of my students, I would have been fired long ago. As it is, I can simply quickly reprimand a disrespectful student and then move on as if it didn't affect me.

I've found that these quick acknowledgements of disrespectful behavior followed by a total lack of emotional response much more effective at stopping these behaviors than creating a big hub-bub about that behavior.

This isn't excusing the behavior. The student still faces the consequences of their behavior, but it is in a manner that holds little emotional reactivity.

[MrU82]

Wow. I can understand that the teacher was stressed but honestly...that was out of line. I have said certain things out of frustration but when that happened I apologized the next day. Its strange because when you do that the students respond so nicely. They were saying, "No Mr. U, it was our fault we were being rude..." etc. You would be surprised how intuitive students can be.

Back to the topic though...I can understand maybe flipping out and saying, "you guys are acting like animals..." or "you guys are acting like little kids.." or maybe even, "stop acting so dumb." Those are mean but not racist/prejudiced.

Calling kids "trailer trash" is no different then telling a class full of hispanic or african-american kids..."stop acting like little cholos" or "stop acting like little gang members."

Gotta be smart. Cmon now.

[Oak Tree]

I've told students to stop acting like hoods because they were and I wanted them to stop.