Since my previous entries, Teachers who bully: When classroom lessons become a child’s nightmare, and, Some articles and a letter worth a read in regards to sadistic teachers who bully and make classroom lessons a nightmare for a child, had touched on bully teachers, an interesting article reporting all the way from America caught my attention and prompted me to share this with everyone. If you think that bully teachers only bully behind closed doors in the classroom, unfortunately, the case involving a primary school teacher from New Jersey has shown that any teacher who bullies is now capable to turn to a social networking site to reveal her or his true colours in cyberspace when parents are often not looking: a mean person with no passion towards teaching and children (Does make me question why did she choose teaching as a job in the first place when she behaves like a real jackass behind the four walls of her home and in front of her computer screen.)
In that New Jersey primary school teacher case, she had not just shown her true colours but also made the biggest blunder in her entire life: getting her just desserts instantly in the form of upset and concerned parents demanding that she is removed from that class once she aired her ugly side for everyone to see on Facebook (Personally, I think that class full of 6- and 7-year-old kids deserves a loving and caring teacher rather than have a mean person carry on teaching them). Having read what the Board of Education President said that one cannot simply fire someone for what they have on a Facebook page unless if it affects an entire class of children, I do not agree with his statement. What she had done on the social networking site is not just considered as cyberbullying but also would potentially jeopardise her career and reputation later on. Secondly, if I was the Board of Education President, I rather officially declare that she not only loses her job but also see that she loses her teaching licence as well as earning a blacklist from teaching for life (and that would be a be-fitting just desserts for her). As a blogger, I believe that New Jersey teacher will not be the first or last monster teacher who makes degrading comments towards his/her students on a social networking site. Last but not least, to that New Jersey teacher (you know who you are): what you did shows that you are no better than a mean female high school student who turns to Facebook or MSN to cyberbully a fellow student. I think you are better off not teaching anymore if you had known pretty well that you would land in hot water for what you wrote on your Facebook page. Labelling your students as future criminals on Facebook is disrespectful and rude.
What says you about the issue of the New Jersey teacher who made derogatory comments towards her students on Facebook? Do you think she deserves to be suspended, be slapped with a warning and later be allowed back to teach after serving her suspension? Or do you believe she is better off being sacked from her job and banned from teaching for life? What do you think needs to be done to bully teachers who make negative comments on their students on social networking sites? Opinions are welcomed (but no profanity please!)
I agree with you! This teacher should in the first place be forbidden to teach. Not just her current job, but also in the near future.
However, before getting on a black list, she should be presented (actually she should show this following initiative herself) an opportunity to get this attitude treated. So, if she seriously doesn’t want to lose her job, because she ”likes” it too much, she should get in therapy for it. And only when she succeeds 100% for that therapy, she should be allowed to teach again. However, this teacher doesn’t sound like much of regretting this, (not for her children anyway) so she should get on that black list and go get another career!
Teachers are an important link between home life and society, they have the duty to take care of their kids. And because they have so much influence in so many kids’ lives, the only acceptable way is the kind, patient and caring way.
Thank you, Greeneda, and yes if she really “loves” her job, you are right that she is better off in therapy and undergoing some probation as well followed by a change in her attitude for the better. But we will see how.
I also agree with Greeneda. It doesn’t sound like this is the kind of person that regrets what she did by posting what she did on FB. The behavior of these kids is a direct reflection of their parenting and, hopefully, our teachers can have a positive effect on them and redirect their behavior in a more positive direction.
Thanks “whatsaysyou” for visiting and commenting on my blog!
Seriously, a teacher should act more professionally – she’s acting more like an immature teenager than a responsible teacher.
You are right, PepperMint. That woman is no better than some immature teenager and is at the same level with a bully.
Major obstacle here is the collection of thugs known as the Teachers Union. Crappy teachers stay because of teacher unions. There is a teacher in my school district who is complained about and despised by most of the children and most of the parents and even other teachers have expressed to me their mutual feelings of dislike for this teacher. Yet that teacher stays….tenure. There is a teacher in the primary school (K-2) who consistently yells at the kids for – BEING KIDS! If they turn in a paper that has been colored and they go outside the lines, she yells at them!!! Yet, she remains. Why? Tenure.
In theory unions are supposed to be good things – but they are not good when they continue to promote the careers of teachers who should NOT be teaching! I have had my own experiences with awful teachers as a kid and I STILL remember them, clear as day, 30+ years later. One of those teachers is now an administrator in another school district!! OMG!!!
Unless someone does something heinous, such as sexual abuse or something along a similar vein, teachers just don’t get fired because they suck.
Thank you for your input and goodness, I am learning something here. I didn’t know that some teacher unions defend those so-called teachers and I am shocked. Karen, I am so sorry to read what you had been through and would want you to know you are not alone. It sucks these sort of monsters are still allowed to ‘teach’ classes with an iron fist.
BTW, you may want to look up Paterson NJ …crime rates are very very high there. http://www.homesurfer.com/crimereports/view/crime_report.cfm?state=NJ&area=Paterson Paterson, New Jersey is in the 97% percentile rank in the state for Violent Crime. It is in the 92% percentile rank nationally. Lower numbers are better. In this case, 97% of cities in New Jersey have crime rates equal to or lower than Paterson, or said another way, 3% of cities in New Jersey have crime rates higher than Paterson.
There was an old movie with Morgan Freeman, Stand By Me, which was partly based on the story behind a take charge principal who took over the high school in Paterson and turned it “around” but the turn-around didn’t really happen the way the feel good movie implied. Paterson is a very difficult area. Only 8% of U.S. Cities have worse crimes than Paterson, according to this site.
Thank you for extra information and yes, I have about that movie before. Will try rent a DVD out and watch it as well reading about it.
IF you have Netflix, it is on instant play.
Not trying to excuse the teacher’s behavior – it was unwise of her to put her feelings on FB…
One of my friends is a bus driver and she has told me SHOCKING tales of how INSOLENT and OBNOXIOUS even kindergarten kids can be- she has been given “the finger” and cursed out and openly defied – by kids under 10 years old. We want to be “warm and fuzzy” about “six year olds” but the fact is, unless we’ve been in the classroom and seen what she deals with – we don’t know what goes on from day to day. I’m sure that *some* of these children have been born into homes that breed more criminal activity…
Karen, perhaps you are right: what if some of the children she might be dealing with could be born into such homes. Who knows? But then again, you are right that it is unwise of her to air it on her Facebook page.
She was right to voice her opinions on Face book. These are her honest feelings. Everyone seems mighty quick to criticise. I have taught junior high with a passion. Have any of you taught students who have conduct disorders, come from homes with no fathers or parents maybe. Some children have not a clue about what their being in school is about. In addition they are “acting out” all over the place, most likeley disrupting the other students. Do not use being 6 or 7 years old as an axcuse to be “warm and fuzzy” with some children who actually may not belong in a regular school in the first place. I will defend this teacher to express herself if no one else will, remember the major resonsibility for making sure your children behave appropriately lies with the parent or parents as the case may be.
Facebook is not the place for such ventings. I still maintain that the teacher was wrong in airing her issues on facebook the way she did.
As a professional in the people business I run into a LOT of JERKS both as colleagues and as customers/clients. It would make ME look like extremely unprofessional if I were to vent my frustrations about the people I work with for all the world to see.
Thanks so much for visiting and commenting on our blog “whatsaysyou”. Hope we see you again!
The Conservative Treehouse
I agree with the Board of Education President. Whatever the teacher has on her Facebook is private. It would be like her venting or joking about her situation at school to a close friend or family member. However, if her comments affected the children in a negative manner, then of course, by all means, fire her.
I think the first mistake the teacher made was to allow parents of her students to be her friends on FB, or to not privatize her FB profile. We all should remember that if we’re to make condescending remarks that would offend another, we need to make sure it will only be heard by those close to us. The teacher may have thought that she was safe possibly joking or venting to her friends and family, but it’s not so when she has parents of her students on her FB.
You made a great point that teacher made a big boo boo as well for not making her Facebook page private and she should not have made those condescending remarks on her Wall too if she had known better that she would end up jeopardising her career and reputation. But then again, shame on her.