I found this on another teaching website, but as they were using it without irony I think I’d better avoid giving them credit for it.
The frightening thing is that there are still people out there who think this is useful advice.
Enjoy!
And remember:
Disciplinary problems in the classroom are symptoms of underlying weaknesses in total learning situation.
Stumble It!
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March 2nd, 2008 at 2:20 pm
This is very interesting that you have this- this was used in a recent inset and most of the teachers went along with this. I found myself alone in thinking the attitude of blaming the teacher infuriates me. Ah well
March 2nd, 2008 at 2:47 pm
To me it takes incredible, self-deceiving arrogance to think that other teachers want poor relationships and a resentful class. I love this video because its absurdity points out just how delusional that attitude is. People who manage to take it seriously must be quite far gone. Do they really think there are teachers who will see it and think: “My God, I realise now that where I was going wrong was by being really rude and unpleasant to my classes. If only somebody had told me that before!”
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I would imagine, Andrew, that teachers who agree are thinking “Ah, that’s why Mr. X’s class always play up - because he is a bully who overcompensates for his alcohol dependency with frightening displays of uneven temparement and transparent favouritism.”
Teachers under a constant regime of checking for mistakes are likely to think that mistakes are therefore very common in the lessons of others, and look for likely reasons for this.
March 3rd, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Alternatively, blaming the victim is a convenient habit to get into if you lack the brains or character to actually confront the problem.
March 4th, 2008 at 9:46 am
“Alternatively, blaming the victim is a convenient habit to get into if you lack the brains or character to actually confront the problem.”
The most sobering message I have learned from commentary on education is that it is impossible for teachers individually, perhaps even collectively as a school, to alter the social problems that may underlie classroom behaviour in the most awful classes.
We should also add that teachers are not likely to alter Senior Management practise themselves either.
Therefore I’m not sure how teachers could be asked to confront the problem, and can see why they so readily accept the tactic of ‘blaming the victims’ in order to present to themselves and each other the lie that control of the “total learning situation” lies in their hands.
March 16th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
I think this would have been used in teacher training. While what you say is true, that teachers often can’t do much about the underlying social problems, it’s very tempting for newer teachers in particular to resort to too many detentions and ordering kids out, rather than trying to engage positively. I think this video does present some useful ideas. Bus sort of thing takes time to devlop, and doesn’t work with every class, even for well-seasoned teachers. I do agree, however, that this video does seem to blame the teacher for everything, and I don’t think that’s fair.
Eileen
Dedicated Elementary Teacher Overseas
elementaryteacher.wordpress.com