A teenager was taken to jail this past week for foul language at school. While I think this was a strong solution to the problem, with the school violence lately, how much should teachers and other students be expected to put up with?

http://www.wral.com/news/10021309/detail.html

This is one of the most frightening things to me about becoming a teacher. We learn all about what we will teach but we can't really be prepared for walking in the classroom to students who want to do anything but learn and most certainly do not want to be there.. Discpline is a scary thing to me. I would agree with Lisa that this sounds a bit extreme but then again it could be stopping a violent crime early enough to save innocent people. How do you decide though and who's descion is it? I dont necesarily think teachers should be expected to put up with it, but I think we all know we will and have to learn to deal with that and not let it interfere with our teaching on too great of a scale.

I don't think we should have to put up with foul language, or disrespect in our classrooms. But this depends highly upon the strength of your principal. If you have a principal who will back you, then things will be good, but if one doesn't back you up, it could be hard to discipline kids. I know this from a friends experience.

I think that's one thing I worry about most is being able to discipline kids and have them take me seriously. I want to be backed up in punishing those who are disrespectful and interruptive.

... reminded me of the 2nd grader who was removed from school because he sexually harrassed a girl in gym class and wrote her "I love you" letters.

http://www.morningjournal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16373145

These two events make me wonder our purpose as teachers. I believe we are to educate socially and intellectually. We are to set the example. To raise the bar. How can we teach children about respect and conduct if they are removed from our classrooms? These two incidents didn't solve any problem if there was one to begin with. They just covered it up and in the case of the foul language, gave the child a new way to get out of class. Give me abreak.

Discipline is going to prob be my struggle in the classroom. I hate to discipline children, but I know that it needs to be done! I think that as future teachers we need to come up with a discipline system that works. If children want to get out of the classroom they are going to do something wrong so they can. We need to make it where the children are being discipline and are still in the classroom learning. It is hard to do this though because they will prob be a disruption to the other students. So what can we do for the kids to still be learning in the classroom but being disciplined at the same time?

There are simply things in my classroom that i will not tolerate. Cursing, disrespect, and other forms of inappropriate behavior will have no place in my class. Yes, it is our responsibility as teachers to set the bar. We are to set an example for our students...a way in which they can model their behavior. If I am respectful of myself and my students I believe my students will exemplify the same behavior. If a teacher frequently uses profanity, is lazy in his/her work, and demonstrates a poor attitude, students are more likely to do the same. It starts with us, the teacher. Our behavior is an illustration for our students. I dont worry about serious problems steming from misbehavior. If my students do, however, misbehave I trust that my principal/assitant principal will handle the problems accordingly. The boy that was sent to jail for foul langage...ummm, thats a bit overboard. Even if he/she is released and goes on to finish college, he/she will have on his/her record that they were charged and sent to jail. For what? For using foul language.

One thing that troubles me about this discussion is the assumption that you will, and that you should, have a principal or assistant principal who "backs you up."

1. It is likely you won't have this sort of backup.
2. Why would you need it, except in the most extreme sort of situation?
3. What would you consider "extreme"?

Discipline is dealt with most effectively in the classroom and among those with whom the problem occurred. Are you suggesting that when you all have children, you will say to them when they missbehave, "Just wait until your father gets home!" I don't think you will; or I certainly hope you won't!

When looking at this topic I got kind of nervous because I realized I had no clue how I would handle it if a student started swearing at me in class. Plus I thought back and I can't remember talking about these types of issues in any of my education classes. I think it would be very useful if we were taught how to handle all types of discipline situations and behavior problems in class.

I agree that is our job as the teachers to set the bar high--treating your students with respect, and expecting the same in return. But what if this is not the case?? Discipline is something that differs from teacher to teacher. In my experience, no one "disciplinary procedure" works from every teacher. It is scary, because at this point in my time here at ASU--I don't know if I've been prepared to handle these situations properly.

I agree with Anna and feel like Ryan. Does the College of Ed. expect that we learn classroom managment during our internships or student teaching experiences? If so, I find that response too little; too late.

My educational psychology professor recognized this oversight and assigned a supplemental text on classroom management. Our class presented projects that connected classroom management strategies to research in psychology and we tried to present the pro's and con's of these strategies but I still feel this is my weakest area of training.