managing middle school students

This Comment, from Doug, describes exactly what has happened at the middle school:

The bad news is that the school just took a major hit to its credibility with the students. The punishment was a joke and was seen by the students to be a joke. This will dramatically reduce the ability of the school to make credible threats or implied threats, both of which are critical to discipline.

Nothing destroys discipline like badly managed punishment, especially when the punishment is seen by its targets as unjust.

The principal's ability to lead and/or manage the kids was already in tatters before the Health Fair, as should be apparent. You can see him becoming ever more punitive, ever more rule-bound. The principal's letter about the dance is extraordinary - 18 rules cited altogether, including a brand new rule which is that parents have to park their cars and enter the building on foot to pick up their criminal children.

For the record, Ed has always said the same thing. One of the reasons he dislikes character ed is that the kids invariably think it's a joke. Ed says principals, teachers, and professors should never give students a reason to find them foolish.

The administration of our school - certainly the principal - seems to have no awareness that respect can't be granted in an employee contract. Respect must be earned. The contract gives you the power to punish the kids, make new rules, enforce 18 rules at the dance, etc., etc.

The contract does not give you the respect or even the consent of the children and parents upon whom you enforce the rules.

If you don't earn respect, sooner or later you will have to go.

As to the 18 rules for the dance, I sent an email asking whether there is also a 19th, unlisted rule stating that parents can't chaperone their children's dance.

No answer.

To find out, I will have to call his secretary and set up a meeting.

This is crazy.


healthfair