Study: Principals say ex-military shine as teachers
The vast majority of principals who were asked to compare teachers groomed through the federal government's Troops to Teachers program with peers of comparable teaching experience viewed the military veterans as better prepared to teach and more effective in dealing with parents, reports a study by Old Dominion University. The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk-Portsmouth-Virginia Beach-Chesapeake)
Being an inner city school teacher is very challenging. I feel like Michelle Pfiffer in the movie "Dangerous Minds". This story goes almost as similar with my story: Teacher and ex-marine Louanne Johnson accepts a full-time job at a East Palo Alto highschool without realizing that the students in her class are highly intelligent, but with social problems. She either must give up or learn how to get the students' attention and help them learn.
Well, last year I learned that 3 of my students were transferred to that school of my first assignment. I was worried about them, I told my colleague "will they survive there? It's like a juvenile prison! The students there are far more worse than our students here". The answer that I got "maybe these 3 students deserve to be there". So help them, God.
From time to time children get upset and angry, teachers need to be able to de-escalate the situation. There's a vital need for training. Intervening physically is a predictable occurrence. It could be to hold a child to prevent them injuring themselves or others. But it is going to happen. I had a certain amount of training on Behavior Modification Strategies. But nothing that would have prepared me for the kind of violent outbursts that I encountered from some students. Nothing on restraint techniques, for example.
Violence in schools, how prevalent is it? Will ex-military teachers do a better job?
15 comments:
Sorry, I had to delete my previous post. Wala ako sa topic :-(
That's the key. Learning how not to escalate a seemingly trivial situtation. Early on, I learned it the hard way, and that lesson has served me well.
The reason why ex-military folks are viewed to be good teachers is because of their appreciation of discipline and the almost regimented, organized way of doing things. With their military experience they show confidence in dealing with abnomal behaviors as if to say - look I've been shot at, I've shot people, I've dealt with tougher guys and you're nothing. Letting sudents know of one's military experience is a huge advantage. The kids wouldn't likely fool around. The respect factor is a definite advantage. Other than this, I couldn't see how they could be innately superior in the academic and communication skills side of things with professionally trained teachers.
I wish my son had a teacher with military training. He has some disabilities and we have often wondered about putting him in a military type of school. It is hard as amom when I see teachers looking at him anger and audacity- he dared disrespect me? Reminds me of my stepdad. Teachers who get over themselves and realize the problem is with the student and is not about the teacher will do much better, imho. Its hard, becasue teachers ar e only human but are expected to be mechanical. Not going to happen...
JINKEE That's alright...
FRED, I guess I have to learn that...sometimes I couldn't hold my patience 'til the end of the day with my emotionally disturbed students...boy!
BW, one of my students joined the ROTC. His behavior last year was sooo horrible that he was suspended almost everyday for fighting or threatening a teacher/ student. But with Sgt. Johnson who trains them 2x a week now, he's changed a lot! I couldn't believe the transformation, and he's now the one trying to discipline his classmates who are off the hook. I better recommend Sgt Johnson for a recognition by the school.
DAWN MARIE, discipline starts at home, then in the school, then military training sometimes comes in as a supplementary training if school-home collaboration doesn't work for the child. It takes a whole community to raise a responsible child, each member of the community has a role to play.
Military as teachers is something I haven't heard before except for the thomasites of decades ago. Yet, this kind of set-up may just work in tackling the problems of students having difficult personalities. In my experience as a student, I have encountered such kind of students only in rare occassions but we never know. Perhaps, such similar problem here in our country may be more prevalent than we can assume that I guess, our educational system may learn a thing or two about soldiers as teachers...
You have a lot of courage doing what you do. I almost went down the teaching path myself, but I found I didn't have the temperament to handle the difficult personalities I encountered as a student teahcer. So much of your time is dedicated to class control. Well, mine anyway.
"dangerous minds" is a nice movie about letting military trainers teach our young ones the value of discipline to give one's life direction.
but we should not over do it -here or in the US.
there's a movie that argues against too much inculcation of totalitarian fascism, conformity into the minds of our younglings.
"TAPS"
very michelle pfiffer in dangerous minds indeed!
hi teacher sol...was hopping around until i landed here...i hold a high regard for persons like you.will be visiting yer cyber classroom again.take good care of yourself!
Most of the school violence I've witnessed is not a student-to-student kind but rather teacher-to-student kind.
The worst I've seen this school year was a teacher slapping the face of her students using a textbook! That's too much for a kid to bear. Not to mention, the teacher cussing the students whenever they can't get what she's teaching. And that happens almost everyday!
I wouldn't wonder why there are a lot juvenile people despite having a good family to support them. I'll just look outside my window and I'll find the answers.
SUSIE, right! Not only against violent movies but against violent video games and TV programs as well...
MAJOR TOM, Good thing about military men is that they are trained to have a lot of patience too, I guess that's what we need in the inner city schools...teachers with a lot of patience with all the challenges teachers get from the students and the educational system *wink
LAURA, when I was back home in the Philippines, I never thought I could take students cursing me out and threatening me almost everyday (I teach special ed mostly ED cases), but it's easier to take when you know that you have the support of the administration as long as you're doing it right.
BIG DAVE T, yep, so much time is given to class control, especially if you have a big class with disrespectful students...
TK, I better watch that movie "TAPS"...intruiging. It's good to see both sides of the coin too.
ACEY,hope this is not your first and last time to visit my "cyberclassroom". You're welcome to react to my entries here. Will be visiting your blog too.
THE BEACHMUSE, The teacher that you cited here should go to prison because of corporal punishment, inflicting physical harm to students. With proper documentation the teacher should be fired from her job. I've heard of horrible parents, I've heard of horrible teachers too. Irresponsible and abusive teachers/ parents shouldn't be tolarated nor emulated.
it starred tim hutton, george c. scott, tom cruise, sean penn. I guess I just gave away my age teach.
Post a Comment