The Teacher...Friend or Foe?

I've always interpreted teachers to be men and women who are there, not only to educate, but to inspire and be a light to their bright-eyed students. I can safely say that now that my years of education are coming to a close, all of my teachers that I have had have been amazing men and women (mostly women). Teachers are not supposed to be looked down upon as ones that cause bullying but ones that should nip it in the bud when it begin. However, my first post in this series from Bullying Statistics is about just that...teachers that are themselves the bullies.

I once filmed a video about an old schoolhouse that is now a museum. In the corner near a window sat a mannequin (whose name I believe was Timmy) and this mannequin was wearing a dunce cap. If the student misbehaved or caused trouble, or for any other reason, the teacher would make the student wear the dunce cap. That's just one way, but others include standing in the corner and having someone's hand whacked with a ruler. They can also abuse verbally in addition to physically. Bullying Statistics mentions that it may go unreported because the victim may not trust the system to support them, fearing retribution from the teacher but also from the students that have it in good with the teacher.

Is it just teachers that can cause this abuse. No! Coaches, custodial staff, and even the principal can also be ones causing trouble. With a coach I can understand it because they may be giving strong criticism in hopes of improving, but there definitely is a limit.

Bottom line, sometimes teachers and administrative staff may not be all that innocent when it comes to bullying. Yes, they may intervene when it comes to peer to peer bullying, but have we really thought about what happens when the teacher themselves is the one causing drama for the student? Something to think about...

 

(theregister.co.uk)