<p>You’ve probably confused my saying that’s what would have happened if it had happened at my friend’s community college…</p>
<p>See, here it goes again. We aren’t talking about cc and speculation (or even certainty ) about what goes on there.</p>
<p>Not only should we understand the totality of what OP did relate in her post; we should understand the limits of what she actually revealed. Ie, try to id what she DID NOT say, that has simply been assumed or speculated by some- or cited in a way that makes it seem a legitimate element here.</p>
<p>Cobrat,
You accuse posters of using rhetoric. In turn you use hyperbole. Where is there on shred, one iota of evidence of
That is PURE conjecture, if not total hogwash. In fact, in this day and age it is more commonly the teacher who has to fend off accusations (real or not) from students, and perhaps the students make accusations as retaliation against a teacher they don’t like or who may have given them a bad grade. Not saying they do, or how often it may happen , but this “power” stuff you go on and on about is, in many cases, wielded by the student moreso than the teacher. </p>
<p>OK- to play your game, I will share an anecdote of a friend’s daughter, who is a teacher. She had just finished offering to provide a student with writing implements, as he hadn’t turned in his HW and alluded to the fact that he had no pens/pencils. When she turned her back to return to her desk, he said some rather inappropriate and possibly threatening things to her. However, she was unable to report it to administration as she did not see him say those words, and the student could deny it. She couldnt prove it was his voice. She didnt “witness” it directly. And no other student was going to say he did it. And school policy says under those circumstances she cannot file a report. Who had the power there? Do I believe she would “retaliate”. No. She is above that. But apparently you seem to think that is the first thing a teacher would do. Please stop projecting. Not everyone is as mean-spirited as you seem to think they may be.</p>
<p>As an example of the shifting reality, I see 3 posts where cobrat repeated that question, “Where are you really from?” None where OP says it was phrased that way.</p>
<p>Just based on MY OWN experience as a middle school and high school sub in an average performing middle class environment, it was a rather powerless position. Even sending a kid to the principal’s office was not really an option because it would then seem that you “couldn’t control your class” and you risked not being asked back. It certainly wasn’t a card you could play many times. Much less is a substitute going to “retaliate” against any student.</p>
<p>Most of us have been students in a classroom with a substitute teacher. We all know what frequently happens. “When the cat’s away, the mice will play.” It takes a pretty strong and confident individual to be able to handle the dynamics of that situation. That’s why there is so much turnover in sub pools. It can be a miserable way to make a living.</p>
<p>I wonder as I’ve lost count of reports of teachers getting caught…sometimes red-handed committing crimes bringing ill-repute on themselves and their profession and against other students. </p>
<p>While they’re a tiny minority compared with the dedicated majority, there are so many reported cases of convicted/confirmed bad apples that the public understandably cannot automatically take a teacher at his/her word. </p>
<p>If we extend this to the corruption and untoward activities among those in politics and wall street/corporate businesses, the seeming takeway is to be especially wary of taking anyone in high positions of power and privilege at his/her word.</p>
<p>I’d also like to throw into the fray, a reminder that those of us who may be considered by some, unable to relate OP’s experience due to our skin color or ethnicity, often do have insight into the prevailing attitudes of people who share our ethnicity. So when we say, to our knowledge, “where are you from?” isn’t generally expected to elicit any answer other than the town you live in, we do actually have some credibility in that area.</p>
<p>I have many friends who work in the school system. Public and private. One friend is a school principal. Several are teachers. Some are school psychologists or administrators. Are their comments and reports any less valid than your cousin’s friend’s supervisor’s former college roommate’s supposed comments made in idle conversation?</p>
<p>A substitute teacher being included in any way, shape or form in this sentence is laughable, at least in my experience. I also have several years of teaching in a public school under my belt and I can assure you I was not even close to being someone in a “high position of power and privilege.”</p>
<p>“So when we say, to our knowledge, “where are you from?” isn’t generally expected to elicit any answer other than the town you live in, we do actually have some credibility in that area.”</p>
<p>Bay, you have mad credibility. Really, you do. All of us grown ups do; that’s why the student came to the parents forum. But I am not sure if that was, or still is, the question. At this point, I think the question is, how sensitive should we be to the feelings of others. And the answer seems to be, it depends.</p>
<p>Why would I “extend” a discussion about a substitute teacher - someone who frankly has no “position or power” except momentarily in that classroom - to Wall Street and politics? I mean, that’s like saying if I swat a flea, I would extend that mentality to killing someone who stepped in line in front of me at the grocery store. It makes no sense to extrapolate one to the other.</p>
<p>I did to explain why in situations where the behavior/actions of a teacher/supervisor is at issue it’s not always required or moreso, not always prudent for the student/employee to work it out with them first. </p>
<p>It’s ok and usually more prudent to report it to those above them in the institutional hierarchy.</p>
<p>The student had nothing to lose by saying “Why would you ask that?” I really doubt there would have been any repercussions for that beyond getting the sub to think about it or giving him the chance to explain any non nefarious intent.</p>
<p>I get that the OP is an adolescent or felt caught off guard. Perhaps she can take that and use it in the future.</p>
<p>Cobrat, you edited your post #465 after I responded to it, with even more hyperbole, trying to equate the substitute teacher to the “the corruption and untoward activities among those in politics and wall street/corporate businesses”, which I agree, is simply absurd. Absolutely ridiculous.</p>
<p>And you ask on what basis a statement is quantified, and then edit your post to add "there are so many reported cases of convicted/confirmed bad apples that the public understandably cannot automatically take a teacher at his/her word. ". Do you not see the ridiculous irony of that?</p>
<p>Depending on the teacher and the prevailing culture/policies of the school, following that suggestion may result in the sub regarding it as rude insubordination. It could prompt him to write her up and report her conduct to the regular teacher and/or admins with negative consequences on the conduct section of her report card/high school record. In so doing, it could very well end up giving the sub more ammunition to obfuscate, deny, and offload focus/scrutiny of his conduct by using the “Why would you ask that?” as a pretext. </p>
<p>Especially considering teachers used to complying conforming students from previous decades tend to not react well to such questions from adolescents or even young adults very well in their high school classes. I can just imagine the reaction a couple of retired HS teacher subs and one particularly ornery teacher I had would have had if any student asked that very question in their presence. From their perspective, it wasn’t the student’s place to question the teacher on such matters.</p>
<p>Or, the student could say, politely, “I found Mr. X’s inquiring about my name to single me out for my ethnicity in a way that made me feel uncomfortable - I don’t want to get Mr. X in trouble, but it’s something I wanted to share” and it could be a teaching moment for everyone involved. You always look on the downside of things.</p>
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</p>
<p>Yep -countdown to Cobrat’s high school experience, 3 - 2 - 1.</p>
<p>Well, you don’t know if you don’t try. Personally, if I have an issue with something, I try to work it out pleasantly and directly with that person. You have some very strong notions of hierarchy - I don’t know if they are culturally based – where you are always showing fear about what people in “positions of power” can do. People are just people. Who knows, the OP could have approached the sub pleasantly after class and said that she was uncomfortable with what transpired and he could have reflected on it and said - huh, I didn’t mean to, I was honestly just curious - and everyone could have shaken hands and moved on, already.</p>
<p>Oh, yes, I SUPPOSE it’s also possible that the sub could also react by smacking the OP upside the head, too, but you know, you have to give people the benefit of the doubt.</p>
<p>The public can’t take a teacher at his or her word? That is absolutely off the wall. Not to mention ignorant and offensive. Your fantasy world is very involved.</p>