Generally people are very accepting, but I know some questions my judgement. I just found this article.
Summer Larsen, who teaches the fourth grade at Declo Elementary, is being criticized for the way she allowed students to behave after asking them to assess their reading goals. The students came up with incentives to accomplish the goals. Students who met their reading goals would be allowed to draw on the faces of those who did not reach their goals. The students who fell short of their goals could choose to either skip recess or allow other students to draw on their faces. Of the 21 fourth-graders involved, nine did not meet the goals, six chose to be drawn on, and three chose to miss recess. Some of the students chose to draw goatees and mustaches on other students.
One parent said, “Not only was my son punished with bullying, but the other students were rewarded with bullying. They’re being taught that bullying is OK.”
Some parents didn’t have a problem with what happened. “I’m just one of many parents who stand totally behind Summer Larsen and her teaching methods and what she does. We think she is a wonderful teacher, and we want to see her stay at Declo for many years,” said Carla Christensen.
Not only do I think the punishment is absolutely inappropriate, how can they punish kids for not learning to read at the prescribed level. How can a teacher of so many years still believe all kids develop according to “no kid left behind”* standardizations? How can they not realize some very intelligent kids just are a little behind in one area and see that they excel in another? Punish the kids for who they are, what they are, how they develop, their natural limitations?
In a culture that allows public shaming of school aged kids (standing at street corners with a sandwich sign “I am an idiot”… “I stole” … or worse), tries to teach creationism as an alternative to, or even instead of evolution, allows corporal punishment in schools that leaves “welts and bruises” this seems small by comparison, but it worries me that this seems to be what parents support and request.
* yes I know that’s supposed to be obsolete now, but it seems it’s still practiced.
