Discipline in schools

Bobtheman

As far as I'm aware Principals are suspending less.

This is national policy now.

There has been no serious national debate since 2006.

In my own school we need to reform our system. We haven't found or looked for a way to incorporate vs ware.

All new management posts have nothing to do with discipline but you have teachers willing to work for free as tutors.

Even those not looking for promotion.

I'm wondering what people think? Teachers

amacca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058347453/discipline-in-schools

I think, sadly the last thing the system wants to address is discipline. There are an ever diminishing set of actual consequences for continuous disruption because everyone has a right to education but only the people providing it have the responsibilities (and an ever increasing amount of them too).

And the game now is not to have a sustainable workplace but to participate enthusiastically in a race to the bottom.

Bobtheman

Well I expected more than one reply...

2011abc

People are past the point of caring .System is in freefall .Sure even in past 24 hours look at Stardust and Limerick septicemia cases .Incompetence is promoted anyone genuinely interested is attacked .Broad generalisation I admit but more true than not .God help us .

amacca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122052367#Comment_122052367

whether true or not…. apparently in the sepsis case the main/senior doctor had 191 patients to deal with that night…without knowing and I could be wrong but I'd say its a case of too many chiefs and not enough indians in that case…in general I think the worker at the coalface is being overloaded with ever increasing workloads while a certain cohort of management and middle management justify their existence by coming up with said additional workload and new time suck initiatives that make the job incrementally more unattractive for those that actually have to do it

Maybe I'm going too far here but I reckon less and less people want to do jobs like nursing, teaching etc etc…and if they have any sense less and less will want to be a doctor either….unless its in another country

It seemed to me like the system wants to keep asking for more and more without addressing any of its responsibilities to provide a reasonable workplace…….if its not one extreme its another.

Bobtheman

I agree with the points above. We can't be emphasising student well being while ignoring Teacher well being.

I do believe teachers have a right to make complaints on a health safety basis not only involving their colleagues but also students. I have done so successfully and I would encourage others.

Ring your union if you have to.

I am trying to get it back on the national agenda

Kirby Puckett

How many times do students usually have to be suspended before getting expelled?

Without a legitimate fear of expulsion, I don't see how schools can get discipline issues under control.

am_zarathustra

Two different thresholds for suspension and expulsion, you could be suspended every week and it may never lead to a successful expulsion process. A lot of students are moreso "moved on".

jayo76

Discipline is gone, positively chalenging students to achieve their potential is gone, expecting students and in a lot of cases parents to take any responsibility for their behaviour or academic progression is gone.

Sorry for the doom and gloom but this is my genuine experience. Students who ruin whole class groups with their behaviour are excused on the grounds of their neurodiversity and the wellbeing teams in schools indulge them in their blaming of teachers that dont understand their needs.

WWMRD

Discipline issues in my school are not being dealt with quick enough. We are now a Restorative School and believe this was the start of it. No fear of anyone or anything. Swearing at teachers, name calling, bullying their peers, online image sharing, mobile phone use during class, no bags in school...the list is endless. Classroom management is actually impossible. I have walked students to DP office during classes to be able to try teach. Im a practical teacher and health and safety is terrifying me at the moment that I am reluctant to do practicals. Team teaching is now common in our school but more like having a bouncer in the room. Taking the nicey nicey approach to issues is not working but management dont want to know it in fact they are too busy typing away on their computers in their offices.

I dont know where this is going.....I am in a good area and an actual good school believe it or not.…but I am getting more and more scared of something major happening in my school.

Ugh ranting now 🙄

pandoraj09

I'm leaving/taking early retirement at the end of this academic year. I agree with everything said above. I've been a year head for 35 years and it seems to be all about pandering to students now. Any attempt to get them to knuckle down and work/study has them running into the Principal's office playing the wellbeing card. One thing I really detest is the fact that parents and students can email us any time they want. If they don't attend class we're expected to post the class material on Google classroom for them. We're not allowed raise our voice at all. Sick of the whole thing and got a pleasant surprise when I got my statement of service from the DES as they let me buy back loads of part time service from back in the late 80s/early 90s which meant I could have gone last year. The bad language on the corridors and the general lack of respect has worn me down.

Bobtheman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122077677#Comment_122077677

I don't think teachers should post anything on goggle classroom if they don't want to.

You are obligated to teach and perhaps Mark work but nowhere does it say you have to post online or reply to parental emails.

I kick those to the year head in question.

Students should be told ask other students.

We can be our own worst enemies and inclined to bend the knee too quickly to principals

We can play the wellbeing card back at them and make health and safety complaints too.