I always take things like this on a case by case basis. I always start by talking to the student first. In your case, it really sounds like he's sorry. I would be inclined to talk to him again, explain how you believe him when he said it was stupid and impulsive and this THIS time you are going to do nothing. However, if there is a next time, no mercy!
I've had students flip me off who were always defiant and rude and I have written referrals for this, and I have done things like i explained above. I think it comes down to the situation, the student, and your relationship with him/her. On 9/19/07, TLP <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Imagine my horror when today one of my 8th graders, a young man with > whom I thought I had a great relationship, flipped me off behind my > back. My student teacher caught him. I had given him a hard time about > a seating situation and had been a bit abrupt. My student teacher was > wild and called him on it. He came and told me he made an > inappropriate gesture and he was "so so sorry. It was stupid and > impulsive." At this point I didn't know what the gesture was , so we > talked together about the rough week he had just had and how he was > sick and went home after throwing up in the bathroom. And he > apologized again to the student teacher and me and I gave him a by. > After he left she told me what he had done. I was stunned. I took him > aside later and told him, he had broken my heart. He began to tear up > and laid a hand on each of my shoulders and said he was mad at himself > and didn't mean what he had done. I am at a loss at what to do. I > don't think a detention is worthwhile because sitting at his desk > staring at the wall for an hour is not going to fix this. However, I > think a conversation with me after school might be the key. I need my > windows washed in the worst way....What do you folks think? I am not > thinking clearly ( Keep in mind I have my kids for three years, Oh and > his table mates were horrified and let him know....) > -- > Tena > > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > -- - Heather "The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out; new races build others. But in the world of books are volumes that have seen this happen again and again and yet live on. Still young, still as fresh as the day they were written, still telling men's hearts of the hearts of men centuries dead." --Clarence Day "While the rhetoric is highly effective, remarkably little good evidence exists that there's any educational substance behind the accountability and testing movement." —Peter Sacks, Standardized Minds "When our children fail competency tests the schools lose funding. When our missiles fail tests, we increase funding. " —Dennis Kucinich, Democratic Presidential Candidate _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
