Reply #98: Was before Columbine - but during the time

[salin]

when there were three shootings on school grounds or in front of a school on a single day in Detroit. Somehow that never made the news beyond Detroit.

It didn't change my basic behavior towards my students. I held them to high standards, and treated the students with dignity. In return they performed at a high level (which surprised some of the other teachers, as I said these kids - for different reasons - were on the verge of long term suspensions).

We can blame kids, their parents, and society for many of the changes in school. But I have found that often institutional school behavior (eg administration and teachers) exacerbates rather than addresses problems. Suddenly schools turn into adversarial places with adults fearing kids. Common sense, in this atmosphere, often disappears. And in society we have a knee-jerk reaction to affirm the actions taken by the adults regardless of the situation. Imo, it is one thing to be careful and cautious in schools these days. It is yet another to 'see danger in each and every kid' - and to behave accordingly. That doesn't address anything, but creates an even more hair-trigger nervous atmosphere.