http://www.politicalgateway.com/news/read.html?id=3068

Independent internet news media reported the story today of a high school teacher forcing a student to stand for the National Anthem by yanking his chair out from underneath him. We have the video. The teacher seems angry and is seen shouting in the video, even while the anthem is playing.

Watch the video, and it's very telling that the students have been disrupting the class, and screwing around.  The way I first saw it reported, I figured it was more violent.  BS.  I'd have done a little more than pull the chair away from this kid.

When I went to school, there was one or two students who were excused from pledging allegiance due to the their religious beliefs.  I have zero problem with that, it's a big country and there's room for everyone's belief.  This kid though didn't have any deep seated beliefs, he's just a punk clowing around in class.

http://www.politicalgateway.com/news/read.html?id=3068

Independent internet news media reported the story today of a high school teacher forcing a student to stand for the National Anthem by yanking his chair out from underneath him. We have the video. The teacher seems angry and is seen shouting in the video, even while the anthem is playing.

Watch the video, and it's very telling that the students have been disrupting the class, and screwing around.  The way I first saw it reported, I figured it was more violent.  BS.  I'd have done a little more than pull the chair away from this kid.

When I went to school, there was one or two students who were excused from pledging allegiance due to the their religious beliefs.  I have zero problem with that, it's a big country and there's room for everyone's belief.  This kid though didn't have any deep seated beliefs, he's just a punk clowing around in class.


Some some far-left liars ruining things for true, honest liberals.  >:(

And people wonder why teachers keep leaving the profession.  They're under-paid and under-respected.  If I were that kid's mother, I would be humiliated that my child was such a little asshole.  Unfortunately, the parents probably took the "this teacher hurt my innocent child" route. 

Hey, nobody likes a wise-ass, but no teacher has any business hollaring at students, let alone getting violent.  I don't care what the nasty little b*st*rds do.  I don't care if this teacher was at his wit's end.  He is the adult, he is the educator, and it is incumbant upon him to find a civilized way of dealing with the situation.
I would punish this teacher more than any teacher has ever been punished--two weeks suspension with pay.
Seriously, when some kids figure out you're a spaz, they'll do anything in their power to set you up for a hissy fit.  Teaching is no profession for the short-tempered.

Didn't see it, took too long to download.  Teenagers can be a b##ch , which is why I chose college teaching, but there are other ways to handle wise-a33 kids, other than screaming and violence.

Seriously, when some kids figure out you're a spaz, they'll do anything in their power to set you up for a hissy fit. Teaching is no profession for the short-tempered.
That teacher was a d!ck. I'm not excusing the students' behavior, but it's obvious that he let them get under his skin. Teachers like that who pull that macho hardass crap are just asking to get messed with. This guy obviously has no clue how to deal with teenagers. Yelling at them like that doesn't earn their respect. I had a few teachers like that, and no one respected them. Everyone would make contemptuous remarks behind their backs, and some of the bolder kids would challenge their authority. Just like these kids did. And you know why? Because we all knew, as these kids did, that the teacher's tough-guy act was just a thinly disguised veil for his insecurities and his hatred for his job, and we knew that we could get to them. The teachers we liked and respected were cool, calm, and self-confident (and had a good sense of humor), and they talked TO us and not AT us. They treated us like individuals and not like a group of stupid, @sshole kids. They didn't need to yell at us to earn our respect.

You know what one of the greatest mysteries to me is? Why on earth would anyone want to be a teacher if they hate kids? I'll be honest, I couldn't be a teacher. I have neither the patience nor the right personality type. But at least I'll admit it. I think that if anyone thinks about teaching as a career choice, they need to do a lot of soul-searching first to make sure that it's right for them.

That teacher was a d!ck. I'm not excusing the students' behavior, but it's obvious that he let them get under his skin. Teachers like that who pull that macho hardass crap are just asking to get messed with. This guy obviously has no clue how to deal with teenagers. Yelling at them like that doesn't earn their respect. I had a few teachers like that, and no one respected them. Everyone would make contemptuous remarks behind their backs, and some of the bolder kids would challenge their authority. Just like these kids did. And you know why? Because we all knew, as these kids did, that the teacher's tough-guy act was just a thinly disguised veil for his insecurities and his hatred for his job, and we knew that we could get to them. The teachers we liked and respected were cool, calm, and self-confident (and had a good sense of humor), and they talked TO us and not AT us. They treated us like individuals and not like a group of stupid, @sshole kids. They didn't need to yell at us to earn our respect.

You know what one of the greatest mysteries to me is? Why on earth would anyone want to be a teacher if they hate kids? I'll be honest, I couldn't be a teacher. I have neither the patience nor the right personality type. But at least I'll admit it. I think that if anyone thinks about teaching as a career choice, they need to do a lot of soul-searching first to make sure that it's right for them.


Very well, and sucsinctly put.  At my college, too many future teachers are marginal students in the first place, even though standards are fairly high in Vermont.  At least some of those don't make it averagewise after taking courses with me.

I wonder how many of you who are parants have gotten letters or announcements etc. from teachers filled with grammatical and spelling errors?  I remember a number of them, which (believe it or not) I always sent back corrected.

That teacher was a d!ck. I'm not excusing the students' behavior, but it's obvious that he let them get under his skin. Teachers like that who pull that macho hardass crap are just asking to get messed with. This guy obviously has no clue how to deal with teenagers. Yelling at them like that doesn't earn their respect. I had a few teachers like that, and no one respected them. Everyone would make contemptuous remarks behind their backs, and some of the bolder kids would challenge their authority. Just like these kids did. And you know why? Because we all knew, as these kids did, that the teacher's tough-guy act was just a thinly disguised veil for his insecurities and his hatred for his job, and we knew that we could get to them. The teachers we liked and respected were cool, calm, and self-confident (and had a good sense of humor), and they talked TO us and not AT us. They treated us like individuals and not like a group of stupid, @sshole kids. They didn't need to yell at us to earn our respect.

You know what one of the greatest mysteries to me is? Why on earth would anyone want to be a teacher if they hate kids? I'll be honest, I couldn't be a teacher. I have neither the patience nor the right personality type. But at least I'll admit it. I think that if anyone thinks about teaching as a career choice, they need to do a lot of soul-searching first to make sure that it's right for them.


You hit it on the head, exactly what I thought when I saw that video.  It put me in mind of more than a couple of teachers who should never have been allowed in a classroom.  I would guess that this is not the first time this teacher has lost control, and with less provocation.    I think the kids weren't doing this as a sign of disrespect to the USA, they were doing it as a sign of disrespect for the teacher.

That teacher was a d!ck. I'm not excusing the students' behavior, but it's obvious that he let them get under his skin. Teachers like that who pull that macho hardass crap are just asking to get messed with. This guy obviously has no clue how to deal with teenagers. Yelling at them like that doesn't earn their respect. I had a few teachers like that, and no one respected them. Everyone would make contemptuous remarks behind their backs, and some of the bolder kids would challenge their authority. Just like these kids did. And you know why? Because we all knew, as these kids did, that the teacher's tough-guy act was just a thinly disguised veil for his insecurities and his hatred for his job, and we knew that we could get to them. The teachers we liked and respected were cool, calm, and self-confident (and had a good sense of humor), and they talked TO us and not AT us. They treated us like individuals and not like a group of stupid, @sshole kids. They didn't need to yell at us to earn our respect.



http://www.riverblue.com/hughes/gleasonnew1.jpg
Don't mess with the bull, son, you'll get the horns!
http://www.scoops.be/contentpics/Celebs/DETAIL/55890-1.jpg

http://www.riverblue.com/hughes/gleasonnew1.jpg
Don't mess with the bull, son, you'll get the horns!
The image didn't go through but I think I know what you're talking about. That's from the Breakfast Club, right? It so, that illustrated the point perfectly.

The image didn't go through but I think I know what you're talking about. That's from the Breakfast Club, right? It so, that illustrated the point perfectly.

Uh, yeah, and the image went through this time, you know who that is!

The teacher should have been disciplined, and he was -- whether or not the discipline was suffient, I don't know.  Personally, I think the guy probably should have been fired, but I'm not the one who has to deal with the teacher's union. 

But what about the students?  I don't believe for one second that these kids were just 'acting out' in this class as an act of rebellion against this particular teacher.  It's not as though they'd turn into well-behaved angels if Mr. Chips walked into the room.  Yes, with an exemplary teacher -- not a good, competent professional, but an exemplary teacher -- perhaps in time a few marginal kids might turn around.  But most kids who are that brazenly rude, disrespectful and insubordinate are products of poor parenting, and that is not going to be reversed by the school system.

I think the teacher was wrong in doing this. What right does he have to make the kid stand for the Pledge? The idea of forcing someone to stand or put their hand on their heart for the pledge undermines the whole idea of it("liberty and justice for all"). The teacher was wrong to be yelling and cussing like that, and IMO, should have been fired. A man with that type of attitude and short temper doesn't belong in the classroom.

Personally, I stand and say the pledge every morning in school. But you see, that is my decision to do so. There are several peers of mine who choose not to stand every morning, and I have no problem with that. Its personal preference. Something that can have a potential political taint to it like the pledge, should not be forced upon students in the classroom. I am shocked at some of the attitudes that have been shown in this topic, especially from Maxwell Smart.

Because YOU don't like the idea of someone not standing for the pledge, doesn't mean it is logical and okay to decide that its alright for them to be forced to stand. We must always be eternally vigilant in upholding free speech and free expression. Its like that old saying about how you might not like someone's opinion, but you will defend their right to say it.

How un-American and pathetic.

Teachers' unions, like all unions, are dedicated to protecting their members from arbitrary and capricious treatment from management.  When management wants to discipline an employee it needs to be able to make a legitimate case, and the union will respect that.  No union that I have ever been associated with wants to protect the guilty, but we do have this silly little notion of innocence until proven guilty.  In this case, the perp was taped, so regardless of the provocation, its clear that he acted unreasonably. 

I don't know about pulling a chair out from under a sitting student but I do feel for the teacher.

Nowadays, many underpaid teachers have to take on the role of parent to 30+ children at a time.    If a child refuses to follow directions from a teacher, then I feel the parents have done a poor job.  Children need to be taught to respect authority and to do as they are told.  Otherwise, they will grow up unable to hold a job - what if their supervisor tells them to do something they don't want to do?  Unable to maintain intimate relationships, and probably will not be good parents either.  Part of the problem, in my opinion, is that parents don't discipline their kids.  When I was a kid, I was spanked many times.  I learned not to make the same mistake again.  If I did anything wrong, I had to pay a price and that was a good preparation for the real world.

I don't know about pulling a chair out from under a sitting student but I do feel for the teacher.

Nowadays, many underpaid teachers have to take on the role of parent to 30+ children at a time.    If a child refuses to follow directions from a teacher, then I feel the parents have done a poor job.   Children need to be taught to respect authority and to do as they are told.  Otherwise, they will grow up unable to hold a job - what if their supervisor tells them to do something they don't want to do?  Unable to maintain intimate relationships, and probably will not be good parents either.  Part of the problem, in my opinion, is that parents don't discipline their kids.  When I was a kid, I was spanked many times.  I learned not to make the same mistake again.  If I did anything wrong, I had to pay a price and that was a good preparation for the real world.




True ... except jobs aren't the answer for all. Real estate?

I think the teacher was wrong in doing this. What right does he have to make the kid stand for the Pledge? The idea of forcing someone to stand or put their hand on their heart for the pledge undermines the whole idea of it("liberty and justice for all"). The teacher was wrong to be yelling and cussing like that, and IMO, should have been fired. A man with that type of attitude and short temper doesn't belong in the classroom.

Personally, I stand and say the pledge every morning in school. But you see, that is my decision to do so. There are several peers of mine who choose not to stand every morning, and I have no problem with that. Its personal preference. Something that can have a potential political taint to it like the pledge, should not be forced upon students in the classroom. I am shocked at some of the attitudes that have been shown in this topic, especially from Maxwell Smart.

Because YOU don't like the idea of someone not standing for the pledge, doesn't mean it is logical and okay to decide that its alright for them to be forced to stand. We must always be eternally vigilant in upholding free speech and free expression. Its like that old saying about how you might not like someone's opinion, but you will defend their right to say it.

How un-American and pathetic.

Huh?  What do you mean? I agree with you.
???

I think the teacher was wrong in doing this. What right does he have to make the kid stand for the Pledge? The idea of forcing someone to stand or put their hand on their heart for the pledge undermines the whole idea of it("liberty and justice for all"). The teacher was wrong to be yelling and cussing like that, and IMO, should have been fired. A man with that type of attitude and short temper doesn't belong in the classroom.

Personally, I stand and say the pledge every morning in school. But you see, that is my decision to do so. There are several peers of mine who choose not to stand every morning, and I have no problem with that. Its personal preference. Something that can have a potential political taint to it like the pledge, should not be forced upon students in the classroom. I am shocked at some of the attitudes that have been shown in this topic, especially from Maxwell Smart.

Because YOU don't like the idea of someone not standing for the pledge, doesn't mean it is logical and okay to decide that its alright for them to be forced to stand. We must always be eternally vigilant in upholding free speech and free expression. Its like that old saying about how you might not like someone's opinion, but you will defend their right to say it.

How un-American and pathetic.
I don't think the kid was trying to make a political statement. i think he was just rebelling against an @sshole teacher.

I don't think the kid was trying to make a political statement. i think he was just rebelling against an @sshole teacher.


I don't necessarily think it was political in nature(his refusal to stand). I said that the Pledge though, can drag some nasty politics into the classroom.

There are lots of people at my school who don't stand, and the majority aren't for political reasons.

Huh? What do you mean? I agree with you.
???


I don't care what the nasty little b*st*rds do

I interpreted that as meaning you thought the students were no good for not standing.

That teacher was a d!ck. I'm not excusing the students' behavior, but it's obvious that he let them get under his skin. Teachers like that who pull that macho hardass crap are just asking to get messed with. This guy obviously has no clue how to deal with teenagers. Yelling at them like that doesn't earn their respect. I had a few teachers like that, and no one respected them. Everyone would make contemptuous remarks behind their backs, and some of the bolder kids would challenge their authority. Just like these kids did. And you know why? Because we all knew, as these kids did, that the teacher's tough-guy act was just a thinly disguised veil for his insecurities and his hatred for his job, and we knew that we could get to them. The teachers we liked and respected were cool, calm, and self-confident (and had a good sense of humor), and they talked TO us and not AT us. They treated us like individuals and not like a group of stupid, @sshole kids. They didn't need to yell at us to earn our respect.

You know what one of the greatest mysteries to me is? Why on earth would anyone want to be a teacher if they hate kids? I'll be honest, I couldn't be a teacher. I have neither the patience nor the right personality type. But at least I'll admit it. I think that if anyone thinks about teaching as a career choice, they need to do a lot of soul-searching first to make sure that it's right for them.
My teachers were cool....they knew how to use discipline properly without yelling and/or violence. They used FIRMNESS and RESPECT in their dealings with my classmates and I...and got respect back from us. Someone who hates kids or has a short fuse has no business teaching. Period.