Philosophical Differences

Towards the end of last year, we had a little Professional Development in which I was not bored (the usual PD feeling) but instead pretty peeved.
These people that took over our school, their whole outlook is based on research, not experience. In fact, faced with a boatload of experience that contradicts their research, they will still cling to the research like it's the last canteen of water in the desert.

This PD was led by the same woman who informed me that the reason I was at school was "to have fun." It was entitled "Relational Discipline." I should have been exempt from this little demonstration from the get-go. If I can do anything, it's get along with adolescents. But anyways, there I sat, ready to learn nothing and play games on my phone.

The meat of their presentation dealt with the fact that they believed there was too much yelling in the school. And research shows that yelling doesn't work. And based on the assumptions that they as people isolated from our children made, they declared that we, as teachers, were getting too emotional with the children and were thus yelling because we had reached some sort of boiling point and we had lost control.

I will now give the exact quote that made me slowly put down my Blackberry in order to raise my hand and rant at everyone. "Don't get angry if one of the kids calls you a fucking bitch. They are just trying to test you. Remain calm and disregard it." They continued to insist that the reason we are yelling is because our feelings get hurt by our students.

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. WRONG.

1. You know what? Sometimes I am a fucking bitch. It just goes along with being an adult that is dealing with children. You aren't always going to like what I say or do. I do not care.
2. Who cares what an 11 year old thinks?

I am yelling/angry/reprimanding this child because you don't use that kind of language in my classroom. End of story. I don't care if those are the only words you know--then you have to stay quiet.

I get what they are saying to some extent. But if Omar slaps Nia, I am going to yell at him. If Corey tries to stab Shae with a pencil, I am going to say something. There is extreme behavior pretty much every day, and this fucking bitch will let you know that it's not acceptable.

And you know what comes from that? Kids I don't even teach in the hallway apologizing to me for using profanity when they hadn't known I was there. Limited profanity in my classroom, and almost always apologies afterward.

The funniest part is that they constantly put me and another teacher up as the perfect model of what a teacher should be, and he and I both yell on a daily basis. Or at least use threats and intimidation. :)