"Cultural Sensitivity"

[makattak]

Teacher punishes child for saying "yes, ma'am"

So our "tolerant" leftists have let the mask slip again.

The boy was trying to be respectful and the harridan punished him for it.

Sending your child to public schools is rolling the dice on child abuse.

[MillCreek]

A few things struck me about this story:

1.  This is in the South: North Carolina
2.  Raising your kids to refer to elders as 'sir' and 'ma'am' is pretty common in the South.
3.  I was raised that way, and both of my parents were born and raised in  NE Arkansas before moving to Seattle during the Korean War.
4.  I will say that some people at work, notably middle-aged women, get on my case about calling them 'ma'am' because they say it makes them feel old.
5.  When my wife was the COW (Commanding Officers Wife) as her second husband was a company commander, it creeped her out when all the young soldiers addressed her as 'ma'am' for the same reason: it made her feel old.

[grampster]

If I was the principal of that school I'd have made the teacher write 500 times, "I must stop being an ahole."

[makattak]

A few things struck me about this story:

1.  This is in the South: North Carolina
2.  Raising your kids to refer to elders as 'sir' and 'ma'am' is pretty common in the South.
3.  I was raised that way, and both of my parents were born and raised in  NE Arkansas before moving to Seattle during the Korean War.
4.  I will say that some people at work, notably middle-aged women, get on my case about calling them 'ma'am' because they say it makes them feel old.
5.  When my wife was the COW (Commanding Officers Wife) as her second husband was a company commander, it creeped her out when all the young soldiers addressed her as 'ma'am' for the same reason: it made her feel old.

I'm sure she didn't like it for any number of reasons. (Oh, and he's 10. A 20 year old is "old" to him.)

She's supposed to be the adult, and has proven she isn't fit to be around children, let alone teaching them.

Of course, the public school will probably promote her.

[Ben]

They moved the kid to a different classroom. Seems they should have moved the teacher instead. The kid did nothing wrong, and moving him to a new classroom, where he presumably has to start all over on the "fitting in" thing with new classmates, just seems like further punishment for him.

[makattak]

They moved the kid to a different classroom. Seems they should have moved the teacher instead. The kid did nothing wrong, and moving him to a new classroom, where he presumably has to start all over on the "fitting in" thing with new classmates, just seems like further punishment for him.

On the plus side, he's probably been there a week. It was likely the first day that she punished him for respecting her.

[Ben]

On the plus side, he's probably been there a week. It was likely the first day that she punished him for respecting her.

Oh, right. School just started.

[Perd Hapley]

What was he supposed to call her? "Front hole"?

[MillCreek]

I'm sure she didn't like it for any number of reasons. (Oh, and he's 10. A 20 year old is "old" to him.)

She's supposed to be the adult, and has proven she isn't fit to be around children, let alone teaching them.

Of course, the public school will probably promote her.

My comments were more of amazement that the teacher would react this way in the South. I would have thought she would be familiar with the concept.

[dogmush]

So my understanding from that story is that the child continued calling her "ma'am" after she asked him not to, then she escalated to (gasp) making him write it on a piece of paper and told his parents.

What's the *expletive deleted*ing problem?  While "Ma'am" is not itself disrespectful, indeed it is respectful, it IS rude and disrespectful to continue calling someone something they have asked you not to call them*.  Perhaps she likes to be called Ms.  whatever.  Perhaps she's one of those teachers that want's to go by her first name, perhaps she has PTSD from her own school days of being forced to call people "Ma'am".  Who cares?  It's her classroom and if she doesn't wish to be called that, that's her prerogative, and a 10 YO is old enough to get that after a small number of slip-ups.

How is the teacher in the wrong for expecting her class to refer to her as ....whatever the hell she wants?

Can you imagine the outrage is she had made him write it on the chalkboard 100 times?!?  Then clean the erasers?

Instead of posting this *expletive deleted*it on FB, and crying about it the Parents should have said "OK Son, what did she ask you to call her?  Then call her that, because she wants to be called that.  Other adults or people you don't know should still be called Sir or Ma'am."  Done *expletive deleted*ing deal.

*Cue the mom crying "My kid is special and shouldn't be held to behavior standards........Yep.  There it is:

They added that Tamarion was hospitalized last month for a seizure-related activity, which included memory loss and hallucinations, something the teacher was unaware of.

[makattak]

So my understanding from that story is that the child continued calling her "ma'am" after she asked him not to, then she escalated to (gasp) making him write it on a piece of paper and told his parents.

What's the *expletive deleted*ing problem?  While "Ma'am" is not itself disrespectful, indeed it is respectful, it IS rude and disrespectful to continue calling someone something they have asked you not to call them*.  Perhaps she likes to be called Ms.  whatever.  Perhaps she's one of those teachers that want's to go by her first name, perhaps she has PTSD from her own school days of being forced to call people "Ma'am".  Who cares?  It's her classroom and if she doesn't wish to be called that, that's her prerogative, and a 10 YO is old enough to get that after a small number of slip-ups.

How is the teacher in the wrong for expecting her class to refer to her as ....whatever the hell she wants?

Can you imagine the outrage is she had made him write it on the chalkboard 100 times?!?  Then clean the erasers?

Instead of posting this *expletive deleted*it on FB, and crying about it the Parents should have said "OK Son, what did she ask you to call her?  Then call her that, because she wants to be called that.  Other adults or people you don't know should still be called Sir or Ma'am."  Done *expletive deleted*ing deal.

*Cue the mom crying "My kid is special and shouldn't be held to behavior standards........Yep.  There it is:

Ok, Senator Ma'am.

[Ben]

I might agree with Dogmush if this was say, a family from the South that moved to NYC, with the different culture. Otherwise I refer to what Millcreek pointed out.

I'm not from the South. During my career,  I spent a decent amount of detail time in South Carolina. Not a lot by any means, but it almost reinforces the point - in my limited time, I picked up pretty quickly that "Sir" and "Ma'am" (and maybe moreso "Ma'am") are practically ingrained into the culture. Maybe parents duct tape recorders to pregnant women to start teaching the kids early.

I started using ma'am with waitresses, etc. when I was there because I practically felt like a cad for not doing so. I don't know how a teacher (I'm assuming she's from elsewhere) would not pick up on that after any time at all in the region. It seems like something you would cut slack for. I'm sure the kid has been saying "Ma'am" since he started talking, and would get in trouble for not doing so if his parents heard. At some point it's probably practically involuntary and not an easy habit for him to break.

[RocketMan]

The teacher over reacted to the student calling her "Ma'am".  Period, full stop.  She needs to grow up her own self.  If she doesn't, it will be tough for her going through life as a complete ass.

[freakazoid]

So my understanding from that story is that the child continued calling her "ma'am" after she asked him not to, then she escalated to (gasp) making him write it on a piece of paper and told his parents.

What's the *expletive deleted*ing problem?  While "Ma'am" is not itself disrespectful, indeed it is respectful, it IS rude and disrespectful to continue calling someone something they have asked you not to call them*.  Perhaps she likes to be called Ms.  whatever.  Perhaps she's one of those teachers that want's to go by her first name, perhaps she has PTSD from her own school days of being forced to call people "Ma'am".  Who cares?  It's her classroom and if she doesn't wish to be called that, that's her prerogative, and a 10 YO is old enough to get that after a small number of slip-ups.

Unless it's completely ingrained into him TO say it and not saying it is something he would get in trouble for. So any attempt to force him to break what is the right way to do something causes him to lock up and revert to the way he was taught, he is 10 after all.

How is the teacher in the wrong for expecting her class to refer to her as ....whatever the hell she wants?

What if she wanted to be referred to as Xer or whatever?

[Hawkmoon]

Oh, heck. I wasn't even raised in the deep south, but I was raised to address older males and females whose names I didn't know as "Sir" and "Ma'am." It does become ingrained, very quickly, and for a kid with some issues it's probably very difficult for him to keep track of which teacher wants him to go against what his parents raised him to do. Heck, I'm 74 years old and I address the cashier at Burger King as "Ma'am."

The teacher was flat-out wrong. Teachers are supposed to teach, and act to a degree in loco parentis. IMHO, acting in loco parentis does not include undermining a family's apparently successful effort to bring their child up to be polite and to show respect for elders.

In passing, I noticed that the article ended with "This is a personnel matter which has been handled appropriately by the K-7 principal." Since it's a personnel matter and therefore confidential, the author of the article has no idea whether or not the matter was handled appropriately by the principal. If the teacher still has a job and didn't at least get a week's unpaid suspension, I'd say it most assuredly was not handled "appropriately."

[Doggy Daddy]

In passing, I noticed that the article ended with "This is a personnel matter which has been handled appropriately by the K-7 principal." Since it's a personnel matter and therefore confidential, the author of the article has no idea whether or not the matter was handled appropriately by the principal. If the teacher still has a job and didn't at least get a week's unpaid suspension, I'd say it most assuredly was not handled "appropriately."

Which was preceded by: "An official with the school released a short statement regarding the handling of the incident:"

Note the colon.  They were quoting the school's statement.

[Hawkmoon]

Which was preceded by: "An official with the school released a short statement regarding the handling of the incident:"

Note the colon.  They were quoting the school's statement.

Understood. This is what's wrong with "journalists" today -- they don't do any independent fact-finding. The school says it was handled "appropriately," so that's what they report. Not even an attempt to find out how it was handled, or what the school or principal thought was "appropriate.".

Sad.

[Fly320s]

What was he supposed to call her? "Front hole"?

Made me laugh.

Good job, Sir.

[HankB]

A few things struck me about this story: <snip>

As is usually the case with teachers behaving badly or stupidly, the NAME of the teacher was omitted.

Fools and idiots should not be allowed to remain anonymous - they need to be identified so they may receive the public humiliation and ridicule they so richly deserve.  

[Ben]

One thing that I will question here, sort of taking the other side of the argument from what I posted above: Let's concede that "Ma'am" is culturally ingrained in the area. Wouldn't other kids "involuntarily" be defaulting to "Ma'am" with her as well? Why is it only this kid? Maybe she doesn't like him. Maybe he actually was using "Ma'am" in some smartass or disrespectful way. Maybe there's more to the story. Anyway, just some more points to ponder.

[Perd Hapley]

Made me laugh.

Good job, Sir.

I figure if I'm slacking off, not reading, I may as well provide some humorous commentary.

[Doggy Daddy]

Understood. This is what's wrong with "journalists" today -- they don't do any independent fact-finding. The school says it was handled "appropriately," so that's what they report. Not even an attempt to find out how it was handled, or what the school or principal thought was "appropriate.".

Sad.

Totally agree.  Once upon a decade, I was a newspaper delivery boy in small-town Ohio.  Rode my bike with the bags over the rear wheel.  Would spend time with my grandfather and grandmother on the porch under the Elm tree reading the paper, the comics, OP-ED, crosswords...  I would carry the student newspaper at OSU into the McDonalds on High Street to read between classes.  I can't remember ever not subscribing.  However, lately I had been having the feeling that I didn't want to support the disappointment that the local paper has become, and was entertaining the thought of actually cancelling my subscription.  Then, I went through a whole week of my paper not being delivered.  I took that as a sign, and called to cancel.  Gave them my name and address.  They looked it up, and informed me that they could not cancel my subscription because it had already been cancelled a week before.

Now, THAT is a sign!

[MechAg94]

A teacher gets upset about being called ma'am and then jokingly threatened to throw something at the kid.  This is only the first week of school.  Not looking good for the rest of the year.  Glad she had her kid moved to another class. 

[Hawkmoon]

A teacher gets upset about being called ma'am and then jokingly threatened to throw something at the kid.  This is only the first week of school.  Not looking good for the rest of the year.  Glad she had her kid moved to another class. 

In my 10th grade Latin class, our teacher had been a standout softball player when she was in high school and college. She didn't threaten to throw things ... if someone in class got a bit too "rambunctious," she just let fly with a piece of chalk, and almost always hit them square in the forehead. It was all in good fun, and we loved her for it.

Today, I suppose if a teacher did that she'd be arrested for assault with a deadly weapon.

[Ben]

In my 10th grade Latin class, our teacher had been a standout softball player when she was in high school and college. She didn't threaten to throw things ... if someone in class got a bit too "rambunctious," she just let fly with a piece of chalk, and almost always hit them square in the forehead. It was all in good fun, and we loved her for it.

Today, I suppose if a teacher did that she'd be arrested for assault with a deadly weapon.

So you had a gay Latin teacher?