Good Evening Everyone,
I am saddened that I have to post this on our blog but Ms. SarahJo and I want to make you all aware of what happened today in P.E. We are aware that we are very close to Winter Break and the kids are also aware. We know that at this time of year sometimes it is hard for them to control their actions more so than usual. All of the kids behavior has been a little off lately and this is something that we understand and are accepting of this. However, today in music and P.E. the students crossed a line in respect and behavior to teachers. It started in music with the kids getting rowdy and not listening to Ms. Connie when she gave them instructions and this carried over into P.E. When the students got back from P.E. Ms. SarahJo was very upset. She expressed to me that the way the students treated Ms. Julia, the P.E. teacher, was very embarrassing. The students were being very disrespectful. Many were choosing not to listen to any instructions and were just talking to each other. When the students were asked to do something, they would either act rudely about doing it, or just turn away and ignore the instructions. There were students whose replies to things Ms. Julia said or asked of them were very surprising but also upsetting to me and the other teachers. Ms. Julia was using P.E. equipment with the kids today, and because the gym was being used for other purposes, they were having P.E. outside. Though the students were given specific instructions not to put the things they were using in the snow or mud, many of them made the choice to ignore these instructions and dragged the equipment through the mud. Not all students were involved in all of this behavior, but Ms. SarahJo said that almost all the kids in one way or another made poor decisions in regards to how they treated Ms. Julia. This, obviously, made Ms. Julia feel very frustrated and upset.
I had a long discussion with the kids after P.E. I expressed my disappointment and frustration with them that they would treat any teacher the way they treated Ms. Julia. I talked to them about respect and making good choices and what it makes others think of them when they choose to make bad choices.
We asked the students to write down the 4 words respect, privacy, responsibility, and entitlement. We asked them to take the paper home and discuss with you one or more of these things and them come back to school tomorrow ready to share what they have learned wit the class. . We have talked with them all many times about these things and it seems to still be a hard thing for them to grasp. We are hoping that this will help them understand these things a bit more in a way we cannot teach them. In regard to privacy, we have been having a hard time with students understanding that when we are having a serious discussion with another student or even an adult in the hall or our office, they cannot just come in or butt into the conversation. This even happens when we have asked them to please go.
Again, I am sorry I had to send this email. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Thanks.
Jalee