immigration. In most cases the school has crisis intervention counselors and I have per-
suaded students to speak with them. Sometimes I have succeeded in getting the student to
speak with their parents. In other cases, especially when they need legal assistance, I have
referred them to outside community agencies.
- There is an undercurrent in a class of boys teasing and poking girls. None of the girls
have said anything.
In 2001, New York City reported a surge in student-on-student sexual harassment inci-
dents. Most school authorities simply attributed it to more systematic reporting. I believe it
was actually a combination of two other factors. Instead of treating inappropriate behavior
by boys toward girls as a teaching opportunity, school officials are wiping their hands of the
matter and either punishing students internally or turning them over to the police. I find this
policy misguided and irresponsible. The second factor is that the definition of acceptable be-
havior by boys toward girls has changed since I was in junior high school. The boys back
then were horrible. If we were punished according to the standard in effect today, I think we
all would have been arrested for teasing and touching. New attitudes toward gender equity
and appropriate behavior are overwhelming improvements, but violations should be treated
as learning issues and community concerns, not as punishable offenses. The girls need to
talk to the group about how they feel when a boy snaps their bra or makes fun of the size of
their bosom and the boys need to understand the pain they cause when they target or de-
mean someone. If schools and teachers address the teasing and poking before they esca-
lates, most problems can be avoided, relations can be improved, and students, both males
and females, do not have to be marked for life. - A student speaks, dresses, or behaves in ways that suggest a possible homosexual
orientation. Other students are gossiping about or teasing the student.
The first question is, what is the problem here? Too many teachers and school officials
act as if the problem is the student who is being victimized. But that student has the right to
be the way he or she is, whatever that happens to be, and the student does not have an obli-
gation to answer to anyone for his or her sexual orientation or sense of style. For me the dif-
ficult issue is how to address the biases of the overall student population without stigmatiz-
ing students who are perceived as different. It is the same issue whether students are teased
or gossiped about because of their ethnicity, race, disability, social class, academic perform-
ance, or interests. In this case I would be preemptive and press for a school policy and cur-
riculum that respects diversity, tolerates all forms of difference, and challenges oppressive
or discriminatory behavior. I think the school must be prepared to meet with parents or stu-
dents who reject homosexuality because of religious beliefs. However, in our society, these
parents and students are legally responsible to respect the rights of others. In addition,
given the pressure on people who experience being different in our society, schools should
provide a range of counseling services and support groups. - A student’s personality appears to change. He or she becomes sullen and his or her
performance in school is deteriorating.
When students appear to change personality, especially when they become sullen and
their performance in school is deteriorating, they are sending out a signal that they need
help. Our job as teachers is to recognize the signals, show concern, and provide support. As
a teacher, I try to reach out to students and ask them, “What’s happening?” Students who
feel connections to adults rarely hurt themselves or others. Again, schools should provide a
range of counseling services and support groups. We need to address problems before they
become emergencies.
174 CONCLUDING THOUGHTS FOR BOOK II