tinue, I inform them that I will not hesitate to report our conversation to appropriate super-
visors. Over the years, many teachers have supported my response. They are upset when
colleagues disparage or demean students and are glad when these teachers are confronted.
SECTION D: DISAGREEMENTS WITH SCHOOL POLICIES
- Senior teachers recommend that you contact parents when students are either mis-
behaving or falling behind in their work. You are uncertain when should you call, what
tone you should take, and what you should say to parents.
As a parent, I have been on the other end of calls home. I got upset when a teacher was
officious with me, disparaging about my children, or just read from a long list of griev-
ances. I sometimes asked teachers, “How would you feel if you were on my end of the
phone?” or, “What exactly do you want me to do?” When a student is acting up or slacking
off in school, there are generally other things going on in their life. Their parents are also
probably having difficulty getting them to respond and act appropriately. By the time most
students are teenagers, parents can rarely force a difficult student to behave. A conversa-
tion will be much more fruitful if you talk about a student as a human being, rather than as
a “problem,” show parents that you are genuinely concerned, and respect the parents as
people who would like their children to do well in school and life. Ask them if they can tell
you something that will help you be more effective as their child’s teacher and ask if there
is something you can do to support what they are already doing. If at all possible, try to
find something positive to say, at least that you look forward to meeting them and working
with them in the future.
Rachel Gaglione—I like to make “good conduct” calls to tell parents when their child is doing
well. Students like the idea and will come up to you and ask if they can get a “good conduct” call
as well. If you call about a student who is misbehaving, pay attention to the response of the par-
ent. If the parent is standoffish, just tell them you wanted them to be aware of the situation, say
“thank you” and “good-bye.” If the parent is angry, try to calm them down and do not call them
again. Word gets out among students when you make either type of phone calls. - Some of my students are fooling around in the hall during a change of period and re-
fuse to identify themselves to a security guard. The security guard asks me for their names
so she can report them to the school administration and have them suspended. What
should I do?
This happened to me on more than one occasion and it can be a difficult situation to re-
solve. If you identify the students, no matter what they did, they will dismiss you as a “rat”
and an adult who just wants to “get them.” It will jeopardize your ability to reach them and
other students in the future. On the other hand, you do not want to undermine a coworker.
Most school security guards are concerned about students and act professionally. If you tell
the security guard that you will take care of the situation, they are usually glad to leave it up
to you, especially if you have treated them with respect in the past. If you and the security
guard still disagree on what to do, suggest that you go to the appropriate school authority
together and try to work it out. It is crucial, however, that if you promised to speak with the
students, you do it. Word travels quickly around a school. If you do not follow through, the
security guards, administrators, and students will not believe you in the future. - In many districts, if a student is found with a knife or any other weapon, they are sus-
pended and often arrested, expelled from school, or both. In the middle of a lesson, you
witness a student picking at his nails with a pocket knife. What should you do?
176 CONCLUDING THOUGHTS FOR BOOK II