Teacher talk: Pencil shavings, guns in schools, heroes and Facebook

Trying something a little new today and we maybe will keep it as a series.   Let’s talk teachers.   I believe that there are a lot more good than bad (and hopefully I was one of the good ones) and that unfortunately there is far too much talk about the bad ones and not enough celebration of the good ones.  So today I decided to find out what the search “teacher” would bring me on Google with the search for just one week.  Here’s my five stories of interest: (you have to read the last one it is a true teaching hero!)

San Diego teacher arrested for bringing loaded gun to school

Apparently this San Diego school teacher has been bringing a gun to class for quite some time.  His students were aware of it stating that he told the class  “’I just have it for protection reasons in case something happened at the school,’” Astin recalled the teacher telling the class. “And we’re like ‘Oh, [okay]‘, and he’s like ‘Yeah’, and it was just pretty much, we knew about it.”

However the administration doesn’t agree and in response to more request from parents of students at the school state “I understand that you may want more information but due to the fact that this is an active investigation, we are not at liberty to release any additional information or details,” Rizzo wrote in the school’s statement. ”Our focus is to continue to ensure that our students are safe, the learning process goes on as usual, and we work with the proper authorities.”

He has been placed on administrative leave.  So what do you think?  Hero or villian? 

Teacher poses as girl on Facebook to lure boys to post pictures

In this story out of Irvine, CA, a 30 year old male teacher, Zachary Reeder has been arrested under suspicion of “lewd conduct with a child, possession and distribution of child pornography, and child annoyance.”  Allegedly this teacher pretended to be a teenage girl on Facebook and encouraged teenage boys to send sexually explicit photos to him.

Teacher suspended for pretending to shoot first-graders during simulation

Fox News reports that  a band director was substitute teaching a first-grade physical education class using a game of “hide and seek” to teach the children a simulated drill and to talk to the children about the Newtown school shooting.  The school says that “There are things that you can and can’t do, and it shows, if nothing else, that you just can’t do security off the cuff. You have to train and prepare for it.”

As a substitute teacher I usually found that lesson plans were available to me and I hesitated to change them too much, I thought it’s her class and her lesson.   What do you think?

Teacher suspended after pouring pencil shavings in students mouth

This one hits closer to home, right here in Texas.  Reportedly in Jan. 2013,  a student was sitting with his head tilted back and his mouth open with a teacher poured pencil shavings in his mouth.  He reported to the nurse and went home.  The parent is calling for the teacher to be fired, while the school disagrees and says that it took appropriate action in the form of a suspension.  The teacher has apologized to the student.

What do you think is a suspension approporiate action or should this teacher be fired? 

And, last but not least Deputy And Teacher Praised For Talking Down Alabama Gunman At School

Student calls her gym teacher “a hero for stepping in front of the gunman and telling everyone to get out of the room before calling police.” She   “jumped in between the gunman and the students and said, ’911 locker room!’ ” on her radio to alert school officials.

I would love to hear your thoughts on any of these stories – as well as any experience you would like to share.