the "Clueless List" - teacher issue

[WillyNilly]

Your children are in high school?

I would teach your children to speak up for themselves.

Every kid has phones.  First, I would so take a pic of that board.

Then, the next time this teacher did that to me in class, I would stand up and say, "Mr. Jones, I most certainly will not answer this question in the way you would like.  And if you do not take down the clueless board, I will be going to the school board and report you for bullying and demeaning your students.   I would think that as a teacher,  you could find more productive ways to help the kids that don't quite get it yet".

This is one of those "works great on paper" theories IME.  I stood up to a teacher in a similar way.  Let me tell you all that happened was I was failed and had to take summer school, and the nothing changed as far as the teacher. 

The teacher isn't going to take correction from a student.   Not productive correction, certainly not negative, threatening correction.  This problem is bigger then one student and needs to be addressed from a bigger source of power - like the principal.

[StuffedGrapeLeaves]

Your children are in high school?

I would teach your children to speak up for themselves.

Every kid has phones.  First, I would so take a pic of that board.

Then, the next time this teacher did that to me in class, I would stand up and say, "Mr. Jones, I most certainly will not answer this question in the way you would like.  And if you do not take down the clueless board, I will be going to the school board and report you for bullying and demeaning your students.   I would think that as a teacher,  you could find more productive ways to help the kids that don't quite get it yet".

This is one of those "works great on paper" theories IME.  I stood up to a teacher in a similar way.  Let me tell you all that happened was I was failed and had to take summer school, and the nothing changed as far as the teacher. 

The teacher isn't going to take correction from a student.   Not productive correction, certainly not negative, threatening correction.  This problem is bigger then one student and needs to be addressed from a bigger source of power - like the principal.

I agree with WillyNilly.  I think the parents should get involved.  If the kids take a stand first, they are likely to be marked as insubordinate and would have to deal with the consequences, even if they are in the right.  Most schools have very strict policies on insubordination. 

[onyonryngs]

I think this is one of those incidents that you're really not able to solve via etiquette.  It's more about the procedure on reporting a teacher to the school, which may be in some handbook, or the school website, possibly?  But it is just so mean!!  How can someone think that is at all a good idea.

[weeblewobble]

There could be no possible motivation for this quote-unquote "technique" besides humiliating students who are having trouble.  Call the principal, call the superintendent.  And if that doesn't bring about the desired consequences for the teacher, start calling school board members. 

[Clareish]

Unfortunately, there are a few educational theories that do favour writing kids names on the board for "infractions". It is usually behavioural-based though.

Is this an International Baccalaureate class/school? Because that would be a bit of a game-changer in terms of how/should you approach this situation. I have seen this kind of thing in IB classes, and it appears to be more accepted.

[Seiryuu]

Unfortunately, there are a few educational theories that do favour writing kids names on the board for "infractions". It is usually behavioural-based though.

Is this an International Baccalaureate class/school? Because that would be a bit of a game-changer in terms of how/should you approach this situation. I have seen this kind of thing in IB classes, and it appears to be more accepted.

I think there's a difference between singling students out because of bad behaviour rather than because they're not understanding the material as well as their peers.

To the OP, POD with contacting the principal or some higher authority. Nonetheless it always helps to have photographic evidence, so if possible, get a picture of the "Clueless" list.

[bonyk]

That would be considered Verbal Abuse in my district, and a teacher would (rightly so, IMO) be brought up on formal charges.

Go to the principal.  If your school doesn't have a zero tolerance cell phone policy, have your kids snap a pic.

[Sharnita]

You know, I can see asking kids to self-assess as you work through the material "I know we've been discussing amino acids but how many of you still feel like you are a little cluelees ...?" There is a form of assessments where kids do thumbs up/thumbs down to indicate whether they are following the material.  Of course, there are a few things going on there - the kids determine where they are in their understanding and it is clear that being "clueless" is not a bad thing, not is it automatically the student's fault.  It might be because the teacher needs to explain it in another way, because they need to explore it through a hands on activity, etc.  It is really a good way for the teacher to figure out if the class can move on, who still needs help, etc.  Even then, I would probably word it better, I wouldn't list kids on the board and/or leave names for the other class to read, etc.

[Softly Spoken]

Completely inappropriate. What happened, he lost his "Dunce" cap recently?

EXACTLY. This is putting kids "in the corner" and it's equine pucky!

You do not punish children with public humiliation in front of their peers just for being confused about a subject.

If not everyone is getting it then it is THE TEACHER'S RESPONSIBILITY to help them with what they are "clueless" about!

If some kids are getting it and are good at explaining it to others who are really struggling, then a teacher could arrange voluntary peer tutoring outside of class. IN class, it is the teachers responsibility to teach. the. subject!

Stories like this a) make me sooooo glad I am not in school any more and b) feel very stabby! 

Oy vey...where's that jaw-drop emoticon when you need it?

[Valentines Mommy]

Principal now! My Trig teacher was the same way. He sat students based on the letter grade they earned each quarter, so everyone knew who did poorly.

I realize the day is quickly approaching where your children will need to fight their own battles, but an education is too important to let them go it alone. My Trig teacher counted on the students being too ashamed to fight back and he got away with behaving in this manner for a long time. Another teacher caught him mid lecture humiliating a student for a simple error. Had he not be observed, this behavior might have gone unchecked indefinitely.

We tell each other to document and escalate when we have issues with colleagues. I think the same logic applies here. Good Luck, OP.

[Acadianna]

It's never appropriate to belittle students, and it's a very ineffective way to motivate them.  In fact, the "clueless list" amounts to bullying, IMO.

I'm in the "call the principal" camp.

[bah12]

This is just wrong.  If the purpose of these lists was to identify the students that needed help vs. the ones that could help, then why not just write the names of the one that understand the concept on the board so that the others can go to them for help?

It seems that this teacher is being cruel and as a parent, I'd have no problem bringing up my concerns with the teacher.  And if the teacher doesn't adequately address it, then by all means go to the principal. 

[peach2play]

I attended a private school in Jamaica 1st through 4th grade.  My 2nd grade teacher did this.  She sat students by social standing and perceived intelligence into A, B, and C groups.  If you were rich and white or very, very smart, you were placed in the A group.  If you were white and smart or rich and black, you were placed in the B group.  The other kids, who were mostly there on scholarships, were in the C group.  The A group kids could do no wrong.  The B group was mostly ignored as long as we didn't act bad.  The C group kids were often further humiliated and made fun of.  She was smart though and would make sure she was observed by no one except us kids in the class.  My mom volunteered at the school and the first time I saw her hit a kid for misspelling a word (scholarship kid who was severely dyslexic) I waited for recess and went to my mom.  The headmistress was shocked that this could be happening at her school and, even though she didn't believe me at first, she knew my parents and had a great respect for them so she investigated.  She caught the teacher hitting another student.  The teacher was not a member of the religion of the school so was let go and was not able to get another job as Jamaica does not have the same laws about confidentiality and jobs are very scarce. 

I say all this to say, those scars run deep.  I still remember the tears of humiliation and the feeling I had watching this take place.  It never happened to me personally and that was the only bad teacher I ever had but who knows how many kids she damaged.  You must take a stand now.  Humiliation does not encourage learning.  Humiliation should only be used as a punishment, like breaking the neighbors window and having to ring the door bell and rake leaves to pay for it or making a child apologize for what they've done wrong.  Not understanding a concept is not something a child should be punished for.  If anything, the teacher should be forced to give a public apology to the students.

[Lady Godiva]

Please, please go to the principal about this, immediately. The kind of teacher who'd publicly humiliate students who don't get the concept is not going to stop because a student speaks up to him/her.

I had a 9th grade math teacher (let's call her Mrs. Gray) who thought I was too slow doing math problems. She'd write my name in huge letters across the front blackboard and slowly erase a letter each time I finished a problem. I'm sure she believed she was "motivating" me and she probably thought I was "lazy" or "not trying hard enough." Actually, I was painfully shy and not sure of the concept. Her tactics didn't make me faster in math, it made me slower and completely un-confident in my arithmetic, and several times I was so nervous that I threw up before entering her classroom.  It did teach me to hate school, math and Mrs. Gray, not necessarily in that order.

Adults who have experienced humiliation and shaming in school often flash back to it when the subject comes up. I haven't thought of Mrs. Gray in years, but reading that brought back the shudders. This is bullying by a person in power--a teacher, no less!--and it really matters. Heaven knows how many other students on the "Clueless List" are bothered by this but haven't spoken up.

[LifeOnPluto]

In primary school, teachers would sometimes write people's names on the board. But that was always for behaviourial issues (eg talking in class, etc) rather than not understanding the lesson.

I'd recommend going to the principal. I don't think that going to the teacher would do any good, as he could just deny everything, then give your children an even harder time in class.