Jeff Bliss' rant on teacher

[Mahone]

I didn't perceive him as shouting. I saw emotion and passion but not shouting. Shouting would have been out of line and should be disciplined. There was also no name calling that I saw - that too I would have an issue with. I don't recall any cursing - which would need to be disciplined.

It's difficult to argue about what defines shouting, but to me personally and the way in which I was brought up, that was shouting.

According to at least one definiton I found, I'm not the only one with this opinion:

A shout, scream, yell, shriek, hoot, holler, vociferation, outcry, or bellow is a loud vocalization in which air is passed through the vocal folds with greater force than is used in regular or close-distance vocalization.

Shout (sound) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The adult who can't hear what is being said to them simply because "you are a child" is too prideful. Even the scriptures talk about a child leading. Part of the reason so many kids rebel is because they are not heard, they learn they won't be listened to. So they take control of the power in their life by force. Kids are brilliant and insightful, we need to be listening. Acknowledge what they are saying and then if need be course correct the methodology.

It's nothing to do with the message they are trying to get out, which may be perfectly valid. It's the way it's said/done. He is a teenager, not a child, he is more than capable of controlling himself and what he says. I was a teenager myself not too long back, I know what it's like.

He wasn't merely offering her his opinion of how she should be teaching, he was aggressive about it. Some choice phrases:

"I'm TELLING you what you need to do" - Not suggesting, TELLING. He is in control.

"When I'm not B****ING" - Aggressive and expletive

"And NOW I will leave" - Making it his choice to leave, not the teachers. Control.

"And if you would like, I'll teach you a little more so you can actually learn how to teach a fri**in class" - Reversal of roles, demeaning the teacher.

"So don't try to take credibility to teaching me jack" - Insulting

It's great to provide constructive criticism where necessary, but it's incredibly important to learn how to do it appropriately. I honestly can't believe behaving in that way at work, where you're supposed to be a professional, would garner any support. And if it hasn't been recorded, his little temper tantrum wouldn't have made the slightest bit of difference to the teacher or her methods.

Regardless of the reasons for him acting like this, I think he (and everyone else that saw it) needs to be taught that it's not appropriate, otherwise this is the method the rest of them will choose to protest next time they disagree with any authority figure.

Edited May 13, 2013 by Mahone

[lagarthaaz]

School policies are neither State nor Federal statue. You could provide a reference for every single school and school district in the United States having something against policy and you would have provided not a single reference that it is illegal. You claimed the behavior was illegal not against school(s) policy.

Well, according to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) it is illegal to publish school directory information/images of schoolkids, etc, without a release from legal guardians.

Hardly worth arguing about anyway. I just think that whether or not it's legally acceptable, some schoolkid should not have the right to violate another student or a teacher's privacy by videoing them and putting images up on youtube without any consultation.

[talisyn]

Of course, but you've once again missed my point. It's not about whether or not to take a stand, it's about how that stand is taken.

Irrelevant. That wasn't part of the question.

How was he suppose to take a stand? School board meetings politely explaining the lack of depth in an individual class? I'd love to see a video of that.

And it was completely relevant, if you understood the point I was making. Since you didn't, I'll explain: my home-schooled child wouldn't have a reason to talk to me in that manner. I understand that much about kids, and I'm not even a teacher

[Guest]

From what I gathered from several more interviews after this video went viral, this is what went down according to Jeff (the teacher nor the school admin did not grant interviews):

1.) Jeff failed 9th grade.

2.) The next school year, he went through 9th grade again but dropped out due to lack of interest.

3.) He stayed home for a year, realized this was even a bigger mistake and went back to school.

4.) Now he is 18 years old, still in 10th grade, and trying his best to stay interested.

5.) This teacher has been doing the same thing most days - hand out packets and instruct the students to go through the packet while she sits infront doing something else.

6.) Either that day or the class before that, the teacher handed out the packets but did not give the class enough time to finish it - the other classes that the teacher taught got more time than they had, so Jeff stood up to question it and asked for more time. The teacher replied, "Sit down and quit b*tching".

7.) And you saw the rest.

8.) Jeff's only regret was that he was not able to control himself enough to try to tamp down the attitude. He said in the interview that he was shaking from trying so hard to control himself.

9.) All that Jeff knows for sure that happened at the admin level is that the teacher was given a paid leave.

I showed this video to my kids, told them the background info as I understood it (whether Jeff's accounts of the events was true was irrelevant to my discussions with my sons) and I told them if they get in this situation, I am okay with them standing up to the teacher this way except they need to be more eloquent without having to pull words such as "freaking" to make a point - and I will support them by trying to appeal for leniency from the school admins for the consequence but chances are they would still be in big trouble for it but there are times when getting in trouble is worth it - and this would be one of them. We don't tolerate teachers telling our kids to Quit B*tching.

Edited May 15, 2013 by anatess

[NeuroTypical]

There are some very brilliant people out there, who have an absolute horrible time in school. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if that kid is one of them.

Again, hopefully a few years of maturing will help him out in situations where he's being influenced by people who aren't doing it right enough for him. That's sort of a big part of life.

[Gwen]

I was going to say I missed the cursing when watching the video and thus it did change things a bit.... however, if the teacher cursed at him first as far as I'm concerned (though still out of line) no punishment for the cursing should be given. I also think the teacher instigated it by her immature action and stand by my original feelings on this.

And yes I am aware that not everyone feels the same and I don't see it as an "I'm right, you're wrong" situation. It's open to interpretation. lol

Maybe this will inspire him to go into teaching. He can pass on the good learned from the hard lessons of his youth.

[applepansy]

We don't tolerate teachers telling our kids to Quit B*tching.

After watching the news stories it was the teacher using an expletive that started the rant.

Anatess, I like that you used it as a teaching tool for your kids. I would do the same.

I also would expect my child to stand up to a teacher who is inappropriate, and I also would expect them to respectful.

There is a difference between passionate and shouting. I think he did well. Consequences? Yup. He needed to handle it differently but the provocation should be taken into account.