Bad teaching, January 22, 2020
By The Horse
@TheHorse (220625)
Walnut Creek, California
January 23, 2020 10:34am CST
I experienced another "bad teaching incident" yesterday, and this one was really heart-breaking for me.
One of my buddies, a little boy of 2 1/2, was playing in the sand. He likes to make "volcanoes."
He has a tendency to "flick" sand into others' eyes, and I've been working with him on keeping the sand low, and to check on his "victim" when he gets sand on them.
Yesterday, as we were making a volcano, he flicked sand on another child. I could tell it was an accident, and he immediately went to that child, brushed her off, and said, "I sorry. Are you OK?"
I said, "Good job! I could tell it was an accident," and we went back to making our volcano.
Just then, the head teacher of his classroom rushed over, grabbed him hard by the arm (almost abusively so), and said, "You done. You throw sand on other baby. I saw." She has a strong accent (I think it's Thai), and I often can't understand her.
She dragged him out of the sand pit and led him to another area. The heart-breaking part was when he turned around to look at me through his tears, as if to say, "What did I do? What can I do?" I don't know how much can be conveyed with a look, but I squinted my eyes slightly, nodded my head even more slightly, and tried to convey, "You did the right thing. Carry on."
I don't know if I'll mention this particular incident to him today, but I may say, "I liked the way you checked on your friend yesterday when you accidentally flicked sand on her."
What would you do in this situation?
11 people like this
10 responses
@LindaOHio (182653)
• United States
23 Jan 20
I would have reported the way that the person handled the child or would have explained to that person about the sand flicking being accidental, that he apologized, etc. and that he did what he was told to do.
4 people like this
@FourWalls (69340)
• United States
23 Jan 20
What would I have done? Beat the other teacher to a pulp. Which is why I’m not in that profession.
4 people like this
@FourWalls (69340)
• United States
24 Jan 20
@TheHorse -- what else do you expect a stable to smell like, Horse?
2 people like this
@TheHorse (220625)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Jan 20
@FourWalls Human pee is worse than horse pee.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (108682)
• Marion, Ohio
23 Jan 20
I would be reporting the person that grabbed him.
2 people like this
@1creekgirl (41812)
• United States
23 Jan 20
It's important for him to know you knew it was an accident. There's probably not much you can do about the teacher.
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (47766)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
23 Jan 20
Tattle on that "teacher".
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (220625)
• Walnut Creek, California
25 Jan 20
@BarBaraPrz But males in ECE are vulnerable. She could accuse me of hitting kids, or letting them hit each other, and I'd be be gone. It's frustrating.
1 person likes this
