We are our students’ role models. We want to be the best role model we can be! We can when we take the time to reflect, change what is not working or what we don’t like, and grow from the experience.
When fear is the motivator, moral development stops, emotional scars are embedded in the soul, and behavior is ‘good’ only until fear can be escaped.
Obstacles to Overcome when Raising Strong Adolescent Girls
Stop blaming the state of our youth on the next guy. Stop saying it can't happen to my kid, or in my town, or in my state. Ask yourself what you can do. Don't even consider that you can do nothing. That's not an acceptable response if you want the violence to stop.
Sarcasm and putdowns are at best a risky source of humor in the classroom. Even if it never turns to blows, it could unwittingly cause hurt feelings or confuse students who have difficulty reading and interpreting social cues. Given a teacher's inability to know how each student will react to sarcastic humor, a "no putdown" rule can save a lot of heartache and, at the same time, create the foundation for a caring inclusive classroom community.