https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 10 May 2026 11:48:37 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/oh-heck-no-teachers-punishment#post-1436548 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:48:59 +0000 meredithNYC 1436548@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Meh. She should have given him gloves, but other than that the punishment fits the crime, I think. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/oh-heck-no-teachers-punishment#post-1436489 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:34:46 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1436489@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: while I would make my own child clean up their mess including clogging the toilet I would give them gloves and tongs and other things to get the job done. A toilet, even at home, is filled with germs. </p> <p>I don't mind punishments that fit the crime like your gum example, but cleaning a public urinal with your bare hands is unacceptable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/oh-heck-no-teachers-punishment#post-1435968 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 10:10:32 +0000 pui 1435968@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If he did clog the urinal, it probably would have been a fitting punishment... if she had given him gloves. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/oh-heck-no-teachers-punishment#post-1435951 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 10:04:48 +0000 MamaMoose 1435951@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I think there is a pretty huge difference between natural consequences and exposing a child to someone else's bodily fluids. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/oh-heck-no-teachers-punishment#post-1435916 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 09:51:38 +0000 snowjewelz 1435916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Anagram: I def agree w/ you that when I grew up, you reap what you sow. No breaks, no handicaps just b/c you're a kid! Okay, maybe it wasn't THAT harsh but I do think the social sensitivity to child abuse and things like that do blow up certain situations. It's tough to define what is a punishment intended to teach the kid, and what becomes public shaming/scaring incident for them. But then again, I grew up in a strict culture so public shaming = discipline. We all lived with it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/oh-heck-no-teachers-punishment#post-1435779 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 08:59:38 +0000 Anagram 1435779@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>also, I worked in an inner city school for 9 years before moving where I live now and gum was a massive problem. Kids would drop chewed gum on the floor, stick it on desks, put it in library books, etc.</p> <p>Eventually, the principal stopped regular detention and started giving kids scrapers and having them go from room to room, turning desks and tables over and scraping the gum off. I guess that's the type of thing that would make papers now (and that was just 5 years ago!) but I feel like that's a lesson those kids really need. Like...you get caught putting gum somewhere other than the trash, you get to go around scraping all the nasty, dried gum off and see why this is a problem. I feel like it makes them good citizens. Also, that principal would give similar punishments for throwing food in the cafetera (stay after lunch and clean off ALL the tables and mop the floors) and throwing thrash in the hall (stay after school and empty all the trash cans from the classrooms).</p> <p>Honestly, as a parent...I wish I could find a school that I could sign a waiver and let them operate like this. I want my child to have those natural consequences. But I realize this approach is becoming less accepted. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/oh-heck-no-teachers-punishment#post-1435747 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 08:51:25 +0000 Anagram 1435747@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I work in education and while I would never do this at work, I would do this at home with my own child.</p> <p>The kids clogged the urinal with paper towels (creating work for a janitor). If that happened at home, the natural consequence should be, you get the clog out (and remove the paper towels). Then, obviously wash your hands. </p> <p>That's exactly the kind of punishment my parents gave. I break a dish? I get the hand sweeper and clean it up. I clog the toilet? I get the plunger and learn how to unclog it. My brother misses the toilet and pees on the floor/side of the toilet? He gets a sponge and some lysol and gets to get on his knees and clean it. We never had gloves for this type of thing. We just washed up after.</p> <p>I get that a parent thinks it's gross, but at the very least this child (or all the boys who were in the bathroom at the time) should have had to write a letter to the janitor apologizing for purposely clogging the toilet and then also missed out on recess that day and had a phone call home so parents can also reiterate bathroom etiquette.</p> <p>Anyway, again--at school I guess it's extreme, and 99% of educators are smart enough to realize that they have to come up with something else. But I don't think the punishment itself is extreme. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/oh-heck-no-teachers-punishment#post-1435563 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 07:54:18 +0000 Charm54 1435563@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swedishfish: agree...as a teacher I am very proud of my profession and don't know any other educators who would do that. It is terrible when it does happen but these cases certainly are not the norm! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/oh-heck-no-teachers-punishment#post-1435559 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 07:52:06 +0000 Snowdrop 1435559@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think things like that should be treated on a case by case basis as there are very very few teachers who would even think about doing such a thing </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/oh-heck-no-teachers-punishment#post-1435558 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 07:52:00 +0000 swedishfish 1435558@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I also have to add that I teach in a difficult area. I have many students who definitely are NOT taught to respect teachers. Respect goes both ways (and I teach 9-10 year old children - some are in gangs already). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/oh-heck-no-teachers-punishment#post-1435554 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 07:50:04 +0000 Cole 1435554@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That is gross and awful. I agree with @swedishfish: that teachers like that are very few and far between. That being said, you raise a good point in wondering how we raise our children to know where the line is and when to obey and when to refuse. I guess the best we can do is carefully screen the environments we are sending our kids to and then teach then that if it doesn't feel right to them then they have the right to call us. If someone refuses to let them then they can make a scene or refuse. Poor kid though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/oh-heck-no-teachers-punishment#post-1435552 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 07:49:19 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1435552@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swedishfish: yes! I should have qualified that. The few that abuse power- verbal abuse, outlandish punishments, public shaming, and sexual abuse are few and far between. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/oh-heck-no-teachers-punishment#post-1435539 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 07:43:44 +0000 swedishfish 1435539@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: "We teach kids to respect teachers and follow their instructions, but teachers abuse power." ??? That's an all-encompassing and accusatory statement. As a teacher, I'm insulted by your words. There are a few bad apples in EVERY bunch. I do not know ANYONE who would do this. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/oh-heck-no-teachers-punishment#post-1435524 Thu, 20 Feb 2014 07:33:26 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1435524@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p><a href="http://miami.cbslocal.com/2014/02/19/broward-teacher-arrested-for-making-child-put-hands-in-urinal/" rel="nofollow">http://miami.cbslocal.com/2014/02/19/broward-teacher-arrested-for-making-child-put-hands-in-urinal/</a></p> <p>a teacher made a 10 yo clean a urinal with his bare hands.</p> <p>We teach kids to respect teachers and follow their instructions, but teachers abuse power. How do we teach kids to use their judgment when it comes to outlandish requests/ punishments? We don't want them saying no and refusing anything they don't agree with, but there are some bad scar - for - life experiences kids face at the hands of some teachers. </p>