Third graders in Georgia plot to kill teacher

[mowse]

Holy Crap (http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=83850)

The fact that they actually brought tools to school to be used against the teacher is scary. these are THIRD GRADERS! how would they even think up something like this is beyond me. :wtf:

[kellydog]

And all because the teacher got on a kid for standing on a chair? It said it was in an LD room, so I doubt that all of the kids will be suspended/expelled. I would guess that there were probably one or two that cooked up the plot and the others were able to be talked into participating. I sincerely hope that the kids who came up with the plot get the help they need and that the the "followers" get appropriate services to help them make better behavior choices in the future. I am not saying there shouldn't be accountability, but that there are obviously deeper issues involved that need to be addressed quickly. I also hope that the teacher isn't so traumatized that she quits, which would be very tempting.

[mudcreekmama]

I think this is a news story I'll keep away from dh seeing as he is a "veteran educator who teaches third-grade students with a range of learning disabilities, including attention deficit disorder, delayed development and hyperactivity" too!

But as to your question of how they'd think this up. I think if they have a television in their homes and watched the 6 o'clock news or listened to the news on the radio in the car they'd have been exposed to plenty of violence, certainly enough to think this up.

[Kim]

My first reaction was "that's why you MUST treat them with respect and decency no matter what--they may decide to kill you in some schools if you don't"

Seriously, my kids have watched their brothers pistol whipped by stepfathers, watched and been raped, burned down the house by playing with lighters and pipes, watched drugs exchanged, been moved in the middle of the night to avoid eviction. I have seen several new to the school teachers really struggling to manage at our school and they always think it's the kids. I'm not saying it isn't the kids, but usually even the really "bad" ones will love you and respect you if you approach them decently. The newbies that are yelling their white, middle class heads off are crashing and burning and not getting it at all.

[karunamayi]

are you a teacher or did I miss something?

[Tracy]

I'm confused. Are you saying that only white people find this story frightening? Secondly, are you blaming this on the teacher because she chastised one of the children for standing on a chair? How can we know that she didn't treat them with respect and decency? I think it's a leap to think that she either shouldn't chastise them because they might KILL her or to assume she treated them badly...Which still doesn't usually logically end in a plot by 3rd graders to kill a teacher.

Tracy

[~PQ]

I'm confused. Are you saying that only white people find this story frightening? Secondly, are you blaming this on the teacher because she chastised one of the children for standing on a chair? How can we know that she didn't treat them with respect and decency? I think it's a leap to think that she either shouldn't chastise them because they might KILL her or to assume she treated them badly...Which still doesn't usually logically end in a plot by 3rd graders to kill a teacher.

TracyI think she is saying in her experience w/ at risk inner city schools the teachers who have the hardest time getting through to the students are those from privileged backgrounds and a more traditional "Because I'm the adult and I said so" approach to getting attention and demanding work. I do think such teachers must be at a big disadvantage in school settings like this.

[~PQ]

are you a teacher or did I miss something?

Hello K, welcome to yaaps, let me introduce you to Kim the teacher....lol!!! :rofl::jester:

[Tracy]

Oh! Yes, I see ! I re-read it with your explanation in mind and see that I was WAAY off base. Sorry Kim!!!

[Kim]

Oh! Yes, I see ! I re-read it with your explanation in mind and see that I was WAAY off base. Sorry Kim!!!

the teacher treated them in the classroom, and of course, I don't think what they did in response is ok, not by a long shot, but I have seen that many average, educated teachers attempt to manage at risk kids in ways that just will not work. I would wager that the teacher didn't manage that classroom in ways that I would in order to get the results I was going for in the room, both academically and emotionally.

Truthfully, I could see kids at my school come up with a plan to harm a teacher. I think it will happen at some point here. It's not the teacher's fault, but I think a lot of people don't get it and keep trying to apply approaches that fail miserably because they don't come close to the different life that these kids lead.

[Meagan]

I also think there is a big difference between fantasy/plotting/planning and actually carrying out that plan. I have a hard time believing that all ten children would have actually ACTED on this.