After several encounters with students and many long discussions with fellow frustrated teachers I have come to the firm conclusion that the punishment system in place in schools today does not work. Hopefully none of us on this site have been in Out Of School Suspension (OSS) or even in ISS (In-School Suspension), but I'm sure many of us have seen others go through the process.
Students who misbehave in the classroom are first asked by their teachers to get their act together. If they cannot, they are then removed from the classroom. These students then go to the assistant principal's office or the guidance counselor. Great, we've now sent these students to go get the individual attention that they most likely wanted in the first place. Repeat offenders usually have good rapport with the higher authorities in schools, mostly because they spend so much time dealing with them. If a student then continues to misbehave they are sent to ISS. ISS is perhaps the worst possible place to put them. ISS rooms are at best small classrooms and at worst, closets with desks. Students are basically right on top of one another which is not conducive to quiet work (especially when many of them are in ISS for problems they have had with each other).
And finally, when all else fails, students are given OSS. That's right kids, all you have to do is be your worst and you get a "paid vacation" from school!! This puts a huge strain on schools who then (by law) must provide private tutors. Teachers must put together assignments for the individual. This requires coordination between school, teacher, tutor, parent, student and back again in order to give students their work. And in the mean time, students are at home, probably unsupervised, doing whatever they please. Hmm, maybe that's why 1 in 4 has an STD.....
In any case, I propose that we eliminate OSS and ISS. Instead, we should put these students to work. OSS students should be put into the most menial, thoughtless, or grotesque jobs possible. They should be made to experience what will happen to them if they continue their current behavior, a dead-end job with little to no prospects. Now, I'm not supporting child labor or saying that we stop providing tutors, but there are things these students could do that could show them the value of an education, and what a lack of a good one could mean. Imagine how many kids would be in OSS if they knew while they weren't in school that they would have to be a garbage collector or a janitor or a customer service representative or any other tireless, thankless job.
As for ISS kids, they should have to help out the school. They could easily stuff envelopes, run photocopiers (with supervision), sweep floors, pick gum off of tables, or scrub down chalkboards or desks. What efficient schools we could have if these students had to help out overworked staff, instead of sitting around in a cramped room with little to no work to do.
Let's punish students in a way that will encourage them to change their actions. Let's take away the privileges associated with ISS and OSS. And if students decide to keep misbehaving anyway, well, at least we'll have cleaner schools and environments.
I was given 3 days suspension for protesting the first Iraq war. All I did was sit in the front hallway quietly, did not say a word!. I had a sign that read, tell me George why are we fighting. I made it a point to remain silent, I went to a country school, these kids were not kind to something they did not understand. The principal called my father. To the principals displeasure, my father approved of my reaction. I actually caused a debate in several history classes. To my dismay though they were debates of using nuclear weapon's and blasting those towel head's away. So be careful when dealing with situations of punishment. Objectivity is very important in a generalization. And oh yeah I held a job during this time as well.
To be honest I had ISS for fighting a kid who put my Trombone (which was my dying grandmas gift to me) in a trash can. And I agree ISS is dumb. But i think the reason these things aren't fixed is because of the parents. My dad punished me more than the school ever could. And that fixed me up pretty well. The thing is that many parents don't care wether or not their kids are a disruption.
I couldn't agree more. Children learn their behavior. Problem is it is a cycle that keeps on going. You ask me, I think we should be neutered. until one is able to prove they are responsible, and accountable. Forced birth control, then well sex-ed. Keep the dumb one's from continuing the line.
I home schooled, so I don't have any personal experience with suspension, but hearing that kids who didn't behave in school get sent home and banned from school for a few days always seemed so stupid to me. If you wanted to be in school you probably wouldn't be causing problems.
In school suspension makes more sense, because I see why you would need or want to remove an unruly student from the classroom, for the sake of the other students.
Requiring students who would get suspension to work instead seems like a good idea, though it would take some careful planning to coordinate work opportunities that would teach the intended lesson without endangering the the students.
"Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more than others think is possible."
Very good suggestions. Allow the student to experience what would happen if he or she didn't stay or focus in school.