If Mr. Thackeray did this stuff in 2013 he would be fired & disgraced, telling kids the way it is these days is a crime. You are also supposed to allow your sons to act like hoodlums and your daughters like $sluts. If you point it out you get a first class ticket to the unemployment line.
Very sad.
shareAgreed.
Though in high school we had a British teacher come down (I'm Australian) who was young and very inelegant, much too smart for our school and clearly not to the level of Mr. Thackeray but he didn't take crap from students.
I had a pretty bogan (Australian chav) class that didn't treat teachers with much respect but weren't that bad either, they were just rude. And this teacher after like a month decided to stop taking the crap and was very stern, using "sh*t" a lot in his talk and even made the "alpha" in the class cry.
The class respected and got along with him by the end. Obviously nothing life changing or having the affect seen in this movie but it was good to see a teacher stand up for them self and put those in their place.
Film of 2013
http://www.imdb.com/list/MyXTL3f7TtQ/
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Well, no, they don't! I just retired last year, and I can guarantee you they didn't act like that at my school. My husband still teaches there, and his students don't act like that either.
When kids act like punks, there's a reason. He teaches music, music theory and history, Band, and some other classes. He has some of the greatest kids I've ever seen, and they have more respect for him than I've ever seen. Every now and then they get out of the box, but they're kids, after all. Some of them didn't start out to be well behaved, but they learned. With guidance and a sense of mutual respect, they rise above the "hoods" and "sluts" characterizations.
If everyone had your opinion of today's young people, nobody would have a chance.
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That's terribly heartbreaking. The youth of the world and how we shape them is, in fact, our future. If people have your opinion and do nothing, we have nothing. We will have chaos, anarchy and hell on Earth.
For educators like me, who have spent their careers pulling kids toward success, the belief that everyone is inherently good has to exist. Why else would we do our jobs every day? Certainly not that paycheck! Certainly not that stellar reputation and respect that teachers get from doing our jobs--that's laughable these days. No, we do it because we know what kids can do, and want to see them succeed. Sometimes we are the only person that kid has who believes in him, and knows he's good, and capable.
I hope that you get a chance to make a difference in a special kid's life someday. If so, you will be a completely different person forever.
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I'm so sorry that Tyler had such a terrible experience that he felt nothing but hopelessness. I'm even sorrier that no one could see those signs and reached out to help him.
But--how do we know that somebody didn't recognize them, and didn't TRY to help? I don't know his whole story, of course, but I do know that if a person reaches out, it's highly unlikely that no one will help. Obviously he thought that his life had reached a point that was beyond hope, and that's my point exactly. Kids should be made to feel that there are adults in their school that they can trust and who cares for them. If Tyler had known this, he might have reached out.
Another point -- there are thousands of wonderful teachers, counselors, mentors, and others in schools who care and go the extra mile for kids every day. We do all we possibly can, to reach out and help kids that we see. But if we don't know them, or they refuse our help, what would you recommend we do then?
Interesting post I must say. Well I have watched "To Sir With Love"
several times and I had a teacher in my senior year of high school
whom I will describe as a late '70's version of Mark Thackeray.
His name is Paul Petrianos who taught ancient history which explored
the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Greece and the Roman Empire.
And like Sidney Poitier's character of the movie my teacher also
discussed life, death, sex, marriage, politics, government and
other subjects which did not always pertain to the classroom
topics of learning. Plus being a Vietnam War veteran Mr. P told
us many stories of his wartime experiences as a member of the
US Army's 7th Cavalry armored unit. My teacher was both well
liked and respected by all of his students and many of us
remember him quite well today!
Lorenzo Sunny Arizona
Call me a sailor or a swabby just don't call me a squid!
Oh, it was interesting, alright!! I hadn't realized that Administrators had removed my Debate Partners' posts! But, as you might imagine, it was basically that some kids are punks, and no matter what you do to try to help them, they don't appreciate or care -- and that High Schools are basically a swamp.
I love kids, and it knocks me out when I see them doing something good. There are tons of problems in education, but hiding our heads and giving up isn't the answer, either.
I'm glad you had a Mr. Thackeray! I wish more people did. Yours sounds like a very wonderful teacher. There's a lot to be said for experiences and getting kids to relate.
Yes Mr. Petrianos was a very unique individual and today he's
a substitute teacher at the Harker Academy of San Jose, CA.
And these days some of his students are the sons and daughters
or grandchildren of his former students from the 60's & 70's.
Campbell High School Campbell, CA Class of 1979
Lorenzo Sunny Arizona
Call me a sailor or a swabby just don't call me a squid!
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