Monday, July 2, 2012

This Week In Education: Thompson: Lessons that Videos of School Violence Can Teach

This Week In Education: Thompson: Lessons that Videos of School Violence Can Teach:


Thompson: Lessons that Videos of School Violence Can Teach

FightA first rule of teaching is that the best way to help students is to avoid unforced errors, especially those that provoke negative reactions by students or adults.  So, this risk-adverse teacher has been reluctant to address the controversial video in the Daily News of a teacher using excessive force.  Those of us who see videotapes as a powerful tool for improving instruction, however, should be willing to discuss the lessons that can be learned from videos of the unnecessary use of force.
It is unfair to make a judgment about the video's first fifteen seconds before the altercation, and it was early in the morning and late in the year but, for what its worth, I saw no smiles, laughter, or greetings of students.  Then, the aggressive teacher ignored another first principle of dealing with problems - educators should use their feet, not their hands, when addressing disciplinary issues.  Being in the proper position is crucial. When the teacher rushed up to the student who