Sorry, I don't agree, potentially traumatising kids because "your job is tough" just doesn't wash with me.
If you can't do it, admit it, rather than scapegoating kids and pretending it's all ok.
Seeing a kid in tears is pretty universally known to be a sign something is wrong. If you are deemed competent enough to be in charge of a room full of potentially vulnerable people, you are at the very least, competent enough to know that.
Agreed. It is not normal for an 11 year old child to cry in a typical classroom and to bolt out a door. Even if the teacher missed the child crying first, they must have known a bit about the child's temperament and personality prior as based on the stated other usual child's withdrawn and anxious demeanor information and then at least tried to get to the bottom for the incident, prior to the discipline.. If not, why not? What are they afraid of finding out?
If teachers cannot handle stress and think they should just treat all the students as numbers instead of people, or think they should just lecture and act like all students are robots, or if the teachers do not care or know how their younger students are behaving or feeling in class, with regards to behaviors becoming more noticeable and intense because of some factor present or because of the instruction, they seem to be in the wrong line of work. Teachers should be smart enough to understand that they need to look out for very atypical gestures, postures and expressions, in these days where suicides, bullying, and violence occurs in schools and at home. They are mandated reporters in the US, too, which implies they are expected to be caring, vigilant and observant, looking for cases where the student could need to be assisted in some way.
My wife was one of those ADHD and very panicky and anxious children who had severe problems learning in a traditional environments. She was not diagnosed with ADHD then, but had many inattentive, fidgety and anxiety signs and symptoms on school psychological reports. Of course she was not expecting a teacher necessarily to diagnose ADHD such, but to be aware of the obvious outward signs, shown in class, and to not assume she was some kid who wanted to create disruptions but could not tolerate the manner of instruction and needs to sit still in that environment with other triggers.
She was in detention a lot likely because of wrong assumptions about her and because it was more important for the teachers to not do any more work than they had to, and to assume the child was just wrong and assume the parents would be doing the right things. Her teachers likely feared more the disruptions to their obedient class and to their professional image as a teacher than the health and safety or protection of her. Teachers' likely biggest fears are classes going out of control by one or more students, or with them being yelled at or sued by the child's parents or others. Had her teachers or school system showed more care they could have made inquiries, referrals or got others outside the school system involved, not resorted to detention for such cases. Yes, that is trauma, on top of home trauma. The school is supposed to be protectors in this case, not an abuser.
What the school missed out on too was a very cold, abusive mother that was in denial of severe conditions her daughter had, other conditions the mother did not report to the school, so these parents refused to do the right thing, too, wanting her to just get over what she had and straighten up. They thought the school would straighten her up. That is not the school's job. It was the school's job though to not assume the mother.s daughter should be mainstreamed or did not have conditions that made learning currently possible at that environment without accommodation or medical help, when the signs and symptoms were showing there., and when detentions kept making matters worse for my now wife.
What is ironic is that these same professionals are sometimes being neglectful and/or abusive in the classroom and hiding behind their professional status and standard principles, policies, procedures and protocols,, thinking they are protected or have all the right answers. Those in powerful and important positions also need to not keep comparing themselves to average lay persons, as no, doctors, educators, police officers, lawyers, etc must be held to a higher standards because much harm can occur if they abuse their power, are negligent, abusive, and/or not considerate or fair, if they do some big wrong., look the other way, do not dig deeper, are afraid to do the caring and right thing, for whatever reason, or if they fear against the grain sometimes when a unique situation occurs, or instead just keep blaming others,, this can mean the difference between more suffering,, life or even death.
I feel there are far more good teachers than bad, but I would argue there are not many great teachers. All throughout my public schooling too not one teacher took me to the side and asked me if they could help me in any way. It was obvious I was abnormally shy, fearful, and avoidant. My face was red, head and eyes always down or away, and when forced to speak I said at most a yes, no or don't know in trembling voice. My parents were abusing us daily, yet the school system and teachers looked away. They wanted to just keep pushing me through to the next grades. My life could have been better helped if someone would have shown more care for the suffering that was obvious than for my stupid grades that meant less to me then and even now, and if I got the right assistance then. Not all young persons get over traumas easily, quickly or ever, especially when they were the victims, not those others.
Great teachers I feel often will every now and then eventually at least once either positively interact with each student, before, during or after class, try to get to know them on some caring level, be vigilant for signs of danger, act on such appropriately, and treat each student as important, instead of having their heads in the sand and thinking everything is going to be fine and dandy each school day and trying to make things easier for them. By being vigilant and addressing potential problems before they start or get worse, this is best usually for all. The school system must look out for the best for each student, regardless of condition or not, as it is they who are supposed to be watching and monitoring them in the classrooms while teaching.. It is unrealistic to think all young students can be totally compliant when often conditions are undiagnosed or under diagnosed, and when abuses at home can be present. The school should have a safety plan in place for such situations, and an objective person looking at things deeper, before throwing these kids in detention that backfires on certain cases.
