It’s not quite August, but back-to-school shopping is already in high gear; many teachers are getting ready, too–and worrying about what will be facing them once back in the classroom. Uppermost in their minds, ongoing and escalating disruptive student behavior…

** Alabama’s Republican Governor Kay Ivey recently signed “The Teachers’ Bill of Rights” into law, allowing them to remove students from class for such behaviors as disorderly conduct, intimidating and abusive/profane language. It also requires school administrators to “take decisive action based on a predetermined code of conduct before a student can return to class.” Of note: Teachers lobbied for this measure.

** Says educator Trachele S. : “Keeping disruptive students in the classroom prevents education from occurring. The discipline problems [of] today are extreme. Chair-throwing, banging furniture against the wall, attacking other students, attacking teachers, extreme continued screaming, refusing to leave the classroom when going to an activity and refusing to enter the classroom when returned… These are a few of the extreme behaviors teachers face today, and behavior charts are not the solution.”

** A recent APA survey found that:

  • 65% of teachers reported at least one incident of verbal harassment or threatening behavior before the pandemic; that jumped to 80% after it.
  • 42% reported instances of physical violence from students before the pandemic that rose to 56% after it.

PLUS:

** According to a new National Center for Education Statistics survey, 75% of public school leaders said a lack of focus or inattention had either a “moderate” or “severe” negative impact on learning, plus…

  • 21% said students are academically unprepared for school when it comes to homework, etc.
  • 19% said students were disruptive.
  • 19% said students weren’t doing individual work.
  • 18% said students were physically unprepared for school, as in too little sleep and no breakfast eaten.
  • 16% said using cellphones and computers when not permitted.

However did we get here?

I kinda know; how about you?

~ With thanks, Carol