HANDCUFFS IN FIRST GRADE !
The Chicago Public Schools are now being sued because allegedly one of their security men handcuffed a few first graders and took them out of their classroom. The students were put in a room and isolated from the rest of the class because they were being disruptive.
I wish the media would stop writing about such stories. We are supposed to be trying to attract the best and brightest new teachers to the Chicago schools. Who in their right mind wants to teach in a system where FIRST GRADERS are out of control ?
The media also needs to understand to use the proper educational linguistics when reporting such stories. Handcuffs is a term that the media needs to avoid. In a school setting, handcuffs are probably best referred to as, “behavior modification bracelets”. Security personnel should be referred to as, “happiness assistants”. The first graders who were being disruptive were actually just displaying “alternative personality traits”.
This story would actually be funny if it wasn’t so sad. I have heard from more than a few Chicago Public School teachers about the many discipline problems in the primary grades. If you are a college student about to begin looking for a teaching position, please don’t let a story like this discourage you from applying in Chicago. You could always avoid applying for primary grade positions and concentrate on middle school ones. Perhaps the older the children are, the more docile they will be. In addition, I’m sure your education courses in college will have you fully prepared to deal with every possible disciplinary problem. Just remember to refer to the handcuffs as, “behavior modification bracelets”. Good luck !
