Disaster in the Classroom

This happened yesterday.  I took the administrators names out for privacy purposes.  I know that info is public record, but leaving out the names feels like the right thing to do.  For reference purposes, Coach Xxx is actually the principal, and Mrs. Xxxxx is the assistant principal that serves 7th grade.  

Good Evening,

I just wanted to inform you of a situation that occurred today between Justice and the substitute.  

When I picked Justice up from school, he was hysterical and I could tell he had been crying for awhile.  He told me that the substitute teacher accused him of saying a curse word.  Apparently his table was being loud and he said "shhhh!", and she claimed he said something else.  He tried to explain to her that he did not say that, but she did not believe him.  She told him to shut up, and then he started to cry.  The other students started to laugh at him (not all of them, he claims his table was trying to help him) and then the teacher called him a crybaby.  I realize that she does not know Justice, and if she did I'm fairly certain she would not accuse him of saying a curse word.  

I have two major issues with this… The first issue is that she used profanity in the classroom.  Justice told me she said the actual curse word she accused him of saying six or seven times after she accused him of using it.  Of course the students thought this was funny.  I do NOT think it's funny.  

The second issue is that he started to cry, and she called him a crybaby in front of everyone else in the class.  I know he is sensitive to a fault and he is old enough not to cry in a situation like this.  However, a teacher should NEVER call a student a crybaby.  She bullied him and that makes me so upset.  She should have sent him to the office and let them deal with it rather than handling it the way she did.

As soon as Justice told me the story, I took him straight into the school to talk to Coach Xxx and Mrs. Xxxxx.  He was able to speak with both of them, and after he talked to them I went in and spoke with them. 

I've raised a whole bunch of kids and a couple of them might rightly be accused of saying a curse word.  But not Justice, and he is most certainly not a liar.  And honestly, this is the first time in 24 years of raising kids I've ever had anything happen like this.  I was dumbfounded that a teacher would call a student a crybaby, and also use profanity in the classroom.

Coach Xxx and Mrs. Xxxxx tell me they will handle the situation, but I felt I needed to let you know what happened. 

Sincerely,

Jennifer Mack

His teacher was NOT happy.  

I understand that substitute teachers are often harassed and have a rough day.  But hey, how about you pick another line of work?  This particular substitute used to work at a penitentiary, and I think that suits her better.  Children are not prisoners.  And picking on the smallest , most soft-spoken, and nerdiest kid in the class is weak. 

And here is the thing…  

I know what acts of insanity my children are capable of, and I don't jump in and protect them if I know they are at fault.   They can sink or swim if they are guilty, and I choose my battles very carefully.  But I will turn into a feral dog when my children are purposely hurt.  I can be vicious when necessary, and I don't like to play games.  Games make me angry, especially when dealing with other adults.  And in this instance, I know that the administrators will do the right thing, because they are good people and Justice was truly bullied yesterday.  I have faith that the "teacher" will be dealt with accordingly.

There is a good lesson in this for Justice.  Not everybody is fair, and not all people are good.  He has to have experiences like this to learn to cope with real life.  He has led a pretty sheltered existence in school because I promise you everybody at school that he comes into contact with loves the kid.  As much as I hate that it happened, I'm thankful for life lessons.  The world isn't perfect.  If you aren't exposed to these things when you are young the odds are stacked against you being able to handle opposition well when you are older.  

Life is rough, but it's how you handle the rough spots that define your character.