Sunday, November 16, 2014

Nothing Mr. Shop Teacher

Finding fault in others seems too easy for a lot of people, no matter what you do someone is critical and has a better idea, they have no problem letting you know how wrong you are and heaven forbid if you attempt to disagree, but we really need to learn that we can disagree, especially when they are the ones who are wrong.

We all have encountered this in the past, and sad to say some are still going through this even today, think back to when you were a kid, there was always a bigger kid bossing you around and or kicking your butt when you didn’t take them seriously, everyone around just watched and you took the punches without any help.

The shop teacher had to leave the room for some unknown reason, most likely to step outside for a smoke, the class was in the middle of taking a written test so everything would most likely remain calm.

Making the decision that someone should be in charge “to keep the class calm” he chose the smallest kid in class, made the announcement then grinned as he walked out the door, this is the moment the hair stands on back of your neck and the goose bumps raise up on your arms.

About five minutes later one of the biggest kids in class walked up and dropped his test onto the young mans desk, fill this out for me he said, looking up the young man refused, the bigger kid leaned into his face and screamed, Fill it out, Now, Damn it!!

With the bigger kids spit splattered across the young mans face, he looked up and said “You need to go sit down and finish your test” the bigger kid smiled and snapped his fingers, two other boys with want to be gang nicknames stood behind the young man.

This boy don’t know who he is messing with, let’s show him, this is when the blade of a knife was pressed into the young mans throat, he sat there shaking and tried to not move, his eyes darted back and forth to see if anyone was going to help, he was held there while he completed the three bigger kids tests for them, along with being forced to add their names to the top of the page with the heading of Mr.

While they were laughing at him the shop teacher walked in and asked what was going on, “Nothing Mr. Shop teacher we were just getting the man in charge to make sure we were doing our papers right”, the rest of the class backed up their story and sitting there with a red mark across my throat, I disagreed with what had happened but the teacher had no interest in what I had to say.

What did I get for my trouble, a swat with a wooden paddle for not completing my own test, laughter from three want to be hoodlums, and the loss of respect for a teacher who was supposed to be in charge of a class of boys, rather than putting his responsibility onto me.

I looked up the names of these men a few years back and found they were incarcerated in a state facility, which is exactly where I figured they would end up.

I was lying in bed thinking last night about situations like this, I wonder how many times our children go through something like this and we never hear of it? I wonder how many of these people would simply back down if just one person in class would stand up and side with the victims?

This happened a little over forty years ago, and there was no excuse then and sad to say things seem to be only worse today, I respect our teachers for what they have to put up with, they seem to have their hands tied and are forced to allow students with this mentality to take over their classes and intimidate the whole system.

Could we stem a lot of these problems if only we were allowed to stand up and make the bullies responsible for their own actions, and is it fair that we have to be overrun by this mentality for fear of offending them?

32 comments:

  1. The rest of the class, that didn't vouch for what happened, is just as guilty as the 3 bullies. I understand them not speaking up, for fear they could be next, but still. Perhaps if enough stood up, it could make a statement to the bullies that could resonate loud enough to prevent it from happening again. I know that sounds like the ideal situation, when it actually isn't. Bullies instill fear, which stops people from doing what should be done.

    Perhaps you should have had your own knife! (and access to it the minute the teacher left you in charge)

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    1. Hey Ms. A, I agree with you in that fear of being next is what stopped everyone else from helping in any way, and that if people would only stand up together against this type behavior would go along way in preventing situations like this.

      At that time I wasn't allowed to carry a knife and if I had one most likely nothing would have been different, I would have been to scared to pull one.

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  2. That is a horrible story, Jimmy. It makes me sad that so many of us have these memories of bullying episodes that happened decades ago. I remember being the only girl who took computer programming in high school and a bully, who was actually a grade behind me, would sexually harass me in the lab. One time, he went so far as to pull his pants down. You do not forget crap like that.

    I think school is somewhat better today with cameras in the halls and anonymous tip lines that students or parents can call to report bullying. My kids said there was a zero tolerance in force about bullying at their schools, but you know it still happens and I think the girls are worse than the boys now.

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    1. Bijoux, "You do not forget crap like that" you are so right there my friend, even after forty years I can still feel the fear when I think of it, I am sorry you had to go through what you did, it is a shame that happened to you and it is scary how many others have had to go through similar situations or worse.

      I pray schools are safer today that it was then, but like you said we know it still happens, and yes girls can be worse than the boys at times.

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  3. Such a sad situation. The teacher certainly was at fault here for abandoning the class and putting a student in charge. I would hope if my child had come home and explained what happened at class, I would have taken it up to the principal and let him know what had occurred in class that day. It is commendable for you for trying to speak up and relating what was going on. It is sad those three students ended up taking the roads that they did.

    betty

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    1. Hi Betty, the sad thing about it is sometimes the parents never know or else they would do something about it, my folks still don't know about this one and that is my fault, I suppose if the teacher didn't believe me I figured no one else would, Jr. High School thinking there.

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  4. A teacher should never leave a class for that long,

    Oh wait, you said Shop Teacher...nuff said,

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    1. Hey Joe, you are right a teacher should never be gone that long, to me it felt like a really long period of time when in fact it most likely wasn't, sad how much can happen in a short period of time.

      Yep shop teacher, and even though I don't remember his name I do remember him missing a finger.

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  5. Today, that teacher would have been in trouble if the truth were known by the administration. However, I am sure you would have been bullied more. Sad, but true.

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    1. Hi Linda, Good point, yes if it had been brought to the attention of the administration today the teacher would be reprimanded, but end result would be the bullying would be worse.

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  6. The bullies even attack the teachers now. This all started in the 60's when it was thought that allowing a child to have his own way was the way to go. If he didn't want to sit in class he didn't have to and nobody could say anything. Eventually it became illegal to hit a child or even chastise him. We could all see the way this would go and it did!

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    1. Hi Valerie, You are so right we lost a lot when it became illegal to discipline a student, I really think if the government would get out of our business so to say and allow parents and teachers to discipline our kids the crime rate would go down a bit.

      And you need someone who is fair enough in that they would discipline the bully rather than the victim.

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  7. "This happened a little over forty years ago, and there was no excuse then and sad to say things seem to be only worse today.."

    Yes, I agree, Jimmy...I think it's even worse today because you read about bullying all the time. I was verbally bullied constantly in my school years, so I know what it feels like. I think teachers are afraid to speak up due to being afraid of the bullying students themselves, so they don't get involved and take a stand.

    I respect and applaud you for speaking up, buddy!

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    1. Hey Ron, Isn't it a shame how many times folks have been bullied both verbally and physically just because they are either smaller, a different color, live a different lifestyle, or have a disability, it seems bullies prey on anyone that is different from them.

      Verbal abuse is sometimes more harmful than anything else, I know you have suffered this and I have no tolerance for anyone who goes out of their way to belittle anyone because of who they are.

      God made us all different for a reason and that reason was not to be picked on.

      Thank you Buddy, I am glad you are here.

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  8. sad that it happened even then. a knife to the throat is no laughing matter, and that shop teacher was a sh*t!

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    1. I lost any respect I had for a lot of things that day including this shop teacher, that is the first time I remember being so scared that I thought I was going to die, I forgot to put this in the post but they actually laughed and made mention of how scared I looked.

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  9. There was bullying in our school while i was growing up, and I've written about it several times, but I never had anyone pull a knife on me. I can only imagine what i would have done, other than leave a puddle on the ground.

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    1. Hey Stephen, Leaving a puddle on the ground would have been the only thing I could have done different.

      Hopefully if we all continue writing about it every once in a while, someone may be touched by our words enough to stand up against this type behavior and hopefully save someone from going through it.

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  10. The trouble is, in my opinion, is that this behavior doesn't stop in school. It manifests itself in the adult workplace and even greater scales like big nations taking advantage of smaller ones. Sad to say but it's primal human nature, the only real hope we have is that we evolve past such animalistic behavior. We'll have to or, the only other option is extinction.

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    1. Amen my friend, we do have to get past this type of behavior in spite of ourselves, I don't see where anyone is actually gaining anything by treating others in this manner, and you make an excellent point in that it doesn't stop in school, only moves on into adulthood and into how we run our country.

      Really it is sad and we are the only ones that can make a change.

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  11. I have no tolerance for bullies and your story really raised my hackles (and heart rate). There's no excuse for what that shop "teacher" did . And the other kids in the classroom who backed up the thugs' stories are accomplices. Sadly, I don't see bullying going away anytime soon, but I'm glad those low lifes got their karma.

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    1. Hi Abby, sad thing about all of this is the number of people who choose to stand by and let it happen without saying anything, like the rest of the kids in the class or people out in public who walk by and ignore similar situations, they are in fact just as guilty as the ones doing the deed so to say.

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  12. I must have had an extremely sheltered childhood. Throughout all my years in school, I never experienced bullying. Sure, we teased each other - everyone experienced that at one time or another - and there may have been tears at some point, but then we quickly made up and consoled each other.

    The only time I ever felt like any bullying was done when a kid in fourth grade who had a hard time sitting still (he was constantly fidgeting, swinging his legs, moving his chair, etc.) had his legs tied to his chair and his fingers slapped with a ruler. I hated the teacher for doing that.

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    1. Simple teasing and or giving each other a hard time is the way it should be, even when it comes to tears which is normal, but situations like you described where the teacher tied the childs legs to the chair then slapped him with a ruler, shame on that teacher, I have no problem with discipline but that is borderline abuse in my opinion.

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  13. Sad story. Sad that it happened to you and that you're stuck with the memory. Sad that the teacher was ignorant and that the bullies were vicious. Thank God that there are more sane people in this world than depraved.

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    1. Hi Anita, I had forgotten this situation and am not sure why it came back to me a few days ago, it is not a memory I would like to keep but I suppose we have to remember things like this with the hope of preventing a similar situation for someone else at another time.

      "Thank God that there are more sane people in this world than depraved" this is very true and it's those sane people who can keep the depraved ones at bay as long as we remember what they can and will do as long as we allow it.

      Good to see you Anita.

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    2. Thanks!
      And you're right... memories do serve a purpose.

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    3. Yes mam I suppose without them nothing would ever change.

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  14. That is terrible and I'm so sorry that it happened to you. I know you already know this, but the only place I was ever bullied was at home. I guess that is why, I never bullied anybody at anytime in my life. I also, never stood by and watched anyone else get bullied. I had no problem getting in trouble at school (or anywhere else) for showing a bully that they weren't really tough at all. Good post Jimmy and again, I'm sorry this happened to you.

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    1. Thank you Pat, yes sir I remember your posts about what you went through, and the positive thing about is that it made you into a man who is not afraid to stand up for someone when they need help. Not making light of your childhood just a compliment as to the man you are today.

      We could use a lot more like you who will not tolerate bullying.

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    2. Thanks Jimmy! I really appreciate your nice words.

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