Sunday, October 02, 2011

You Get What You Encourage

And you (hopefully) get less of what you discourage.

On dance duty last night, I was in my usual spot--guarding the back of the breezeway which connects our gyms, keeping kids from going out to drink/smoke/fornicate and keeping others from sneaking in. One of our vice principals was making the rounds and told me this story, which I'll paraphrase:
I just kicked a few kids out, sent them home. What they were doing was not dancing, so I told them, "You're out of here." They asked, "Don't we get a warning?"
Actually, they did get a warning. When they were sent home. That should serve as a warning not to try booty-dry-humping at the next dance.

Isn't it amazing that the kids knew what they were doing was inappropriate, and expected to be able to get away with doing it at least once? Apparently that's the environment they're used to, and I'm glad it wasn't reinforced last night.

5 comments:

Jamie said...

I flatly refuse to chaperone any of our school "dances" anymore. They'd have to threaten to fire me to get me to go to one. The last one I went to left ME feeling violated just from my observations. What I found particularly disturbing was how the students would be dry humping each other one minute, see me, and stop to wave and call out a hello. No shame, I tell you. I maintain they need to get some parents out to the dances to chaperone. I once asked they kids if they would dance like that in front of their parents. Of course the answer was "no way."

Our students, by the way, get a wristband when they enter the dance. If they get caught dancing inappropriately the wristband gets cut off and the NEXT time they get kicked out. I like your school's plan better.

W.R. Chandler said...

Ah yes, if only I had a nickel for every time I have had a student ask me, "Don't I get a warning?"

If they get a warning, they do the same misbehavior the next day and then ask, "Don't I get a warning?"

If you give them another warning, they do the same misbehavior the next day and then ask, "Don't I get a warning?"

And so on....

Darren said...

I ask to be put in the back of the breezeway instead of inside the dance itself. Years ago I suggested that making me go inside that gym would be a sexual harassment claim in the making :) I doubt that "suggestion" is what gets me the breezeway job, it's probably that it's easier on all of us just to accommodate my reasonable request.

Mike Thiac said...

Darren

Sounds like you got some future customers for me...thanks....job security! ;<)

mrelliott said...

Wow, you have an administrator with some cahonnies!! Good for him, good for you, and good for your school. It's nice to see and hear that exists today.