YOU CAN ACT LIKE A MAN!!! (SLAP) This is how you're turning out? A Hollywood finocchio who cries like a woman??? "Boo-hoo-hoo! Oh, what can I do? What can I do?"
Posted on 06/14/2007 8:18:08 AM PDT by TornadoAlley3
INDIANAPOLIS -- Sixth-grader Matt Porter didn't enjoy getting "Most Likely Not To Have Children" and "Sir Clowns-a-Lot" awards from two teachers at his school.
His parents aren't pleased, either.
Matt said he received the awards in front of classmates during a ceremony at the Decatur Intermediate Learning Center at the end of the recently finished school year. His mother and his stepfather have asked the Decatur Township school system to reprimand the teachers, and they want an apology.
"Words cut deeper than any knife could. They hurt," said his stepfather, Joseph Sims. "When you hurt a child like that, you not only hurt him mentally, but it does hurt physically because you withdraw within yourself. That is what Matthew has done."
The certificates were signed by the teachers who distributed them. Matt recalled what the ceremony was like.
"I was standing in the middle of (the two teachers), and they (were) reading them off," he said. "Everyone was laughing."
Matt felt humiliated.
"They (were) putting us down and everything," he said. "That is not what their job is for, to put kids down. They are supposed to teach us."
Amy Sims, Matt's mother, said she met with a school official over the matter but was not satisfied with the response.
"She just told me that the teachers would call and apologize to him, and we've not heard anything at all," Amy Sims said.
Gary Pellico, spokesman for the school system, declined to say whether the teachers have been disciplined. He said system officials regret the incident.
"We don't feel like it was an appropriate awards ceremony at all," Pellico said. "It wasn't part of the school's award ceremony, and it will not happen again."
Amy Sims said her son needs counseling because of the awards. The school has offered it, but an agreement on who will provide it has not been reached, Thomas reported.
I got a similar award in 6th grade.
I was proud of it! I got a big round of backslaps from he guys in the class.
But back then, we were boys. Not p*ssies.
I agree. These silly awards should be funny, not mean-spirited. They should be done within the classroom and not given out in a public setting. Also, this kid already had one award. Giving him a second negative award just added insult to injury. Over the top.
you hurt his feeeeeeeelings
“Sir Clowns-a-lot” I can see, but “Most Likely Not To Have Children” is pretty darn cruel in my book.
Kids might expect other kids to call them names, but when teachers and other adults start making fun of kids I really think a line has been crossed.
Come on. The teachers wouldn't have given him the clownsalot trophy if he were well behaved. The kid was probably a big pain in the neck to them all year long. But never have kids? That one's just plain mean to do to a sixth grader.
That's what I thought at first, too.
And you still haven't learned anything, have you Matt?
Thank you.
I get so tired of that stupid expression, especially by those who use it to justify verbal bullying. Just because an emotional hurt doesn't always have a physical manifestation does not mean it is acceptable for an adult to direct hurtful or demeaning words toward a child.
Sorry, yes I typed student when I meant teacher... my bad.
My biggest problem with teachers today is their tendency to get personal. Criticize the schoolwork or the classroom behavior, of course, but give the kid something to strive towards.
When you humiliate you lose the ability to successfully teach anything.
Well said. I’m glad someone said it.
YOU CAN ACT LIKE A MAN!!! (SLAP) This is how you're turning out? A Hollywood finocchio who cries like a woman??? "Boo-hoo-hoo! Oh, what can I do? What can I do?"
What a novel idea!
Since you seem to be ok with the stupid awards, and are a teacher to boot, why don't you explain to the rest of us what would cause a teacher to give out an award like this ?
another reason why I support the right to homeschool
bingo - ask Tiger Woods.
There’s a guy who never stops trying.
This was piling on—2 teachers poking fun at one student standing between them.. The award for most likely not to have kids was extremely tasteless and over the top. The Sir-Clowns-a-Lot award could be laughed at and could be suitable if given along with a lot of other kids receiving humorous awards.
Yes—these teachers deserve a reprimand and need to apologize in writing with copies to the school board.
vaudine
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