respect for authority Archives

If you have ever been to the beach, you are familiar with the danger of the Rip Current. The Rip Current is a steady flow of water that can pull you far away from the safety of the beach. Sadly, many people have drowned due to Rip Currents because they can be very powerful. As a matter of fact, Rip Currents are the number one reason lifeguards spring into action on the beach. However, there is a way to escape a Rip Current. See the sign below.

At times, there can exist a powerful Rip Current in your classroom. This Rip Current is a very negative thing. Classroom Rip Currents consist of your peers distracting you and the learning process. Classroom Rip Currents seek to pull you away from your ultimate goal of success. The tricky thing about Classroom Rip Currents is that they are very easy to go along with:

I was just laughing
I’m not the only one talking
At least I finished my work

These statements seem like they are harmless, but they are not. They are indicative of someone who is in the classroom Rip current and doesn’t even know it. If the teacher doesn’t have the attention of everyone in the classroom, this can be a very dangerous thing. If you stay out of the RIP current, then the teacher can address any other distractions in the classroom. Consider the teacher your lifeguard. Listen to them and I promise you that you will be pleased with the outcome.

This is how you escape the Classroom Rip Current:

Remove – Remove yourself from anyone who would distract you in class. Your teacher may have already done this for you if you are caught in the Rip Current.
Inform – Inform everyone who would try to distract you that you will no longer be talking during class.
Pursue – Pursue the goals that you have set for the class and don’t waste your time on distractions.

Marvin Byrd (c/o 98)

It Can Be Done

Photo by Avdeev Max (flickr)

When a pilot flies a plane, he/she has to be focused on getting the plan safely to the destination. There is a huge responsibility on the pilot because they are responsible for the lives of the passengers as well. A mistake can mean the loss of hundreds of lives. Although teachers don’t fly planes, the thought process is similar. Your teacher has been given a curriculum to teach you. The job of a teacher would be so easy if they just had to teach. However, students aren’t robots. They have emotions, personalities, and limited attention spans (we ALL do). These are the things that a teacher has to deal with properly so that they can teach the curriculum and land the plan by the end of the year.

When a teacher attempts to bring order to their classroom, it is so that they can teach and get you to your destination. Some students don’t like being corrected and so the situation gets bigger than it should. I want to help you stay out of this situation. It is highly important that you develop positive relationships with your teachers because they can help you. I have written many letters of recommendation for former students. I did it because we had a positive relationship and I recalled those things as I did them a favor.

I teach my students that there are 3 ways you disrespect your teachers when they are attempting to correct your behavior. They all begin with a ‘D’ so they are easy to remember:

Debate: When a student debates their teacher, they ask the teacher specific questions about their behavior. The goal is to make the teacher pause in silence, thereby making them look like they don’t know what they are talking about. EXAMPLE: The teacher says, “please stop distracting the class.” The student will come back and say, “I’m sitting here doing my work, how am I distracting the class?”

Deny: When a student Denies, they simply contradict what the teacher is saying. Again, the point is to make the teacher look like they don’t know what they are talking about. EXAMPLE: The teacher says, “Please stop distracting the class.” The student comes back and says, “No I’m not.”

Deflect: When a student Deflects, they are trying to focus the attention of the teacher on someone else. Again, the purpose is to discredit the teacher. EXAMPLE: The teacher says, “please stop distracting the class.” The student comes back and says, “out of all these people talking in here, you pick on me.”

I know that you are not perfect and things happen sometimes. I am just asking you to keep in mind that you and your teacher are actually pulling in the same direction. You and your teacher want the same thing. The teacher just happens to be the pilot and we all know that we need to do what the pilot asks us to do. But always remember, they are focused on getting you to your ultimate destination, which is graduation. Which one of the D’s do you need to stop doing?

Marvin Byrd (c/o 98)

It can be done

Escape the RIP Current

The 3 D’s of Disrespect