Thoughts...

Well, I'm a working girl again and I'm learning a lot. I've been out of the corporate work seen for about a year! It's hard to work with other people! LOL. I've been working it the oldest room at work with all the school aged kids, waiting to go back to school. The first few days I observed and helped and asked questions. After that I found out I would be leading this class on Friday. So I began to address some pretty serious issues. 1. Acrobatics in a classroom with hard floors is not only against the rules but dangerous and are no longer allowed. (This came with a lot of kick back as the young high school teachers in that room not only allowed the activity but participated as "judges") 2. The game "Wall Ball" is an outdoor game! (This is a game where you throw a tennis ball up against the wall and try to hit other players with it. If players are struck by the ball they have to run to tag the wall before someone else throws the ball up against the wall.) This game was being led inside a classroom by a teacher! 3. I have never seen such disrespect in my life. Teachers need to know that our job is to look out for the safety and well being of the kids, not become their best friend and let them do what they want. Every time I have asked a child to do something or refrain from doing something I have received, back talk, arguments, snotty looks and sarcastic comments. This is definitely not OK. Am I becoming the "bad guy" most likely but these kids are way too old for the kind of behavior they display and they know better. 4. The teachers in this room are not good influences on the kids. They have cultivated disrespect by playing around in the kind of voice and attitude they speak to the kids with and allow the kids to speak to them. I actually witnessed a male teacher as two male students if a substitute that came in the day before was pretty. When the boys responded "no" he gave them both a high five and stated he agreed with them! I was so appalled and offended. I've been debating whether or not to sit down with the director and share my observations about this room. I don't want to look like a know it all or tattle tale, but should I really ignore this kind of thing?