To think he should be expelled for threatening me outside school?

[fedupteacher9]

Do I just need to suck it up ?

I am being routinely assaulted and threatened by students in my new job which I have been at for one term.

I am currently in a support role (school librarian) after leaving teaching, thinking the pay cut would be worth less mental anguish of abuse from students.

I have had 2 books thrown at my head by 2 different students. One was expelled and then unexpelled because the school feared being fined by the LA for incorrect expulsion. When he was unexpelled, I was aghast that he felt comfortable coming back into my library and sitting on his phone when he was meant to be in his lesson. Multiple times I had to get on call to remove him. SLT have obviously not taken this seriously.

The second boy has yet to face consequences. Headmaster told me his punishment would be a year ban from the library: for assaulting me?! Am I crazy?

If I told you what happened today, you wouldn't believe me. On the street I live on, a student approaches me and my partner and points a watergun at me. 'I should shoot you for kicking me out the library'. My partner just said 'come on lads, behave' and we walked away. This is my dream job, I competed with 50 other candidates for it, and one term in and I am applying elsewhere, to private schools where this shit won't happen.

If you are wondering why this is happening, these boys are retaliating to being removed or banned from the library by me for poor behaviour, truculence, abuse of staff or insubordination. I am not raising my voice at any of these boys.

I'm fucking livid.

I left education for this very reason. These aren’t one off incidents this is a daily occurrence and one bad apple leads to many others as they see the behaviour as acceptable. They are gang cultures in school.
They video and post vile stuff about teachers. There is little respect and this isn’t related to one adult or other / they are vile to all teaching staff.

It should not be the teacher’s responsibility to consider this child’s life chances - that’s on the powers that be to provide alternative provision which the government won’t pay for.

im surprised any Punic servant would continue.

Im now in an office job, and I am treated with respect.

Sorry these things have happened to you. What terrible leadership you have at your school.

A student recently called me a nasty word as he turned to walk away from me after I told him off for doing something he should not have not been doing at lunchtime. Leadership gave him one days internal detention, then a weeks external exclusion after half term. Once he comes back he is banned from outside break or lunchtime for a week too. I actually think all that is a little bit to much. However I appreciate they take this stuff seriously.

If I was you I would let you SLT know and see how they want to handle it. However I would also report it to the police as outside of school. To me it sounds like a police officer turning up at the home and having a little talk with him may do some good. It could scare him into thinking about his actions in future, you never know. I work in the school holidays in residential childrens homes. We sometimes have to get the police in to calm a situation down (The kids I work with all have behavioural problems). It is amazing how some childrens behaviour will change if the police turn up. Others don't give a monkeys mind. The police tend to be used to having these little conversations with teenagers. Our school's community officer is very good too.

Definitely make sure that you have what happened in writing (emails, behaviour log, whatever) and contact your union. I would also pass on the incident outside school and mention it when discussing with your union. To be completely honest, it may go nowhere. I’ve been injured multiple times by students in the last year (and to answer previous questions in here - I WAS injured, in some cases it was physio after, in others it was medication increases and in all, I was told by doctors to wear supports/braces). None of the students have faced any serious consequences, only 1 child was even made to apologise. I am just so sorry other educators are facing this. I hope you find another way to teach x

If you had not know that boy and were just an anonymous member of the public then you would report that to the police if you felt threatened - if the school are saying they aren't going to act then I think you should act as if you are a member of the public. I think the school should act but if they won't then in my view be proactive.

If I was assaulted by a teenage boy in my place of work I'd call the police. I wouldn't expect my boss to deal with it. Not sure why this is different?

This is so bad I'm sorry op

it is worth bearing in mind that if you are in Scotland if the police charge a minor with e,g, assault (as happened to a friend of mine) there were zero consequences. Absolutely zero. Someone had a word. That’s it.

Same as when someone recently was charged with repeatedly raping a child and didn’t get prison. The were under 25 and had a rough home life.

Oh but we wouldn’t want to ruin their life choices, poor little lambs, etc etc. such a corrosive attitude.

It’s really easy to see who are the parents of disruptive children. It’s eye-opening to read that they think everyone should just excuse it.

in Ireland but on the radio the presenter was interviewing a vice principal on how difficult it is to actually expel a student. It was funny it was on because just the day before I was saying how insane schools have gotten, my ds comes home daily with tales of someone trying to burn the teachers table in woodwork, throwing something at the teacher, spraying drink about the class, mitching, and my other ds says his class is the same. People are suspended weekly (different students) and then back in the following day! It sounds like a jungle! The guy being interviewed probably regretted it in the end, the radio presenter had a teacher daughter and was definitely trying not to get angry. I’m sorry this happened op, personally I think people who work in schools deserve medals. I don’t know how everything has gotten to this

You left teaching because you didn’t like the pupils, only to take a job in a school library and now you want to look for work in private schools! I don’t get why you didn’t leave the sector completely, you obviously are not suited to it.

I work in a private school and pupils misbehave here as well.

CushionLover

To me these are WAY OFF expelling level offences. It's rubbish you have to put up with it, don't get me wrong.

But a kid's education and life chances shouldn't be jeopardised for a water gun and getting a book thrown at you, which are both not exactly high stakes issues.

I can’t believe what I’m reading!

This is the problem. No boundaries and no consequences. In fact no discipline. No wonder we have problems in wider society when this behaviour is tolerated from school children.

How often have you been verbally abused, had items thrown at you and threatened? You're ok with it happening if it has?

You seem to have missed my point.

@fedupteacher9 I don’t think it’s fair people telling you you’re not cut out for working in schools.

I used to work with kids in Care, which involved visiting different kids across multiple schools a week. The difference between some schools was like night and day.

Some were relatively relaxing, vibrant positive environments with good discipline, that I’d have loved to teach in full-time, whilst others had a bad atmosphere and were filled with kids regularly abusive to each other and teaching staff. True, not everyone is cut out for the latter, but it doesn’t mean they won’t be able to work in the former type of school.

I’d say primary schools were on the whole better, partly because the kids were just not as big. So even if you did get the odd one who wanted to throw stuff, it was easier for staff to get things under control.

The thing with secondary school boys is they’re often much stronger and sometimes visibly bigger than the staff they’re trying to intimidate and they know that.

Being able to shrug off a constant stream of abusive, threatening and disrespectful behaviour, and being able to work well with children and young people in general are two different skills. Just because someone is uneasy with threats etc, I don’t feel it’s fair or logical to say they can’t be good teachers/ school staff. They just need to find the right schools for them.

The minimisation on this thread is horrifying. Have a difficult home life is NOT an excuse to throw objects at people's heads FFS. No one should be assaulted in their workplace. If kids can't behave decently they shouldn't be in school until they can.

Funny how MN can kick off if someone's colleague or husband makes a dodgy comment but got forbid a secondary school child should face the consequences of their actions.

Yes OP! It's YOUR FAULT! I can't believe you don't enjoy little Timmy lobbing the objects at your head, he's obviously just expressing himself!

Being able to shrug off a constant stream of abusive, threatening and disrespectful behaviour, and being able to work well with children and young people in general are two different skills. Just because someone is uneasy with threats etc, I don’t feel it’s fair or logical to say they can’t be good teachers/ school staff. They just need to find the right schools for them.

Why should it be ‘shrugged off?’

Some people really have very low expectations regarding reasonable behaviour.

Sounds like a shit school with a poor SLT! You’re definitely right to apply elsewhere!

There is a difference to being a bit rude and abuse, if abuse the police should be called but OP your posts are coming across weirdly

If this is all real and there is abuse going call the police

It’s ridiculous that you think the hassle of you going to your union would be less than the hassle of expelling a child. Expulsions or a managed move would have a much more negative effect overall than you making a complaint.

I agree that you shouldn’t have to put up with this but you should realise that these kids are entitled to their education even if they are little shits.

Good thing I didn’t say it should be shrugged off.

As I’ve said clearly in this thread, I sympathise with the OP. Hope she gets the support she needs.

I would leave that school op, the culture is appalling and they don't appear to be protecting you.

My last comment on this thread before I bow out but wanted to say I agree with this.

I used to work with Looked after children and young people including some unaccompanied asylum seekers. So needless to say these children all obviously had difficult home lives at one point and had experienced more than their fair share of trauma and difficulties.

As a local authority we would not have minimised them throwing books at school staff or jeering at teachers outside of school.

And btw, most of the Care experienced kids I worked with were brilliant and many teachers said they were an absolute joy to have in their class.

Sorry this has happened to you. I left teaching after receiving knife and rape threats from teenage boys who were the size of adult males and capable of carrying out their threats.