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.
Regardless of whether this kid may have had a history of behavior problems, there is no reason for adults to hold a child up to public ridicule in front of his peers.
I disagree.....I attended such an award ceremony at my daughter's elementary school just yesterday. They hold them twice a year.
I suspect the children in question deserved these awards and nothing works better than a swift kick to the ego...
Well I think the “Most likely not to have children.” was a bit over the top.
The “Sir Clowns Alot” I have no issue with.
That's only for girl students. Don't you know that Caucasian, heterosexual males need to be squashed in order to level the playing field?
In first grade, my daughter had a teacher who nicknamed her Messy Jesse because, you know, it rhymed. The bigger issue is that when the teacher called her names, the kids felt perfectly free to call the same names. And we all know how kids can be. Jesse told her to stop. That didn’t work. She asked again. That didn’t work. And the CHILD went to the principal. When that didn’t work, I called the principal and told him to make is stop. The teacher was stunned that I didn’t go to her first.
The name calling stopped. The kid felt pretty good because she tried to fight it first and felt backed up when good old mom and dad got involved. She went on without any scars, no therapy and is a successful adult.
Well that’s pretty impressive for a First Grader to ask a student to twice stop, and then to go to a Principle on her own and ask for it to end as well. Most, unfortunately, will simply sit quietly and take it, even if it upsets them.
I guess this is what happens when you have public school students becoming teachers themselves..... sigh.
Jeez....I couldn't find that anywhere in the story. Did you read the same story as I did or do you just need a lesson in reading comprehension?
When I was eight years old, I got a trophy at the awards banquet for the basketball league I was in.
It was the award for “Tries Hardest”.
I was completely uncoordinated with no skill. I was constantly on the floor grabbing for the ball between people’s feet. Generally, a wrecking ball for the game.
Hey...it was a trophy! Of course, with a few years behind me, I can see it was CLEARLY a pity trophy! But hey...what did I know?
he’s cuties... he looks a lot like my oldest son...
I agree with you. Whatever the second one means, it is definitely not nice. Like no woman could ever love you? Traumatic, coming from an authority figure at that age.
However, the biggest villains in this story are the parents who've chosen to make this a news story and now the whole world knows what a reject their kid is.
True.
Hey, she wasn’t trying to stop a student, she was trying to stop the TEACHER!
Let's see who's laughing when that kid has enough money to come back and BUY that school.
Er, wait...
Damn straight. And my kid would have been just as sarcastic as the teacher. My boy has a spine, a sense of humor and the morals and courage it takes to make it in the world. I raised him right and took an active interest in everything he did. He goes to college this Fall on a full ride for ACADEMICS. Hes a geek and proud of it.
The “oh my there are now winners or losers and we can keep score or it will emotionally damage the children” crowd do nothing but make the kids over protected and turn them into sheep. I raised my kid to be a wolf.
No, I don't advocate "self-esteem" as the be-all and end-all of education. But bullying and public humiliation, conservative? And opposition to them is liberal?
I'm sorry anybody feels that way.
The worst of it wouldn’t happen until they had to explain to me why they got such an ‘award’... Then they’d really learn the meaning of sorry.
- At the conference I’d requested with the teachers, I would request that my child stand in front of the affected classes and apologies, then the regiment at home would get, entertaining, as to the activities they would be involved with... ;-)
Living in a neighborhood with a few retired DI’s when I was growing up has given me an insight into some unique and fitting punishments....
And not a spanking in site....
And yes, my son did do something incredibly stupid in 2nd grade... He’s never thought about doing anything like it since.... When he does seem to be headed for trouble, I just pull out some old photo's and leave them on his bed... No more problem...
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