T
hank god an assistant elementary school principal is still alive today. His recent "slapping" attack by a kindergartner must have been really scary. It's hard to know what's scarier, actually -- that, or the fact that someone supposedly called 911 on a 5-year-old, or commenters on a news site saying they wish they were that assistant principal so they could take that child over their knee "whipping his hind end quicker than he would of know and I bet he wouldn't of done that ever again."
But this story gets even scarier -- or funnier, depending how you look at it. Here is what appeared on the news site reporting the event:
The kindergartner has been suspended from school but was not arrested. The assistant principal wasn't seriously injured.
I'm laughing but only for five seconds until the tears of sadness overtake. This poor poor kid. Let's break it down:
The kindergartner has been suspended. Kids should not hit adults and that does need to be dealt with, but this really isn't the best way to create a positive, nurturing experience for a child during his first weeks of school ever. It is, however, probably a great way to ensure he or she will drop out by ninth grade.
But was not arrested. Was that even a consideration? Would the assistant principal have to take the stand? Do they make potties that small in prison?
The assistant principal wasn't seriously injured. At least not physically. No word about any short- or long-term mental trauma he or she may have had or might experience.
Sorry, but it's hard to be serious about a situation so absurd. The fact this even made online news wires is troubling, or a sign that it's a really really really slow news day. There are no details yet as to why this child attacked the principal, but it doesn't really matter. Something is going on with that kid, or with his parents, or both, and someone needs to find out what that is and step in gently and with compassion -- fast.
I don't know how I would react if the school called me to report my 5-year-old had slapped and scratched an educator, but I know exactly what I would do if I were that assistant principal. I would apply some Bacitracin and then give that kid the biggest hug in the world and tell him everything is going to be okay. Then call in the parents, psychologists, or even social services as necessary, but definitely leave men in uniforms carrying guns off the list. A gross overreaction or a zero tolerance policy gone totally out of control. Just no. No no no no no.
What's the best way to deal with a kindergartner who attacks a teacher or school staffer?
Image via batgirlBob/Flickr
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Comments 75
Some of these comments are a little outrageous! First, you stay calm, sit the child down, get to his/her level, face to face, tell the child it is uneceptable behavior and you will be calling his/her parents. If parents stand behind the childs behavior, then you know that the parents are to blame, call in child a behaviorist! Maybe that child is being abused at home or the child lacks stability and structure in the home! I say that schools tend to over react in situations like this or really just don't know how to handle the situation, if this is the case, they shouldn't be teaching children!! Parents need to be parents and stop being lazy or stop trying to be the child's friend!! Parents! You are NOT the child's Friend! You are the Parent!! So, step up to the plate and do your job! If not, then you shouldn't be parents!!!
My stepson was just a terror at that age. We didn't know because his do nothing mother had told the school his dad would kill him if he was contacted. (yes, we got custody a few years later..his saving grace) We found out in 2nd grade when the school finally couldn't take it any more because telling his mom did nothing. They had him in a seperate room w/a full time aide because so many parents refused to let their kids in the same class w/the stepson. (go under teachers desk and pound, kick, yell, open drawers and throw scissors, pens, anything he could get his hands on) When we were contacted by the school and read his enormous files, and finished crying, the Principal told us that she had to call the police often over the years because he had beat her up..twice in kindergarten. She couldn't touch him, and he knew it! All it took was constant parental discipline, and it wasn't physical. The minute he started to act up he was asked if he wanted them to call his father. And his father showed up! Every time. And we found unfun things for him to do. His mother was praying we would hit him so she could take us to court. Instead, she lost her kids because she couldn't be bothered with disciplining them.
It doesn't matter if you're 5, 10, 18, whatever! You hit someone in a school setting, which by that age you should know better. My daughter isn't even 2 yet and we reinforced that hitting is bad so she doesn't do it. She knows it's wrong. These things should be taught at a young age. They were right to suspend him. It's only suspension, not expulsion. He'll be back in 2 to 3 days. Suspension doesn't guarentee dropping out at 9th grade. I've seen kids do worse things and go to jail and they still return to finish high school. I wish they would have done something about the kid who bit my daughter's face, but all they did was write a report that they lied on. Saying someone was called to pick her up. No parent or grandparent was contacted. That her bite was taken care of when it wasn't even washed out. Shame.
I'm sure the Code of Conduct defines the punishment. Battery, which is what this was, is punishable by suspension in our schools - no matter the age of the child. If they're not punished, they continue/escalate their behavior because they know teachers/deans/principals can't touch them.
you don't know the whole story and plus when I work at my daughter's school we had students attacking each other. At a elementary school.. we had a 5 year old we called the police on because he attacked the student teacher with a push pin and the phone number given to the school was out of order, so what do you think they should do let the kid walk home maybe someone is home maybe someone is not home. The kid told them to shut up when asked how to get ahold of parents...