Student calls police after Atherton math teacher rattles table

[proud2BlibKansan]

An eighth-grade math teacher at Atherton's Selby Lane School rattled a table to get his students' attention Tuesday afternoon, police said.

He succeeded on that score.

But the demonstration landed him on paid administrative leave.

Officers went to the campus at 2:26 p.m. to check on reports of a teacher causing a disturbance in a classroom and possibly throwing objects, said Sgt. Tim Lynch of the Atherton Police Department. When officers arrived, however, they found a calm teacher with class in session and determined nothing had been thrown.

Lynch said it appears the teacher's table-rattling act startled a female student who left the class and called police from a cell phone.

more . . . http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_17515223?nclick_check=1

[MichiganVote]

1. Cell phones and kids don't mix in school.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. When we first got phones in our classrooms, (maybe 20 years ago?),

we had a rash of kids calling 911 from the classroom. The cops would come, kid would get suspended. Within a month or so, the kids got the message and stopped calling 911 from school.

Of course, back then, we actually held kids accountable for their behavior. That's pretty rare these days.

[WolverineDG]

3. Excuse me? Scared of a table rattling?

why do I suspect it's more of a Daddy's Little Princess who got miffed at the teacher for not letting her talk to her friends in class?

dg

[markpkessinger]

4. I had a teacher like that in high school

There was a teacher in my high school, back in the late 70s, who had a reputation for doing a stunt like this at least once per semester, and typically fairly early in the semester. We students who had first heard about his tantrums, and later experienced them, were generally convinced it was all a bit of attention-getting theater. This guy would fly into an apparent rage, screaming about whatever the issue happened to be, pick up a chair or desk and toss it across the room (but never in a way that it would come close to hitting anybody). The thing is, overall he was a good -- and popular -- teacher.

If I were this girl's parents, I would sit her down and have a long chat about how dangerous over-reactions to situations can be.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. The teacher in the OP rattled a table

That's not the same as throwing a chair.

IMO, if a teacher throws a chair, he should be suspended. That's way over the top.

[markpkessinger]

6. I realize there's a difference...

But my point is that no one was ever injured as a result of my high school teacher's actions. And for a young girl to think it is appropriate to call the police merely because she was startled by something is equally "over the top," in my opinion.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. But there is a great potential for injury when a chair is thrown

Yes, this girl was over-reacting. And the district was insane to suspend the teacher.

[markpkessinger]

9. Sure, but I was just citing that story to make a point, not to argue specifics n/t

[Canuckistanian]

8. I once had a teacher who threw chalkboard erasers at students

Just to get their attention. He sometimes hit them. Nobody called the cops back then,

[somone]

10. Atherton's median home price = $4,010,200

Meg Whitman lives there

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atherton,_California

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. Why is that relevant to the story?

[somone]

13. Teachers in Atherton can't afford to live in Atherton

The kids know this, especially in 8th grade. Servants are not supposed to rattle their master's table. There is always a class angle when you're talking about the super rich.

[Maine-ah]

12. I had a teaching Assistant Principal

get so pissed at my eighth grade class, who wouldn't shut up so he could teach, literally throw his podium across the room.

Got our attention. Not that I'd condone it or anything, but it sure as hell worked and nobody called the police about it. We also didn't have cell phones, but not one parent complained about it either. Including my own, and one of my parents was a retired teacher.