Unkotare
Diamond Member
- Aug 16, 2011
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I came across this article on one of the educators feeds I constantly get in my inbox. Bear in mind these are NOT my words or my opinion, though I do agree with some of it to some degree. The author is obviously a drama queen feeling self-righteous. It may come across as "touchy feely" to those with no experience in a highly challenging urban school environment. Again, not my words.
"I’m fed up. Honestly, I’ve had it with the old-school crowd on X preaching the same tired nonsense about “removing disruptive kids” and keeping the “good kids” away from them.
Just this week, I read posts that made me want to throw my coffee across the room:
and
and
This is old-school education thinking at its worst—segregating kids, labeling them as “bad,” and pretending academics can thrive in a vacuum without addressing emotional needs. And I’m done being polite about it.
Here’s why:
And yes, for a day or two, it was quiet. But you know what happened next? Those same kids came back angrier, more frustrated, and more determined to push back. And the rest of the class?
They learned that if you mess up enough, you just get kicked out. No growth. No learning. Just punishment.
It took me years to realize that the real work isn’t in removing students; it’s in creating a classroom culture that makes removal unnecessary in the first place."
www.10publications.com
"I’m fed up. Honestly, I’ve had it with the old-school crowd on X preaching the same tired nonsense about “removing disruptive kids” and keeping the “good kids” away from them.
Just this week, I read posts that made me want to throw my coffee across the room:
and
and
This is old-school education thinking at its worst—segregating kids, labeling them as “bad,” and pretending academics can thrive in a vacuum without addressing emotional needs. And I’m done being polite about it.
Old-School Discipline Hurts Everyone
Isolating students doesn’t just fail the so-called “disruptive” kids—it fails every child in the classroom.Here’s why:
- It destroys belonging.
When we remove students, we tell them they don’t belong. And when kids don’t feel like they belong, they stop caring. Period. They stop caring about school, about relationships, about themselves. I’ve seen this play out hundreds of times—kids labeled as “behavior problems” eventually wear that label like a badge. And once that happens, good luck getting them to re-engage. - It fuels resentment in the entire classroom.
Students notice when peers are kicked out or consistently separated. It creates an “us vs. them” mentality. The so-called “good kids” begin to believe that anyone who struggles is a problem to get rid of, not a person to understand. That’s not education—that’s social conditioning to dehumanize people who are different. - It teaches nothing about empathy or responsibility.
The whole point of being in a classroom community is to learn how to live in a community. You don’t learn empathy by sitting only with kids who never push your buttons. You don’t learn responsibility by having “the troublemakers” removed. You learn those things by navigating relationships with people who are different from you—who frustrate you, challenge you, and make you grow. - It puts academics over humanity.
I keep seeing these old-school posts saying, “We need to focus on academics.” Let me ask you this: what kid learns well when they feel like they don’t belong? Show me the research that proves anxiety, isolation, and shame are the keys to higher test scores. Spoiler: it doesn’t exist. - It creates adults who quit when things get tough.
If we teach kids that you just “remove” difficult people from your life, we’re setting them up for failure in the real world. Life doesn’t work that way. In jobs, relationships, and communities, you can’t just exile people who annoy you. Schools are supposed to prepare kids for life, not teach them to avoid it.
I Used to Be One of Those Teachers
I get it—I really do. I used to be one of those teachers who thought removing “problem kids” was the answer. Early in my career, I believed that getting rid of disruptions would make my class run smoothly.And yes, for a day or two, it was quiet. But you know what happened next? Those same kids came back angrier, more frustrated, and more determined to push back. And the rest of the class?
They learned that if you mess up enough, you just get kicked out. No growth. No learning. Just punishment.
It took me years to realize that the real work isn’t in removing students; it’s in creating a classroom culture that makes removal unnecessary in the first place."
I’m Done Watching Teachers Give Up on Kids
Fed up with teachers giving up on kids? Discover why removing “disruptive” students fails everyone—and how building classroom community changes everything.
www.10publications.com
