For months, Houston residents Diana and Oscar Mijares heard about behavior problems their daughter Megan was having in school -- problems she wasn't having at home. The concerned parents bought a tape recorder and hid it in the girl's 'High School Musical' backpack. Turns out, 4-year-old Megan isn't the problem ... it's her teacher, who was recorded saying things like "I'm going to be mean to you" and "Y'all are just stupid kids." Not surprisingly, the Mijares -- and other Houston-area parents -- are outraged, and are demanding that the teacher be dismissed.
Reader Comments (Page 48 of 54)
706. I see that some people said that the teacher just made a mistake that one time.
But if u realize in the story above they noticed it was for a couple of months that the child was complaining therefor i do not belive that the teacher has an right to do that. No matter how frustrated the teacher is, they are only children. & She should NOT take her anger and frustration out on someone else.excpecially Children that attend her class. Makes no sense whats so ever. I also belive these little comments that people say dont mean anything, or no harm is done, i belive it sticks in the childs head as they are dumb,they are stupid, they cant do anything. & You never know what that can lead to in the future.
Posted at 9:47AM on Mar 2nd 2008 by hailee
707. just remember islam is a religion of peace and that your muslim brothers and sisters love you....
oh,wait.teacher belittling kids.chop off her head and drag her body through the streets!
thanks for listening peace and love
Posted at 10:14AM on Mar 2nd 2008 by tim
708. How about parents actually teach their kids some resillience these days?? Of course, the teacher is WAY out of line....but if YOUR kid is going to need years of therapy for being called STUPID....you're going to have a HELL of a lot more problems on your hands in the future...
My kids wouldn't have thought twice about it.
Posted at 11:10AM on Mar 2nd 2008 by Meli
709. i used to teach, and it was wonderful to do, but I ran into some horrible teachers, like this one, and i quit my job over it. Yes, it's stressful, yes it's underappreciated, but for God's sake, you signed up for it! what, u didn't know the pay wasn't in the millions? a teacher's position is unique, and very influential. If you can't hack it,be honest with yourself about it, and leave.
Posted at 11:39AM on Mar 2nd 2008 by krissy
710. I believe in discipline and teachers being strict in school, but there's no room for demeaning a 4 year old child. A lot of this probably could have been avoided if parents would discipline their kids at home. It's not the teachers' job to teach children manners and respect. "Timeouts" are for lazy parents who end up getting run over by their kids. "Spare the rod and spoil the child" and "Any one who spoils their child, hates their child", for those who believe in the Bible.
Posted at 12:14PM on Mar 2nd 2008 by jamie p.
711. I don't think that anyone should be sticking up for that teacher. If she can't handle the kids, she shouldn't be a teacher! That teacher shouldn't be allowed to teach, they shouldn't just "reassign" her. What are they going to do, put her as a teacher somewhere else? It's not going to change what she does!
Posted at 12:17PM on Mar 2nd 2008 by elli
712. #615 - Emmaline
I would LOVE a camera in my classroom so parents could see how their children act. So student #1's parents can see how he randomly gets up and sits on or humps girls in the classroom (yet he's never been suspended for it), or how about student #2 who randomly gets up and runs out of the room is he recognizes someone in the hall (and this is with me keeping the door closed so it's harder for him to see students passing) or on the days where i leave the door open and he screams out to people in the hall. The camera should have sound too! so the parents could hear the foul language they use with each other, whether it be cursing or sexual {i'm talking about 14 year olds not 4 year olds, but i've seen and heard about them acting this way for years, it stems from somewhere, if nobody puts you in your place you'll never learn). Oh and then there is J******* who would on a daily basis make fun of D**** because D**** stutters (he would actually mimic his stuttering sometimes) he would also insult his intelligence, his clothes, his haircut, anything he could comment on, he did. The worse discipline J******* ever endured was sitting in my department chair's office. The administration NEVER did anything further b/c his mom was a loudmouth and would defend her son to the grave (of cours he was a PERFECT ANGEL in her eyes). Don't get the wrong idea about my classroom, this doesnt happen in all of my classes. I just have a very bad mix of kids in 1 of my 5 classes this year. Although i haven't snapped like this teacher, because of my 1 class this year, I 100% understand that it can happen. I don't think I would actually snap the way this woman did, but who knows what tricks my kids have up their sleeves.
Unfortunatly parents get their way too often when they shouldn't, students who are unruly, no matter how loud their parents are, should be desciplined. Parents also need to accept when their students are bad, b/c they're just ruining their lives by teaching them it's acceptable behavior. In the real world when they have jobs, their behavior will not be tolerated. If children were disciplined properly at home, we wouldn't have these issues in the schools.
I'm sure this situation NEVER would have gotten that bad if parents of the majority of those students raised them properly. Children need to be taught which behaviors are right and wrong at home, by their parents from day 1. They can understand from a very young age and they do learn how to behave.
I can tell you with my 16 month old godson. His mother is changing careers and taking classes for the next 16 months. Her aunts (who are retired) alternate watching him every month. Both are equally loving and wonderful woman, but one gives in to the tiniest cry from him, and the other is stern. During the months when the easy Aunt has him, he has a lot more bratty moments, he cries and screams when things don't go his way, whether it be simply b/c his toy got stuck somewhere or b/c you won't let him eat or touch something that he shouldn't. He's very bright, he knows the word "no" but he's very deffient b/c easy Aunt will give in to his cries, or if it's something she can't give in to, she'll give him a reward like a cookie. So, during that month when anyone else tries actually being stern with him, he has a fit b/c he's used to getting his way. But, when the stern Aunt watches him, he is sooooo well behaved (after the week or so that it takes to get him out of the bad behaviors he was conditioned to have). He's so happy with her too. I'm telling you, she is just as loving, but he knows that if she says "no" to something, or guides him away from someplace he shouldn't be, she won't give in to his cries. She might try to distract him with another activity, but she won't give in and let him do something that he's not supposed to do. If he cries, he cries, she's not going to give him a cookie to cheer him up. He soon catches on and (re)learns how things are going to go and pretty much always behaves. He's still a child, and will cry and scream at times, but it's less often and for shorter periods of time.
He's a very good baby in general, but he's very smart already and he KNOWS he can get away with murder with the easy Aunt and pushes his limits and gets his way. If a 16 month old acts this way already. Imagine what 4 or 5 year olds that have no discipline at home may do in a classroom with 20-30 other classmates!
Posted at 4:05PM on Mar 2nd 2008 by jean
713. #620 onnie
You're also not expected to try to educate your customers, or the customers around them while they treat you like crap. You take what abuse they give you, they probably get a coupon for treating YOU badly (notice this whole "rewards for acting badly" starts with parents when you're in school and then continues as an expectation when you encounter them in your store or wherever), but atleast you probably don't have to see them ever again. Although she shouldn't have used the word stupid, she's not as bad as many people on here are trying to make her seem.
I repeat - If you're not a teacher, you have no idea, and you never will know what it's like.
Posted at 4:16PM on Mar 2nd 2008 by jean
714. I had that happen to my daughter when she was 10, Well I went to the School and put the teacher in her place. I told her if she ever did that to my daughter again I would see her again off School property and handle it my self, Well it worked because she never did it again.
Posted at 4:44PM on Mar 2nd 2008 by Roxie
715. jamie p
Are you an idiot.
Posted at 4:54PM on Mar 2nd 2008 by Roxie
716. STUPID STUPID TEACHERS..!!!
Posted at 5:30PM on Mar 2nd 2008 by AB3L
717. By using the tape recorder, they violated Federal wiretap laws and can be subject to legal action. The tape cannot be used.. well, maybe in Texas it can.
Posted at 5:44PM on Mar 2nd 2008 by Howard
718. I noticed most of the comments complaining about the teacher were full of threats and emotion. Try to be rational and give it some thought before you speak. Teachers get the blame for social problems. The kids are with the teacher only 6 hrs a day and with us the rest of the time. Who is the problem when the kid is a brat? It's not the teachers it's the kids themselves and the parents for not teaching them to accept responsibility for their own behavior. By the way I've seen many of you drive and thats an example of what you are teaching your kids.
Posted at 5:45PM on Mar 2nd 2008 by jim
719. I am both a teacher and a parent who is in this same situation with my eight year old daughter's teacher. I am torn because on one hand I know how stressful teaching can be, but I also know that when you destroy a child's love of learning at such an early age, it's heartbreaking. For the teachers out there who are awesome and truly enjoy kids, they know that although we might have days when we're grumpy (just like most people), we also balance it with days of joy and excitement for the kids. I just truly believe that if you do not get or give any joy as a teacher, you should look for something that would fit you better.
Posted at 5:58PM on Mar 2nd 2008 by jbirdy101@aol.com
720. Recordings listened to at different times could reveal many things out of context. Did anyone see why? Teachers also deal with kids who cannot be controlled by their lax parents who spoil and indulge them. I have worked with kids. Some are relentless in how they hit and treat their peers. Many talk back, use vulgarities even in Kindergarten! Just having a tape recording; illegally produced if I may add; as the teacher's consent was not given. The teacher was rather harsh, no doubt, but it sounds like there are problems in the classroom!
Also, some of the contributors to this forum need to go back to school as their grammar is poor and highly flawed. One should never write "it's illegal to record someone's conversation without their consent".
Correct English is "it's illegal to record someones's conversation without his or her consent". A person is not referred to as "their" (plural). I am a teacher, by the way and try to refrain from using the words "stupid", etc, in reference to any student, but many of you out there need to remember that teaching is a difficult job. Many students today are very rude and will not listen when told what to do.
Also, the fact that a few parents wrote in the quotes above that they would use violence against an educator just shows the irony of their "justice" in return.
Parents bring your children up properly so an adult does not have to get so angry! The teacher needs help in managing her anger for sure, though.
Posted at 5:59PM on Mar 2nd 2008 by John