(no subject)

[x-beast.livejournal.com]

I have been trying to come up with an eloquent, well-reasoned post which makes my points in an articulate and inarguable fashion.

It's now very late and I haven't managed, so here goes.

I am, to put it mildly, very concerned about the near-total lack of response to Manuel's threats against the student body as a group, and those currently in distress in particular. One of our students threatened the others, openly and, so far as I could tell, seriously. We, the staff, did not intervene, nor did we inform him that his behaviour was unacceptable. Scott's offer to take him into the city was certainly a good idea, but I'm concerned that he may have construed it as a form of tacit approval for his insistence that others resolve his problems for him, absolving him of responsibility for his own difficulties.

On a larger scale, I have for some time been noticing a distinct trend among the students towards... not independence, which is in itself a good thing, but towards overconfidence. A lack of discipline, and of respect for the staff. While I am glad that they feel able to assert themselves, this particular means of doing so will not help them in the outside world, save to speedy disciplinary action by an assortment of unforgiving authority figures.

In short... I think we should tighten the reins a little. Remind them that while the school is a haven, it is not a refuge from the necessity to behave like civilized beings, human or otherwise. Thoughts, anyone?

It may be better coming from someone else, but someone must address the issue of Manuel's behaviour, and I will do so if no-one else is so inclined.

Comments

Here's the problem, Hank...

[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

I could have called Manuel on the carpet, yes. Fairly easily. I contemplated doing that before I offered him the escape for the afternoon. But given how much he was struggling with control yesterday and how easily more stress could have precipitated an actual incident rather than just alarming bluster, I decided that the better option was to exercise some damage control, defuse the situation, and let Charles handle the lecturing after the fact.

Perceptions are important, particularly in the long-term, but given the choice between having to change perceptions after the fact and having an alpha-class empath go out of control in the middle of the school right there, I opted to prevent the potential havoc. Which, I feel obligated to point out, could have led to long-term damage of a much more serious sort.

Furthermore, it's all well and good to say that we should tighten the reins, Hank - and thank you for implying that I've failed so singularly in my disciplinarian role - but how about some concrete suggestions?

Re: Here's the problem, Hank...

[x-beast.livejournal.com]

You have a point, Scott. Moving him away from the school was the first priority. (One of the many reasons why you are a team-leader and I am not - your tactical skills far outweigh mine) I am still concerned that, instead of attempting to avoid the general miasma of anger and distress, he sought to heighten it, but you're right... right then wasn't the best time to discuss it.

I didn't mean to imply that you had failed singularly in your disciplinarian role, Scott... You aren't the only teacher on the premises, and I know I, for one, have let slip things that I shouldn't have. We have failed - if we have failed, instead of simply erring on the side of leniency - as a group.

As for concrete suggestions - I think reinstituting the use of detention, and perhaps having repeated swearing at and threatening of teachers add a black mark to the permanent record of the offender, as it would anywhere but here, might be a good start. Otherwise college is going to come as something of a shock.

What concerns me, Scott, is that while the students are safe here, to speak and act as they please, they will not be so safe elsewhere. We have done our best to instil confidence and good self-esteem, and those are good things... but so are caution and civility. And the knowledge that bad behaviour will bring consequences.

[x-kylun.livejournal.com]

With respect, Dr. McCoy, I am not sure I see the all-pervading discipline problem you protest. True, the students here are much more volatile than those I remember from the monastery--but for each of those few who acted in outrage yesterday, I saw several whose only thought was to soothe the argument, bring sense to the discussion, or if nothing else, to take themselves elsewhere until the storm passed, so as not to be caught up in it. Yes, Jay was angry, but Scott asked immediately to speak with him--I hope that went well? Yes, Forge was disrespectful, but from what I have seen, the fierceness with which he holds his principles is exceeded only by his inexperience at tempering his words. Jean maintained her own calm throughout, and since the discussion on the journals has ended without shouting or slamming of doors, I would venture to say that problem has been resolved as well.

Manuel was wrong to say what he did, I will agree, and Danielle was equally wrong to encourage him--but I suspect it was an empty threat. Manuel is impulsive, but I have faith that the Professor has made clear to him what consequences would result if he ever attempted to carry out such a threat--and that Manuel is intelligent enough to realize that those consequences would be enforced.

Again, with respect, I fear that you are perhaps concentrating too heavily on the negative aspects of yesterday's argument, and too little on the positive, and that perhaps you are tarring the students with too wide a brush thereby. If we speak of disciplining Manuel and others for heightening the tension, should we not also speak of rewarding those like Marie-Ange and Doug, who did their best to restrain their fellows?

[x-polarisstar.livejournal.com]

Kylun, it isn't an empty threat when he's done it before.

[x-kylun.livejournal.com]

Perhaps I misjudged him, then. But I think my point regarding the other students still has merit.

[x-beast.livejournal.com]

It wasn't only the events of yesterday that prompted my post, Kylun... Although I may have overreacted a little yesterday - someone who clearly sees nothing wrong with his intentions threatening the students under my care will do that - I have had other confrontations with students in the last few months that have left me concerned. Many of them simply do not listen to us, believing it unnecessary since, of course, they as teenagers know everything it could possibly be necessary to know. That worries me a great deal.

[x-kylun.livejournal.com]

Our experiences with the students would seem to differ considerably, then.