Dear Non-Educators: Be Surprised this Doesn't Happen More Often

Dear Facebook Friends:

You don't have to tag me in the video anymore. I know all about the music teacher at Los Angeles’ Maywood Academy High School who fought the disrespectful 14 year old in his classroom last week.

I stand with that teacher.

The teacher apparently asked the student to leave the classroom for not wearing the proper school uniform. The student followed with a racially charged tirade. The student can be heard saying “you got me f***ed up my nigga.” He also says “you a hoe ass bitch.”

While I've never been in a similar situation as an educator, I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often. That was a grown man, being verbally assaulted by a state-exam tested, coddled, little boy.

Some non-educators will say that grown man, Mr. Marston Riley should've restrained himself. Nothing should've made him lose his cool like that. Let me paint a picture for you.

Mr. Riley is 64-years old, so that means his schooling, his education, his diploma and degrees were all likely earned and not given. Mr. Riley is a teacher in the United States of America, so he is vastly underpaid. He teaches students, many of whom are probably allowed to talk to their parents however they chose. Several of those students fear no repercussions in the home for misbehaving at school.

What we saw on video is not the first time Mr. Riley has dealt with disrespect. He gave the boy the wake up call he needed. Mr. Riley was put in jail and the boy is now a "victim."

Mr. Riley will never teach again and will struggle to find employment, since he was arrested on charges of child abuse. The boy on the other hand, who suffered non-life threatening injuries, was treated and released – will likely be gifted a diploma in a few years, given scholarships to college and allowed to sweep his inappropriate behavior under a permanent rug.

Why do I say given?

His behavior was reprehensible, and if truth be told – should’ve ended his stance in high school. Any student who acts in such a way needs to be dismissed from the traditional learning environment. Neither the educators, nor the good students should have to attend school with children who are so vile and disrespectful.

I’ve seen the comments:

“The teacher should’ve shown more restraint.”

“That was just a child.”

“Teachers have to be held accountable.”

“That boy will be scarred for life.”

Trust me when I tell you, I’m beyond surprised that this doesn’t happen more often. In the “record everything that happens” culture that we currently live in, we would know if it did happen each day. Teachers show a great deal of restraint. Not all actions of disrespect are as blatant as those in this video, but even the subtle challenges add up.

Scenario # 1: The assignment is three pages – the child turns in two paragraphs. The teacher says, “This is incomplete.” The student becomes outraged and responds, “You should be happy I did this,” as he knocks papers from the teacher’s desk.

What do you do non-educator?

Scenario # 2: Class is just starting. Teacher asks students to sit down and work on the warm-up activity. All 37 present students do so immediately. In walks the class clown ten minutes later. Of course he wants all of the attention. “Have a seat Mr. _____,” the teacher (a black man) says calmly to the student. “My nigga, don’t tell me what to do,” the student (Hispanic male) responds.

What do you do non-educator?

Scenario # 3: The class is taking a test. Student A doesn’t know anything about the tested material. She gets up and begins walking out of the room. Mrs. Sanchez, a first year teacher (and a former fitness trainer) attempts to stop her in the doorway and reason with her to just do the best she can on the exam. Student A pushes Mrs. Sanchez out of the way and spits her gum at her, getting the class riled up.

What do you do non-educator?

It is my sincerest belief that some of you non-educators believe teachers to be non-human. You think teachers are paid so much money, that we are able to successfully separate ourselves from the possibility of ever reacting to situations. We’re capable of only responding professionally, right?

While none of the aforementioned scenarios have every happened to me, I know for a fact that similar situations occur each day where you drop your children off for eight hours and then go off to work.

I appreciate each of you wanting my opinion on Mr. Riley’s situation. To make sure we’re clear - I stand with Mr. Riley.

I don’t know the boy’s story. I don’t know about his background. I don’t know if he’s from a third world country and violence is all he’s ever known. I don’t know if he’s a special education student, and what accommodations he may have in his file. I don’t know what may have happened to him in the class before Mr. Riley’s class. I don’t know if he saw his father beating his mother the night before. I don’t know if he didn’t eat breakfast that morning. I don’t know if he has an undiagnosed mental disorder.

None of those things would matter in the real world. Aren’t teachers supposed to assist in molding young people into productive citizens? Aren’t we supposed to encourage their career and/or trade goals, teach them skills and be supportive of their imaginations?

Or are you the non-educator who thinks we’re supposed to always excuse their behaviors because of their country of origin? Are you the non-educator who believes teachers should have breakfast snacks in the classroom each morning, provide the same students with pencils each day, accept incomplete assignments, grade based on effort, excuse every single outburst, tolerate foul and racially offensive language and be bullied?

If your child is like the boy who challenged Mr. Riley and grows up to become a psychopath, a mass murderer or even the workplace assassin – remember when he was arriving at the age of accountability and you excused all of his negative behaviors.

We understand your stance now, Dear Non-Educator. In the midst of all the paperwork, the emotional stresses, the disrespect and the lack of support – NO TEACHER should EVER be caught FIGHTING a student.

-Ari Christine

**And please don’t be the one to ask “why don’t teachers just quit?” I pity the fool who takes me there and is the reason for my next post.