Robyn, Reader's Comment, Teacher entry ranking tumbles, Benjamin Preiss and Craig Butt, 18 January 2013 Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/data-point/teacher-entry-ranking-tumbles-20130117-2cwb5.html#ixzz2j281DDZI Historical link preserved from the original page.
Teachers have their lives destroyed by children's 'silly pranks'.
This is an example of how easily a teacher's health and career can be destroyed by a child's 'silly prank'.
The child then walks away and hardly remembers the incident.
On March 4, 2009, Mooroopna Secondary College teacher Suzanne May Tyson, 54, was teaching in the library when then 16-year-old student Adam Tyler Dorsett held a replica gun to her head in close proximity.
Ms Tyson believed the $2 plastic gun pointed at her was real.
Adam Dorsett pulled the trigger.
After pulling the trigger, Mr Dorset fled from the library.
But then he returned and verbally threatened the terrified teacher.
Suzanne Tyson allegedly suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression as a result of the incident, and has been unable to return to work.
She claims that the incident rendered her incapable of any employment, perhaps indefinitely.
Ms Tyson had been employed as a full-time leading teacher at the central Victorian school since 1992.
She earned $72,000 a year.
Ms Tyson is claiming loss of earnings - either with the school or in alternative full-time employment - and superannuation.
She claims the school was negligent or breached the duty of care owed to her by failing to provide a safe workplace, adequate security or responding sufficiently to the incident.
Adam Dorsett, now 19, was unaware of the legal proceedings when approached by the Herald Sun on 17 February 2013.
The Shepparton labourer said it was a stupid prank involving a toy gun that went wrong.
"I'm really sorry for what I did - I was 16 and stupid, " Mr Dorsett said.
I thought it was a prank, just a funny joke.
He said he didn't want to talk about the incident in further detail because he did not want to get himself in trouble.
It is believed Mr Dorsett was expelled from the school following the incident.
The case will be heard by a judge in the Victorian Supreme Court.
Teacher sues Education Department, ex-pupil over toy gun prank, Emily Portelli, Katie Bice, The Herald Sun, 18 February 2013: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/teacher-sues-education-department-ex-pupil-over-toy-gun-prank/story-fnat79vb-1226579818092 Historical link preserved from the original page.
I left teaching and went back to my old job - where no-one tells me to F--- Off.
It takes more than great marks to be a great teacher.
I graduated in the top 10 per cent of the state in my HSC many years ago, and achieved HDs in all subjects in my Education Grad Dip, and this did not help me one iota in dealing with the reality of classroom teaching.
I taught for four years, mainly in disadvantaged areas as a casual teacher, taking on short "postings" where available.
As a casual, you aren't offered mentoring at all.
You have to stumble your way through it all yourself, which is extremely difficult in the face of student behaviours you wouldn't believe until you see them yourself.
The support I was offered was zero.
The expectation is that you just suck it up.
Well, after four years, I concluded it just wasn't worth the effort.
I returned to my former occupation on similar money for much less stress.
And no one ever tells me to F--- Off.