Dragnet, Reader's Comment, Teachers are powerless to stop schoolyard violence, N

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Dragnet, Reader's Comment, Teachers are powerless to stop schoolyard violence, NSW High School Teacher, 01 September 2009: http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/teachers-are-powerless-to-stop-schoolyard-violence/ Historical link preserved from the original page.

NSW rookie teacher has rock thrown at her head.

I’m a teacher at a private school.

The reason I have entered the private system is because of my experience working at a public school in Sydney.

My very first appointment, straight out of uni, I was put into a classroom where the kids called me every name under the sun.

One of the girls ran out to chase a 17 year old boy around trying to bash him with a chair - I then had to lockdown my classroom so she couldn’t get back in.

When I told the head teacher, I was told “Oh, that’s just R_____, you did the right thing, just ignore her”.

A few days later, I had a rock thrown at my head, causing a concussion.

The school did absolutely nothing - I told them about the incident and went home.

They kept the class in at recess, asked the person to own up. Nobody did. That was it.

I was physically and psychologically traumatised - I ended up having to go on stress leave as after a week in the school, I could no longer eat or sleep.

I was sent to a DET counsellor. When I told her about my concerns that the classrooms were out of control, that I wasn’t actually teaching, that the head teachers weren’t listening etc, I was told that my expectations were obviously too high, and maybe I should focus on teaching just one student, and ignore the rest.

That was the message being sent by the Department.

I quit, and went to teach out in the country for three terms.

I had an incredible head teacher who taught me everything I needed to know.

I was teaching kids that were just as big and tough, but I could handle them myself (I’m pretty short, only 5 ft 4, so some of these kids were taller than me by a good foot).

When the time came to come back to Sydney, I knew that the private system would be the way for me - I just didn’t trust the department, and I still don’t.