Am I crazy to have students pick me up lunch and bring it back? Other teachers think I am crazy but I have a couple student I give them money as they leave 4th period (open campus for seniors) and they return at the end of 5th for my 6th period lunch. Today was tots and a hot dog from Sonic.

Too trusting. When I was in school my teacher left her coffee unattended. Kids dumped white-out into her coffee. I had to warn her before she drank it.

I'm a high school teacher and I do this all the time. So no.

Too trusting. When I was in school my teacher left her coffee unattended. Kids dumped white-out into her coffee. I had to warn her before she drank it.

 

snitches get stiches bruh

 

 

JK

I feel it really depends on what kind of relationship you have with said students.

As long as there's no perceived favoritism shown to the students that do that....and you might want to think about paying for gas/transport/"tip" if the student does it on a more regular basis.

 

At international schools in China, it's even trickier, because you get invited out by students and their parents all the time. A lot of teachers accept these free lunches and dinners, and they also give a number of expensive gifts as well (usually to female teachers).

 

Slippery slope.

Edited May 6, 201510 yr by caulfield12

How would you fail to notice white out in coffee, of all things

That is cruel. I feel like you'd end up on the news for that now a days.

 

 

This. You've been dealing with kids long enough where you know who you can trust. Worst case you're out 5-10 dollars.

 

Worst case is probably more like explosive diarrhea in front of his entire class

As long as there's no perceived favoritism shown to the students that do that....and you might want to think about paying for gas/transport/"tip" if the student does it on a more regular basis.

 

At international schools in China, it's even trickier, because you get invited out by students and their parents all the time. A lot of teachers accept these free lunches and dinners, and they also give a number of expensive gifts as well (usually to female teachers).

 

Slippery slope.

 

I always have them keep the change.

 

My wife teaches at a very expensive private school. The gifts there are very nice. I did prove to her though that the $5 Starbucks card I was given one year was actually a bigger gift that the $50 Outback card she received. $5 from migrant parents living on the edge of poverty is a much more meaningful gift than $50 from a Doctor and Lawyer couple (at least to me).

Too trusting. When I was in school my teacher left her coffee unattended. Kids dumped white-out into her coffee. I had to warn her before she drank it.

 

2 thoughts...

 

1) What evil students. I never saw anyone do that kind of stuff to any of my teachers.

2) Way to snitch! You must have spent the rest of that day stuffed in your locker, NERD!

In the KCMO SD, they locked a very old teacher in the closet and set the chemistry lab on fire with Bunsen burners.

I feel it really depends on what kind of relationship you have with said students.

 

 

 

which is why I wouldnt do it. seems like it'd be too buddy-buddy.

 

 

 

we had a closed HS campus but the guard would let kids drive off campus for lunch if you brought her a Frosty or something.

which is why I wouldnt do it. seems like it'd be too buddy-buddy.

 

 

 

we had a closed HS campus but the guard would let kids drive off campus for lunch if you brought her a Frosty or something.

 

\We have an open campus for seniors. I hadn't considered the buddy-buddy aspect. I do tend to be "buddies" with a lot of students so I guess I never really worried about that. I'm the teacher that is invited to quinceañeras, wedding, graduations, etc. I never thought of that as a bad thing.

Anything to show you're a real person to your students helps. Some teachers miss that point and get too worried about discipline and grades. The things you can teach a student who likes and respects you are much more important than the disciplinarian teacher going by the book. I think a lot of teachers lose perspective of how they appear to kids because they've become frustrated by bad students. So, yeah, if they're willing, have them grab you lunch and tip them for it.

Anything to show you're a real person to your students helps. Some teachers miss that point and get too worried about discipline and grades. The things you can teach a student who likes and respects you are much more important than the disciplinarian teacher going by the book. I think a lot of teachers lose perspective of how they appear to kids because they've become frustrated by bad students. So, yeah, if they're willing, have them grab you lunch and tip them for it.

 

 

It's definitely a double-edged sword because one of the reasons given by administrations here (lack of executive experience...which is a chicken and the egg thing if you don't have a PhD) is that I was "too close" with some of my students and they weren't sure if I could magically transform into Mr. Disciplinarian (which I wouldn't want to) as curriculum coordinator.

 

Of course, the curriculum coordinator isn't even supposed to be in charge of student discipline (like a VP), but why/how Chinese school officials perceive things is beyond me. Actually, since we don't even speak native language and can't communicate with parents very effectively, it's hard for any ex-pat to be a school administrator, other than a principal at an international school with mostly non-Chinese students.