Teaching Thought 107

Teaching Thought #107

Keep a close watch on the pulse of your class.

I don’t know how this teacher didn’t see this coming.

This went viral several years ago. A student, Jeff Bliss, went off on his teacher about her lack of passion and her obsession with ‘freakin’ packets.’

I’m not saying Bliss was in the right. I don’t think anyone should go off on another person this way, but I do think his outburst is worth discussing.

Here is a link to the infamous freak out.

Oddly enough, Bliss has received a lot of support. Not just from fellow students either. But from other teachers.

Now it’s not fair, at least I don’t think it is, to criticize the teacher’s lack of passion as Bliss rants on about her effort and failure to engage her class. We don’t know how long she has been dealing with Bliss or what the dynamics of their relationship are. BUT she should have had a sense that his frustration was building. And in light of the fact that other students were videotaping this, why not seize this moment to have a discussion (or a teachable moment) with Bliss and your entire class about what is really going on here?