Has the city lost it's mind...

ifiddles said:
We had a padded room as well for a student many years ago...we've turned it into a sensory room for students with ASD and any other child who requires a quiet calming place...a

A friend of mine has been punched several times since school began and she's had to evacuate the classroom on multiple occasions because of one child who loses control and throws chairs, etc around the room...no identification and no support...I've heard of one teacher who has 3 such students in her class and even though she has an EA, she too has been punched, spit at, chairs thrown, evacuations and one child even drew a picture of how they would kill her...and don't get me started on some of the behaviours I've heard about in the kindergarten realm where there can be up to 30 children with 2 adults...

But DoFo/Lecce both say there's no increase in violent incidences and they refuse to give us proper supports...

So, police having to use a taser on a 12 year old...good on them I say...

Things will only get worse if this doesn't get fixed and fixed now...
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For 30+ years, I coached children in youth sports. In many years I spent over a thousand hours with of my teams - that’s more hours a year than a teacher would be in the classroom.

It’s not uncommon for youth coaches to get the toughest, most undisciplined kids - sports has long been a ‘prescription’ to adhd and just about every antisocial behaviour.

Youth coaches can get very good at managing difficult children, and their often difficult parents. IMHO much better than a lot of teachers I have met.

Dealing with difficult kids and parents isn’t easy, but it is a skill.
 
Mad Mike said:
For 30+ years, I coached children in youth sports. In many years I spent over a thousand hours with of my teams - that’s more hours a year than a teacher would be in the classroom.

It’s not uncommon for youth coaches to get the toughest, most undisciplined kids - sports has long been a ‘prescription’ to adhd and just about every antisocial behaviour.

Youth coaches can get very good at managing difficult children, and their often difficult parents. IMHO much better than a lot of teachers I have met.

Dealing with difficult kids and parents isn’t easy, but it is a skill.
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+1 AND THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE lol

My family ran summer camps back when i was a preteen/early teen and we saw a good deal of those kids too.

My kid honestly without his 4-5 hours of structured activity per week will become a mess and funny enough, his gymnastics coach was laughing at the fact that we had a "behavioural plan" saying that he "was on several behavioural plans himself when he was younger"

A lot of kids (esp boys, dare i say) aren't wired to sit for 6-7 hours per day at a desk.
 
LePhillou said:
+1 AND THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE lol

My family ran summer camps back when i was a preteen/early teen and we saw a good deal of those kids too.

My kid honestly without his 4-5 hours of structured activity per week will become a mess and funny enough, his gymnastics coach was laughing at the fact that we had a "behavioural plan" saying that he "was on several behavioural plans himself when he was younger"

A lot of kids (esp boys, dare i say) aren't wired to sit for 6-7 hours per day at a desk.
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I used to do an experiment each fall during training camp. After 2 weeks, (5 or 6) sessions I'd hold a mock vote for captains. The troublemakers always won - kids envy that behaviour, and the troublemakers crave the attention.

After 15 sessions together with discipline coming together, the kids weren't looking up to the clowns, and the clowns were behaving as they certainly weren't craving the negative attention.

I was lucky to have access to a few wize coaches, early in my career I was having a few beers with John Anderson, a successful player and coach, he told me "kids and puppies behavior depends on 3 things. 1) they need to know the rules, 2) they need to know who enforces them, 3)the need to know they are always enforced.

If one of those three things is missing, expect them to chew your slippers and piss on your carpets.
 
@Mad Mike I agree and disagree with your analogy...on a sports team, if a kid acts up enough and the misbehaviour continues, they can always be kicked off or out of the league...in school, especially for those under grade 3, we can't kick them out...we can't even suspend them as per the MOE...

however, I do agree with your friend's ideas of the 3 things behaviour is dependent on...just keep in mind there's always exceptions to the rules...
 
ifiddles said:
@Mad Mike I agree and disagree with your analogy...on a sports team, if a kid acts up enough and the misbehaviour continues, they can always be kicked off or out of the league...in school, especially for those under grade 3, we can't kick them out...we can't even suspend them as per the MOE...

however, I do agree with your friend's ideas of the 3 things behaviour is dependent on...just keep in mind there's always exceptions to the rules...
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The available tools are different, and I agree there are always exceptions. Youre right, kids can be kicked out, of a team or league, but it rarely happens.

Are these your rules? School suspensions and expulsions

They look pretty close to what most sports organizations would follow.
 
Mad Mike said:
The available tools are different, and I agree there are always exceptions. Youre right, kids can be kicked out, of a team or league, but it rarely happens.

Are these your rules? School suspensions and expulsions

They look pretty close to what most sports organizations would follow.
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yup, but they only apply to students in grades 4 and up...it's the students under grade 3 that get away with it only because the majority of the time parents are in denial and refuse to acknowledge that there's a problem because 'little Johnny doesn't act that way at home'...yeah right...
 
ifiddles said:
yup, but they only apply to students in grades 4 and up...it's the students under grade 3 that get away with it only because the majority of the time parents are in denial and refuse to acknowledge that there's a problem because 'little Johnny doesn't act that way at home'...yeah right...
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It's funny/weird because i was having that exact same conversation with a grade 3 teacher only 2 days ago! It's a mixed bag of parent denial, parent guilt, lack of proper coping mechanism (whether because of lack of funding to get help or the very first denial issue)... heck sometimes the parents will encourage the behavior, lack of resources to assist the teachers in a system that prioritizes inclusion over function.

Let's just say i don't envy today's teachers with a lot less tools but a lot more to deal with.
 
ifiddles said:
yup, but they only apply to students in grades 4 and up...it's the students under grade 3 that get away with it only because the majority of the time parents are in denial and refuse to acknowledge that there's a problem because 'little Johnny doesn't act that way at home'...yeah right...
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I get it, parents see their own kids through a different lens, it's a lot rosier than what teachers, coaches and other parents see.
I think the better youth coaches learn and use better strategy and techniques than do teachers. I know that's a broad generalization, but I come to that conclusion after decades of working with kids, and mentoring coaches who happened to be teachers.

Some of the most impactful strategies for troubled kids involve collaboration, team goals, responsibility, and learning geared toward individual strengths and weaknesses. I've haven't met very many teachers that can even discuss this stuff, let alone put it into practice. But I have met a few, and they were all exceptional coaches!
 
Mad Mike said:
I get it, parents see their own kids through a different lens, it's a lot rosier than what teachers, coaches and other parents see.
I think the better youth coaches learn and use better strategy and techniques than do teachers. I know that's a broad generalization, but I come to that conclusion after decades of working with kids, and mentoring coaches who happened to be teachers.

Some of the most impactful strategies for troubled kids involve collaboration, team goals, responsibility, and learning geared toward individual strengths and weaknesses. I've haven't met very many teachers that can even discuss this stuff, let alone put it into practice. But I have met a few, and they were all exceptional coaches!
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what you're describing is called differentiated instruction and I know quite a few teachers who are well versed in a variety of strategies to help students be successful...one of the problems in our school system is class sizes...for example, grades 1-3 have 'caps' (in quotes because they are basically imaginary although the MOE likes to think it's a hard cap) of 20, but remember, they're not very independent and a lot of them require tons of repetition, refocusing, one on one direction...class sizes in 4-8 have no caps, so you could have 30 or even more...throw in some exceptionalities like ADHD, LD, ASD, ODD, etc. and that makes it very difficult for us to do our jobs properly...

I agree that collaboration, responsibility and team goals are all great skills to teach (similar to our learning skills of responsibility, organization, independent work, collaboration, initiative and self regulation), but again, try doing that with 30 4&5 year olds (kindergarten)...

Not saying that coaching isn't tough, and thank you for volunteering your time, it's just different in that you also don't have a curriculum that you have to teach and adhere to on top of everything else...I'm doing the Early French Immersion program this year and spend half my day with a straight grade 2 class and half the day with a 1/2 split...41 students in total this year...I'm responsible for math, language (reading, writing, oral and media) and religion (I'm with a Catholic board)...there's so little time and so much to teach, that having to constantly stop due to misbehaviour, means I won't be able to get through it all...not to mention kids in grade 2 who can't read, can't write their names, etc. means I generally have 6-7 kids at my small group table throughout the day that need my 'individual' attention in order to get anything done (scribing, reading the question to them etc.)...

Don't get me wrong, I love my vocation, but it is very challenging and I think a lot of our societal woes start at a very early age and if teachers were taken more seriously by parents and doctors alike, a lot could be done in the early years to help these individuals become contributing members of society...

Rant over :D
 
There has been talk here about the strap in school, then & now. Found this from a Scarborough newspaper, July 1971...STRAP.jpg
 
ifiddles said:
what you're describing is called differentiated instruction and I know quite a few teachers who are well versed in a variety of strategies to help students be successful...one of the problems in our school system is class sizes...for example, grades 1-3 have 'caps' (in quotes because they are basically imaginary although the MOE likes to think it's a hard cap) of 20, but remember, they're not very independent and a lot of them require tons of repetition, refocusing, one on one direction...class sizes in 4-8 have no caps, so you could have 30 or even more...throw in some exceptionalities like ADHD, LD, ASD, ODD, etc. and that makes it very difficult for us to do our jobs properly...

I agree that collaboration, responsibility and team goals are all great skills to teach (similar to our learning skills of responsibility, organization, independent work, collaboration, initiative and self regulation), but again, try doing that with 30 4&5 year olds (kindergarten)...

Not saying that coaching isn't tough, and thank you for volunteering your time, it's just different in that you also don't have a curriculum that you have to teach and adhere to on top of everything else...I'm doing the Early French Immersion program this year and spend half my day with a straight grade 2 class and half the day with a 1/2 split...41 students in total this year...I'm responsible for math, language (reading, writing, oral and media) and religion (I'm with a Catholic board)...there's so little time and so much to teach, that having to constantly stop due to misbehaviour, means I won't be able to get through it all...not to mention kids in grade 2 who can't read, can't write their names, etc. means I generally have 6-7 kids at my small group table throughout the day that need my 'individual' attention in order to get anything done (scribing, reading the question to them etc.)...

Don't get me wrong, I love my vocation, but it is very challenging and I think a lot of our societal woes start at a very early age and if teachers were taken more seriously by parents and doctors alike, a lot could be done in the early years to help these individuals become contributing members of society...

Rant over :D
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I should make it clear I'm talking about competitive coaches. No disrespect to rec coaches.

Same kids, same challenges... then add 30+ parents present, 1/2 yelling, screaming, and actively trying to teach things contrary. Neither is easy. Both have good and bad people, both put in the same hours in a year (~1000/hrs for hockey).

There are differences. Poor coaches don't survive. The pay scale is different, coaches do have more authority over their charges, coaches manage their workload on top of full time jobs.

Coaches do follow a curriculum, it not like gym class, players are evaluated, individually planned, routinely assessed on a range of skills, behaviours (individual and interpersonal), decision making and general understanding of the game. Unlike school, coaches generally provide individualized development plans & goals, then manage to them.

I'm not trying to say coaches are better than teacher. I do know coaches are usually able to manage kids that teachers can't ...that might suggest teachers learn the same practical solutions coaches learn.
 
Mad Mike said:
For 30+ years, I coached children in youth sports. In many years I spent over a thousand hours with of my teams - that’s more hours a year than a teacher would be in the classroom.

It’s not uncommon for youth coaches to get the toughest, most undisciplined kids - sports has long been a ‘prescription’ to adhd and just about every antisocial behaviour.

Youth coaches can get very good at managing difficult children, and their often difficult parents. IMHO much better than a lot of teachers I have met.

Dealing with difficult kids and parents isn’t easy, but it is a skill.
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A Christian missionary I knew said a lot of parents with troublesome children sent them to Christian schools for the discipline. So many did it that some Christian schools had more drug problems than the public system.

I like John Anderson's three rules. "kids and puppies behavior depends on 3 things. 1) they need to know the rules, 2) they need to know who enforces them, 3)the need to know they are always enforced."

Unfortunately, if the rules at home don't match the ones at school, rule 3 doesn't happen. It's double bad if the parents are divorced and going through a custody battle, trying to out do each other in the generosity battle.
 
"Bombs" going off in Barrie this morning. First explosion just after 02:30. Didn't sound like a gas explosion or firearm. Similar to kicking a metal garbage can with some added boom. Cops closed down the entire area. Second explosion less than an hour ago (maybe triggered by cops?).

As usual Barrie police are providing timely quality information. /s They never do that. They could re-use the same press release for everything and just point to the sign "police activity in the area of ... developing situation. More info later" (and later never comes).

EDIT:
Very very unofficially there were three bombs all related to one person (not sure if that was the builder or the target). In their car, front door and apartment. Not sure which one went off first or whether that was intentional. No word of any injuries.

EDIT 2:

toronto.citynews.ca

Vehicle explosion confirmed in Barrie parking lot, improvised explosive device located

Investigators arrived at the Anne Street and Edgehill Drive area in Barrie shortly after 3 a.m. on Wednesday after receiving 9-1-1 calls.
toronto.citynews.ca toronto.citynews.ca
 
Last edited:
GreyGhost said:
"Bombs" going off in Barrie this morning. First explosion just after 02:30. Didn't sound like a gas explosion or firearm. Similar to kicking a metal garbage can with some added boom. Cops closed down the entire area. Second explosion less than an hour ago (maybe triggered by cops?).

As usual Barrie police are providing timely quality information. /s They never do that. They could re-use the same press release for everything and just point to the sign "police activity in the area of ... developing situation. More info later" (and later never comes).

EDIT:
Very very unofficially there were three bombs all related to one person (not sure if that was the builder or the target). In their car, front door and apartment. Not sure which one went off first or whether that was intentional. No word of any injuries.

EDIT 2:

toronto.citynews.ca

Vehicle explosion confirmed in Barrie parking lot, improvised explosive device located

Investigators arrived at the Anne Street and Edgehill Drive area in Barrie shortly after 3 a.m. on Wednesday after receiving 9-1-1 calls.
toronto.citynews.ca toronto.citynews.ca
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www.cp24.com

Police detonate improvised explosive device found near site of vehicle explosion in Barrie parking lot

No injuries were reported after an improvised explosive device placed on a vehicle in the parking lot of a residential building in Barrie exploded overnight, police say.
www.cp24.com www.cp24.com
 
ToSlow said:
We used to get the the strap yardstick and pointer.

What ever the principle or teacher had in their hands
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My worst memories were the Pointer, probably because that's the one you got in the early grades.

My school didn't use the strap till grade 6, by then it wasn't enough to draw a tear.
 
Had one teacher that took three 12" rulers and taped them together. 4 inches of tape forming the handle, the two outside ones were soaked in water and curved so they were bent outwards when assembled. It was like getting hit 3 times each swipe. Cunning bastard.
 
FullMotoJacket said:
Had one teacher that took three 12" rulers and taped them together. 4 inches of tape forming the handle, the two outside ones were soaked in water and curved so they were bent outwards when assembled. It was like getting hit 3 times each swipe. Cunning bastard.
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Ok. I had one that did all that then put treble hooks in the end and instead of water, used bleach to soak the curved ends.
 
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