...but I want to make a few comments in regards to the Winnipeg Free Press article about the students who could possibly be punished for recording two teachers taking part in a lap dance at Churchill High School during a spirit event. I will not use the names of the teachers (because I feel they have received enough media attention). I feel the students should not be penalized for their actions, and would like to take a moment to explain why this is my opinion.
I checked this morning, and there are two videos of the incident on YouTube. The first has 69,695 views, and the second 17,064 views. By this time, most people in Winnipeg (and Canada, North America, and other parts of the world) have heard about the lap dance. The teachers have been suspended with pay - as of Feb. 19 - and no final decisions regarding their fate have been made. Now, instead of allowing the issue to become yesterday's news and focus on more important issues - such as the earthquake in Chile - it is being dredged up again as talk about seeking disciplinary action against the students who posted the videos has become public.
The Winnipeg School Division has a zero-tolerance policy on the use of cellphones, cameras, and other recording devices. I know all about this rule, as I was once a high school student in Winnipeg myself. I feel the students who posted the videos should have gone to the school principal with any comments and/or concerns about the lap dance, instead of posting it online for everyone to see. But, they put it online, and probably did so to be funny or to showcase the antics of their educators. I don't agree with the way the video was released, but no one can do anything about it now.
With that being said, I don't agree with talk about disciplining the students for this action. If a student caught a teacher on camera using CPR techniques to save a student, and posted that, I highly doubt we would be having this conversation. Or, if a student videotaped a violent act (heaven forbid) that helped find answers, I find it hard to believe they would be reprimanded. The reason why there is talk about the students violation of the policy is a direct result of the nature of the video. I believe a stern discussion with school administration should suffice, and I am sure a conversation - or multiple conversations - has already taken place. The students who posted the video need to understand that the way they went about releasing the video was wrong. But, I don't think stronger actions need to be taken against them.
Is it really worth continuing to talk about? The teachers at Churchill High School know by now that what they did was wrong. And, by students videotaping the incident, the teachers were caught. Would it not be better to decide whether or not they are allowed to continue teaching, and drop the subject altogether? I know that policies are put in place for a reason, and I understand that the school board is doing what they feel they must to ensure the policies are upheld, but disciplining the students will only give people more to talk about. It will also raise questions about whether or not schools are hiding any other inappropriate conduct that simply hasn't been caught on tape. I believe we should just let it go, and move on with our lives.
To end this post, I will not be including a link to the video. If you are interested in watching it, do so. It is on YouTube.
This age of instant information for the masses is getting a bit scary. How many of us has done something less than smart in the past and are heaving a sigh of relief that way back then there were no cell phones with video camers, no You Tube, ... you get the point. Those 2 teachers did a dumb thing, I'm sure they realize that now ("Seemed like a good idea at the time... we'll win this dance off!")but enough is enough. Sanction them, put a reprimand on their record, whatever, then let them get on with life. The public humiliation they are going through seems to be enough punishment. For a very long time they'll be greated with "Oh! Aren't you the teacher.....!"
ReplyDeleteI believe that the students should be reprimanded. Should this still be reported as top news in the paper.. no. But what the students did in my mind is worse then what the teachers did. It was an invasion of privacy and unfortunately, a direct result of posting the video has been to severely impact these teachers careers. Videotaping in schools is a larger issue then having two young teachers make a harmless mistake. What the teachers did had absolutely no impact on the studens wellbeing but did have an impact on their professional code of conduct. The students actions have had a larger effect on the wellbeing of the teachers and the community as a whole, and I think it needs to be clear that posting videos to a public forum is a big step. Forethought and the permission of the individuals in the video need to be considered when posting.
ReplyDelete