25 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make and How to Avoid Them

Teacher Confessions of Worst Treatment of a Child
Teacher # 36
A Scenario of a Teacher’s Worst Treatment of a Student
I threw a bucket and accidentally hit a student. I was trying to get a toy out of a tree.
Motive Probe
36.1. Describe the problem and your specific role in it.
I threw the bucket in order to get a ball from the tree.
36.2. Why did you do what you did?
See above.
36.3. What emotions or feelings were you experiencing at the time?
The student was crying and I felt badly for him.
36.4. Was your behavior justified? If so, why?
No.
36.5. Do you regret your action(s)?
Yes.
36.6. Do you ever think about this incident? If yes, approximately how
often since the occurrence(s)?
(No response.)
36.7. If faced with the same or a similar situation, what would you do?
Commentary
I would not throw a bucket in the tree to get a toy. I will leave the toy in
the tree.
The impulsive act of throwing a bucket into a tree, with children around,
surely suggests a lack of good judgment and a basic knowledge of physics
such as what goes up, must come down. Situations like this can be avoided
if the teacher exercises good judgment and puts safety first when solving
problems. If using a ladder or some other safe method of retrieval was not
possible, the teacher could have explained to the student that the toy was
irretrievable and next time to try to find a clear area to play in when playing
with toys that could get stuck in the tree.
Mistake 21: Teacher Bias or Expectations
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