[ChrispyParticipant]

I know this is WAY off-topic, but its late, this has been eating at me since the end of the school year and I’m curious to hear your reactions. This forum is a pretty good cross section of America- young, older, students, parents etc. So here goes (please give me honest opinions, feelings…and ok, McDunkin, gifs.

I am a teacher at a high school. In 1st period I noticed the smell of marajuana in my class room. No one was smoking, but someone had done so recently. After I pinpointed who it was, I asked to see him outside. He is a very large football/basketball player, but he meekly stepped outside. I gave him the usual, "I wasn’t born yesterday" speech. I then asked him what he though he was doing. I reminded him that he just received a scholarship and that it is district policy that he be reported to security (which is tight at our urban school). I asked him if he wanted to get out of his rather rough living situation, and he replied yes. I told him, "I won’t report this, but if you ever-and I mean ever- mess up in class, play hooky, or show up high again it is YOUR A$$". He almost cried thanking me. He was a model student throughout the last month and a half. However, my girlfriend was furious. My GF (who is African American) blasted me for "creating another black athlete who thinks he is above the law" and perpetuating black athlete stereotypes. I replied that everyone deserves a second chance, athlete or not. Thoughts?

[ChrispyParticipant]

ignore "marajuana" I know "marijuana". Just a typo!

[ChrispyParticipant]

ignore "marajuana" I know "marijuana". Just a typo!

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

I think you did the right thing,by pulling him aside..If you had told on him..He would have a vendetta against you and felt he couldnt trust anyone..But i’ll watch him, if he shows signs that he’s been smoking again..You should Report him…

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

I think you did the right thing,by pulling him aside..If you had told on him..He would have a vendetta against you and felt he couldnt trust anyone..But i’ll watch him, if he shows signs that he’s been smoking again..You should Report him…

[ChrispyParticipant]

so he will be in college this fall. I’m interested to know If you guys think that I set him up for future failures based on the fact that he wasn’t punished. I don’t think so,  but my girlfriend definitely does.

[ChrispyParticipant]

so he will be in college this fall. I’m interested to know If you guys think that I set him up for future failures based on the fact that he wasn’t punished. I don’t think so,  but my girlfriend definitely does.

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

Well, your GF is only right if you did it just because the guy is an athlete and has a chance to create a better situation for himself. You have now set a precedent for how you will deal with this situation, and if one of your other students, who was not an athlete, were to do the same thing, unless you reacted the same way, you are indeed setting a negative example. I think color plays little part in this, because athletes acting like they are above the law breaks color barrier. 

The truth is, if you were not born yesterday, you more than likely know that these guys are not perfect. Yes, you and I would like to think that if we do not do drugs (I don’t), than these athletes of course would not do them as a way to make the most of their opportunity. As I got older, I realized that this is not the case. These kids work their butts off, but they are human and do many of the same things all people do. Our school used to be full of people being blitzed during school hours, but eventually these people were cracked down on. We had no sports teams, but I just want to say I understand that kids should not be blazing during school. I think you did the noble thing, and hopefully he learned his lesson, at least at school.

With all of this being said, I highly doubt this guy stops just because of this incident. You did let him slide, and he probably will just thank his lucky stars and stop doing it during school, or buy some eye drops and cologne. I think that he is not alone though, and I for one have kind of become immune to athletes messing around with the herb they called marijuana. I would say, 60-70% of all pro athletes probably smoke it, including some you may never have expected to. I know that certain NBA champions have been known to blaze, and I know that some star football/basketball players at my school did as well. We know the stories, we know the arrests and we have seen the Stephon Marbury interview. If it were something more serious, than I would say maybe you made a bad decision.

I definitely believe people deserve some slack when it honestly comes to something that I believe is actually not a big deal and incredibly common. This comes from someone who has never smoked and generally has no interest in said drug, letting it slide once to give a person a chance who deserves it was the right thing to do. Now, you just need to follow up on it and make sure you do not give this young man preferential treatment as opposed to another student who is not blamed with the same athletic gifts.

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

Well, your GF is only right if you did it just because the guy is an athlete and has a chance to create a better situation for himself. You have now set a precedent for how you will deal with this situation, and if one of your other students, who was not an athlete, were to do the same thing, unless you reacted the same way, you are indeed setting a negative example. I think color plays little part in this, because athletes acting like they are above the law breaks color barrier. 

The truth is, if you were not born yesterday, you more than likely know that these guys are not perfect. Yes, you and I would like to think that if we do not do drugs (I don’t), than these athletes of course would not do them as a way to make the most of their opportunity. As I got older, I realized that this is not the case. These kids work their butts off, but they are human and do many of the same things all people do. Our school used to be full of people being blitzed during school hours, but eventually these people were cracked down on. We had no sports teams, but I just want to say I understand that kids should not be blazing during school. I think you did the noble thing, and hopefully he learned his lesson, at least at school.

With all of this being said, I highly doubt this guy stops just because of this incident. You did let him slide, and he probably will just thank his lucky stars and stop doing it during school, or buy some eye drops and cologne. I think that he is not alone though, and I for one have kind of become immune to athletes messing around with the herb they called marijuana. I would say, 60-70% of all pro athletes probably smoke it, including some you may never have expected to. I know that certain NBA champions have been known to blaze, and I know that some star football/basketball players at my school did as well. We know the stories, we know the arrests and we have seen the Stephon Marbury interview. If it were something more serious, than I would say maybe you made a bad decision.

I definitely believe people deserve some slack when it honestly comes to something that I believe is actually not a big deal and incredibly common. This comes from someone who has never smoked and generally has no interest in said drug, letting it slide once to give a person a chance who deserves it was the right thing to do. Now, you just need to follow up on it and make sure you do not give this young man preferential treatment as opposed to another student who is not blamed with the same athletic gifts.

[WinterSoldierParticipant]

I think you did the right thing:) if it was reported it would have been blow way out of control and a kids life would be ruined.

[munculitzaParticipant]

I cannot understand why these kids, that are athletes and have a great future ahead are trying drugs. What more do they want from life? They should not only be banned from sport if they take drugs but also forced into a drug rehab center until they are clean.

[WinterSoldierParticipant]

I think you did the right thing:) if it was reported it would have been blow way out of control and a kids life would be ruined.

[ForTheWinParticipant]

If I were you I woulda just rolled a blunt with him, weed should be legal anyway.

[ForTheWinParticipant]

If I were you I woulda just rolled a blunt with him, weed should be legal anyway.

[ChrispyParticipant]

I know from first hand experience that many teens smoke ( I did) and that many athletes smoke ( I did). I certainly wasn’t doing that simply because he is an athlete, but I’m afraid that may be interpreted that way in his head. I sure hope he got the message. Sh!t! Smoke all you want when you are older, but man please don’t mess with your education…especially a free one!!

–My uncle used to do sound for some of Big Smooth and The Glove’s parties up in Seattle (during the season, too!) and said it was like walking into a Jamaican club in 1978. Contact high seems to be an understatement! He said most of the players would be there and that they would often smoke pre-game as well. My personal take on marijuana (legalization and taxation) must be separated from my professional take, however!

[ChrispyParticipant]

I know from first hand experience that many teens smoke ( I did) and that many athletes smoke ( I did). I certainly wasn’t doing that simply because he is an athlete, but I’m afraid that may be interpreted that way in his head. I sure hope he got the message. Sh!t! Smoke all you want when you are older, but man please don’t mess with your education…especially a free one!!

–My uncle used to do sound for some of Big Smooth and The Glove’s parties up in Seattle (during the season, too!) and said it was like walking into a Jamaican club in 1978. Contact high seems to be an understatement! He said most of the players would be there and that they would often smoke pre-game as well. My personal take on marijuana (legalization and taxation) must be separated from my professional take, however!

[AllDayyyParticipant]

meh hs kid that smelled like weed. pretty innocent imo.

[AllDayyyParticipant]

meh hs kid that smelled like weed. pretty innocent imo.

[iguapops420Participant]

 In all honesty, I used to stay lit at school. Every day befor school my friends and I would bke out in my car, then walk out at lunch to the parking lot for round 2. 

As I’m older now and see things differently, I absolutely do not condone being high at school. It’s just like a job, you don’t go to work high and you shouldn’t go to school high. 

Having said that, I think you made the right choice by giving him a second chance. He is just a kid after all. We’ve all done stupid things that we don’t agree with once we get older. Had you reported him, he may have never been able to do anything with his life over some dumb adolscent mistake. Good call, like you said veryone deserves a second chance to help learn from their mistakes or become destined to repeat thos same mistakes. Just make sure you treat all situations like this in the same manner.

[iguapops420Participant]

 In all honesty, I used to stay lit at school. Every day befor school my friends and I would bke out in my car, then walk out at lunch to the parking lot for round 2. 

As I’m older now and see things differently, I absolutely do not condone being high at school. It’s just like a job, you don’t go to work high and you shouldn’t go to school high. 

Having said that, I think you made the right choice by giving him a second chance. He is just a kid after all. We’ve all done stupid things that we don’t agree with once we get older. Had you reported him, he may have never been able to do anything with his life over some dumb adolscent mistake. Good call, like you said veryone deserves a second chance to help learn from their mistakes or become destined to repeat thos same mistakes. Just make sure you treat all situations like this in the same manner.

[LeroyJenkinsParticipant]

dope is for dopes

[LeroyJenkinsParticipant]

dope is for dopes

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

^^^2 Thumbs UP for the Child!!!

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

^^^2 Thumbs UP for the Child!!!

[Bison 49Participant]

Good to hear you checking up on this.  For the sake of demogrphics, I am a grad student who has worked in professional office settings for a few years, and also have had a lot of experience teaching children and teens in sports, and supervising them at camps.  Last term I taught a class of business students at a local university.

You did the right thing in my opinion.  Some of the rules in school/society are very off base, and can play a big role in a person’s future (especially when the person is not from a background where they are given some slack).  It is funny that this can have such severe consequences, but nothing comes from the people who act like complete A******* and hurt the self concept of those around them.  Basically it is not like drinking and driving, or asaulting other students in that under most circumstances the worst that would happen if the person does it again is … get caught.

Also, it is questionable whether you really had adequate evidence that he had done something wrong.  He could have been in a car, room, or in the general area of a smoker.

One thing you might want to do is to follow up with the student, and let them know that they dodged a bullet and that there are a lot of things (like ‘strongly smelling of weed’) that many of the more rule oriented/hateful/conservative/prejudiced members of our society will try to nail them on.  Tell them that you took this approach because you think people deserve a warning in situations where the punnishment could be severe (this could allay some of your GFs concerns). 

It is also important for you to remember (don’t tell him this), that his consequences could be much greater than those experienced by the average student.  The key is consistency across students, and a reason for your approach to a given situation.  You also want to accept that you made your decision, stick with it, defend it, know you did the right thing, and not take any mess from anyone who was not there.

I hope this all comes together and makes sense.

[Bison 49Participant]

Good to hear you checking up on this.  For the sake of demogrphics, I am a grad student who has worked in professional office settings for a few years, and also have had a lot of experience teaching children and teens in sports, and supervising them at camps.  Last term I taught a class of business students at a local university.

You did the right thing in my opinion.  Some of the rules in school/society are very off base, and can play a big role in a person’s future (especially when the person is not from a background where they are given some slack).  It is funny that this can have such severe consequences, but nothing comes from the people who act like complete A******* and hurt the self concept of those around them.  Basically it is not like drinking and driving, or asaulting other students in that under most circumstances the worst that would happen if the person does it again is … get caught.

Also, it is questionable whether you really had adequate evidence that he had done something wrong.  He could have been in a car, room, or in the general area of a smoker.

One thing you might want to do is to follow up with the student, and let them know that they dodged a bullet and that there are a lot of things (like ‘strongly smelling of weed’) that many of the more rule oriented/hateful/conservative/prejudiced members of our society will try to nail them on.  Tell them that you took this approach because you think people deserve a warning in situations where the punnishment could be severe (this could allay some of your GFs concerns). 

It is also important for you to remember (don’t tell him this), that his consequences could be much greater than those experienced by the average student.  The key is consistency across students, and a reason for your approach to a given situation.  You also want to accept that you made your decision, stick with it, defend it, know you did the right thing, and not take any mess from anyone who was not there.

I hope this all comes together and makes sense.

[ChrispyParticipant]

for your thoughts. They help greatly. Bison, I do indeed see this as a consistent educational pattern for both athletes and for non-athletes. I know that I will follow through in both cases. Thanks again guys!

[ChrispyParticipant]

for your thoughts. They help greatly. Bison, I do indeed see this as a consistent educational pattern for both athletes and for non-athletes. I know that I will follow through in both cases. Thanks again guys!

[aamir543Participant]

This is an interesting situation, and either way your decison was very dificult, and again, there is no garuntee that the kid has changed his ways for good, but in the long run, I think you made the right decision.

[aamir543Participant]

This is an interesting situation, and either way your decison was very dificult, and again, there is no garuntee that the kid has changed his ways for good, but in the long run, I think you made the right decision.

[aamir543Participant]

And being a 14 year old in high school, I know how common it is, and how stupid kids can be. In the end, Leroy is right on, (For Once) Dope is for Dopes.

[aamir543Participant]

And being a 14 year old in high school, I know how common it is, and how stupid kids can be. In the end, Leroy is right on, (For Once) Dope is for Dopes.

[Scottoant93Participant]

You did the right thing, im 18 and graduated high school 2 years ago and i didn’t exactly hang out with the right crowd(mostly potheads since everyone else were annoying preppy rich kids), but i never touched any of it, people always make a big deal saying well my friends do it, i have to do it to fit,NO you are your own person you make your own decision and if people don’t like you because of it so be it, you don’t need them. Perfect example I haven’t heard from not even one of my high school friends since i graduated..why because all they do is smoke and have nothing better to do.

 

[Scottoant93Participant]

You did the right thing, im 18 and graduated high school 2 years ago and i didn’t exactly hang out with the right crowd(mostly potheads since everyone else were annoying preppy rich kids), but i never touched any of it, people always make a big deal saying well my friends do it, i have to do it to fit,NO you are your own person you make your own decision and if people don’t like you because of it so be it, you don’t need them. Perfect example I haven’t heard from not even one of my high school friends since i graduated..why because all they do is smoke and have nothing better to do.

 

[iguapops420Participant]

 +1 Scott. I too have lost almsot all of my friends since i quit smoking/partying and started to get my ife together when I found out my GF was pregnant. I respect anyone who has the will power to just say know. Seeing as thugh I’m 23 and just now able to keep a sober mind, it’s refreshing to see a 16 year old youth like yourself(at the time) avoiding drug useage.

[iguapops420Participant]

 +1 Scott. I too have lost almsot all of my friends since i quit smoking/partying and started to get my ife together when I found out my GF was pregnant. I respect anyone who has the will power to just say know. Seeing as thugh I’m 23 and just now able to keep a sober mind, it’s refreshing to see a 16 year old youth like yourself(at the time) avoiding drug useage.

[kanyedabestParticipant]

@ chrisP…… if u dont mind me asking, how much do u as a teacher make a year in america?

the pay scale btwn the usa and canada for teachers is pretty different… teachers gets robbed in the states supposedly

[kanyedabestParticipant]

@ chrisP…… if u dont mind me asking, how much do u as a teacher make a year in america?

the pay scale btwn the usa and canada for teachers is pretty different… teachers gets robbed in the states supposedly

[ChrispyParticipant]

depends on where you are and how long you have been teaching. Add in summer school, coaching, adult school, etc. a teacher of 20 years can make 70-100 k. You’d have to work non-stop and for a long time in a good paying area, but it can happen. My age range in the district I’m in the average is about 40-52,000 for a full time 5-6 class load teacher. As I get older and receive tenure (if it still exists) and more responsibilities I will increase (hopefully) up the pay scale.

[ChrispyParticipant]

depends on where you are and how long you have been teaching. Add in summer school, coaching, adult school, etc. a teacher of 20 years can make 70-100 k. You’d have to work non-stop and for a long time in a good paying area, but it can happen. My age range in the district I’m in the average is about 40-52,000 for a full time 5-6 class load teacher. As I get older and receive tenure (if it still exists) and more responsibilities I will increase (hopefully) up the pay scale.

[apb540Participant]

Please do not fuck up a kid’s life over weed. A police officer once gave me a huge break and it changed my life drastically (and for the better)….but I still smoke weed so that wasn’t the issue. Just sayin.

And teachers do just fine in America. They get tenure. My accounting job that I hope to get will not offer tenure.

[apb540Participant]

Please do not fuck up a kid’s life over weed. A police officer once gave me a huge break and it changed my life drastically (and for the better)….but I still smoke weed so that wasn’t the issue. Just sayin.

And teachers do just fine in America. They get tenure. My accounting job that I hope to get will not offer tenure.

[aamir543Participant]

I was hanging out with some guys that smoke, and I saw them walk twoard some other guys, I also knew, and they also smoked, so one of the guys says to me, "Aight, see ya", and I thought he was leaving, but apparently he wanted me to leave, and said, "This is a man’s job." I stuck around for a mintue or two just staring at some idiots playing voleyball in the distance, then two of the guys go to their gym locker, and it’s obvious that their dealing. I got bored, so I left but it’s pretty idiotic that these kids are doing this. Sure it’s fun and all, but it the long-term affects aren’t good.

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