School environment, overpolicing, and sharing love

On Thursday, a student got angry, shoved me and stormed out of one of my year eight classes. When I reported it to the vice-principal, I told him it really wasn't a big deal. I was shocked to discover later that the student had been suspended for four days.

On the one hand, the student in question is not known for his skills at respecting other students or staff, or working productively with others. I don't know exactly how many other occasions he has been suspended or what the nature of them might be.

But looking from a different perspective, I am somewhat uncomfortable with the amount of traditional 'policing' that is expected of a teacher.

In the course of my normal life, I don't see much of police (except for one of my best mates). Some weeks I don't see any sign of them (except passing the cop shop on my way to the supermarket). And that's ok. I know they exist and they are doing their job somewhere else. It's that traditional line of "if you're not doing anything wrong, you've got nothing to worry about".

But I think it is possible to over-police, where an atmosphere of distrust is actually generated. Unfortunately we can easily think of situations locally and overseas, where this is happening.

During these moments of being 'overpoliced' - and maybe it's the deviant streak within me, but I feel more self-conscious of how my actions are going to be perceived, and think a lot more of what I could be doing wrong - thoughts that I wouldn't have been inspired to have if not for the surveillance I was undergoing.


It's strange, in my previous work with groups of youth, I was conscious of my supervision role and ensuring control over my 'charges' but never seeing it as 'policing'.

I think the difference is that in the past, I have had more direct control over the 'feel' of the environment, whereas at school, I play only a very small role in how the overall atmosphere is experienced by students. So many other forces are in play, and some of which I am expected to support even if I personally disagree with.

Looking back, working in youth group settings affords so much freedom and ability to recreate 'life' as we like it to be, and, due to the voluntary nature of participation, a greater sense of love and appreciating them being there.

Although I've verbally said that to many students, I'm not sure if I fully convey that sense to my students in general... particularly this year... that is, that I value their presence in my class and around me in other settings.

Hmmm. Any suggestions on how I could do this would be appreciated for the school setting.

Sure, in youth group, there is also a greater sense of the love and grace that flows directly from our Saviour, but... maybe it would be of great benefit to 'our youth', to be more intentional about equipping them to somehow bring more of the 'youth group vibe' into other areas of their lives... which some of that is just having an attitude of greater consideration for the people in their lives - not just teachers, but their parents, bosses, other 'authorities', and fellow students and peers in general.

One way could be... actively target one person (it's always best to start on only one or two) to pray for, and then to think of practical tangible ways to bless them each week. And for each person to report but regularly how they are going and what is happening as a result of these actions.

Any other suggestions along this theme would also be valuable.