As many of you know, I have 4 blogs. This is the one that I post daily in. The Sweet N' Saur one is for all the parents in the Pinellas area who wish to discuss school-related issues. In Sweet N' Saur, a couple people recently mentioned their concern about teachers using illegal drugs.
They cited a blog where a teacher claims that the majority of teachers smoke pot. I don't know which blog it is, so I can't read it for myself. However, I'm not surprised. America has become very passive when it comes to illegal drugs. I've been told by many people that I would be shocked to find out how many people smoke pot now (obviously I don't).
In general, the American public is vastly uneducated. They will never go to the trouble to do their own research. Instead, they blindly choose to go with whatever feels right. This includes educated people as well. Don't fool yourself; there are plenty of educated people that are lazy thinkers. That is why pot usage is becoming widespread.
Anyone that I've ever known who's used pot has suffered from it. But they are too close to the source, and are usually using the drug to make up for a deficiency or unhappiness in their own life. Sadly, pot is a depressant so it will only make these users feel worse.
When teachers use pot, they take along the attitude and beliefs that it is OK to use it. In the classroom, they can speak against drug use, but it will be half-heartedly and the students will know it. Pot will also affect their attitude and hamper their abilities.
I had a friend who was a draftsman. He was very bright, and quite talented. One day he told me privately that he had smoked too much pot while in college, and ended up with short term memory damage (this means he can remember things that happened a long time ago, but often couldn't remember something that recently happened). He said he'd always wanted to be an architect, but now he would never have the chance.
I knew someone else that was always lazy and depressed while he smoked pot. When he cleaned up, I was amazed at how balanced and energetic he became. He, too, ended up with memory damage as a result of the drugs he was taking for years.
I've heard people claim that what they do on their own time is their own business. Yet, if it affects performance, it is everyone's business. They need to begin random drug testing in the schools.
For more information about the dangers of pot, go here or just go to Google and type in "dangers smoking pot".
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36 comments:
Don't get me going on this subject. I am against marijuana. I will write more tonight.
Saur, I can not comment to Florida, but in our district at least I can comment that pot smoking is NOT widespread among the teaching staff. We do know quite a few of the folks in the district socially and there is just no indication of a widespread issue. I hope I am not blind here.
As regards lazy thinking, yup, that seems to be how so many urban legends and web hoaxes get going and keep going..."Well I heard" seems to be the key phrase rather than "I saw". I have always applied an "incredulity" factor to a statement directly in proportion to its distance from the original source. Seems to work fairly well. *L* oddly enough, the "tax on e mail" hoax hit my e mail again last nite
tabasamu, just saw your post IMHO, drugs including Marijuana have done no community any good. Unfortunately it seems to do the most damage in communities least able to afford it
I agree completely with Mallory. I've never met a teacher who was a current drug user, unless you count the cigarette smokers or drinkers. Even then, NO teacher can or wants to get away with either behavior during school hours or on the premises. If a teacher should even get a DUI or something similar, many school districts will consider that as grounds for dismissal or a black mark on their permanent record.
I hope that the teacher who made that claim is wrong. But I've read the blog with the claim - this person appears to believe it to be true and admits to being a user also.
Publix tests for drugs pre-emplyoment. I wonder why the school districts do not.
Even if the school districts do pre-employment tests, they need to do continuing tests. It's easy to cheat the first time, but a lot harder to cheat when it's random.
Which teacher had the drug blog?
"marijuana can find that they are falling behind on basic fundamental life skills that are being acquired by peers in the same age range. This can lead to self-esteem problems as self-reinforcement abilities deteriorate and confidence diminishes."
I have experience friends that smoke pot can only hang out with others that smoke. As they get older they seem to end up finding friends that are younger than them. If you are talking about a relationship and one smokes and the other does not I have seen that the break up happens because one "grew up" and the other "stayed the same age".
Although it may appear that the smoker is full of ideas and energy. It does not last over the years. Or if it does last the person is only interested in "their" stuff. Smokers are usually self-centered and single minded. They do not accept others opinions well. They are right and you are wrong, there is rarely any middle ground or compromise.
Hmmm...my lovely young daughter begins her first full-time job as a high school teacher (in her old high school!) next month. I'll be interested in what she finds out about this issue, now that she will be seeing the teachers "from the other side."
I'm a teacher. I don't smoke pot. I'd like to know where this other teacher got their facts; I'd be happy to refute that claim. It's garbage.
There. I feel better.
Yikes!
I suspect that before long that teacher will remove the entire post. Some of it has already been altered. But the teacher is a regular contributor of Saur's blogs and the conversation began way back on 7/15.
OK, now I know who it is. I didn't bother following up on that post until just now (I've been swamped lately).
I couldn't read all of the post, because much of it has been removed, and it certainly could have been altered. So, I can't make any judgements on what I didn't see. But I still stick to what I said, despite the groups that are busy defending the use of pot. I feel there are other good drugs that are equal to, or better than, pot, without the side effects and health complications.
I totally do not approve of drugs. There's a new commercial that's out saying that if you used drugs and now you tell your kids NOT to, you're a hypocrite. But then they say you're a GOOD hypocrite (basically). I don't think it's being a hypocrite at all! I think it's those of us who did, and grew up, and know better now. And we want more for our kids than that burned out lifestyle.
Saurkraut,
Most of the deletes on the other blog are mine. I decided not to post there any more. I didn't say anything more than what I said here or what we have talked about together.
A few of the deletes are mine also. Apparently, I'm partially responsible for the no anonymous posts rule. Also there were posts by the blog owner that have been deleted, as well.
Hey, at least the no more anon rule enabled you too figure out a cool blog name. I like clearheaded. Of course I know why you picked that name.
Saur: I am really impressed by your post on this very important issue. I totally agree with you and appreciate the posts of others that indicate that we really don't want to accept this as ok. I also want to say that Fred has a good perspective, being a teacher in Pinellas County. I am slightly relieved that he thinks it is a gross misstatement. When I read that blog, I was deeply saddened and troubled. We have so many serious problems to address as parents and grandparents. If the statement made by this teacher is true, we are in desparate straits.
Finally, I would agree that random drug testing of Pinellas County School System employees should be mandatory for employment. Our children deserve a real drug free environment and all that comes with it.
I disagree. Schools are already underfunded, wasting money on a pot smoker witch hunt is a poor use of public money.
I will bet that this is just another baseless attack from those who hate public education. Which teachers are smoking pot? Cant they site any source? And what about teachers that drink? Or teachers that speed?
Dade County drug tests teachers when they are hired. After that, substance testing is a matter for principles to decide. If there is no reason to suspect drug use, the piss in a cup guy is not called out.
Of course, if people are willing to pay more TAXES to fund the witch hunt without having to steal money from another pile, then that is another issue.
Up to date text books, equipment that is NOT broken, and getting the mold and funk out of the AC system, and a teacher raise should come BEFORE wasting money looking at pee-pee.
clear headed: Gosh, I just assumed that Fred was in our county. I really don't know. Thanks for the catch.
could the Lazy Iguana also be smokin' a little weed?
I often have to shut down my sewing machines because women’s fashion appetite is so volatile. When I give the mandatory drug tests to returning workers, I lose 20% of the work force (all white).
Everyone, excellent posts and thoughts. Thank you so much for sharing them.
I am a teacher and I socialize with many of the other teachers. Pot smoking among teachers is not widespread. I have never personally known a teacher who smokes pot, and I have only once heard that a teacher did.
Others have already commented to this effect, but I just had to speak up about how ridiculous the claim that blog made sounds. Teachers are educated professionals, and the American public tends to forget that. And just like in every profession there are a few bad seeds, but most teachers are hard working people who care about the welfare of their students and their school.
At the few schools I've worked at I don't know any teachers that smoke pot or abuse alcohol. It would be interesting to see some data on different professions and drug and alcohol abuse. I hope this 'pick on teacher' phase ends soon. We hear so much about the bad but there are so many good teachers out there.
Valerie, thank you. That's so good to know (Fred said the same thing as well).
Teacher, thanks for weighing in. It's not a 'pick on teacher phase' for us, though. We're simply discussing a concern that many of us had. We know there are many good teachers.
Thank you to the teachers who have checked in. I, like clear headed, became alarmed when I read the post of a teacher who has been posting here for some time. I too know good teachers. I must say, her statement sent a chill throught me.
Make that "thorough".
I think that maybe teacher didn't mean that we are picked on here, just in general. We have a public job, and most of us rarely hear from parents and community members who appreciate what we do. Usually, we only hear from people when they are upset and angry (at least at the high school level -- I can't speak for anyone else). I believe this is one of the reasons for the high new teacher turnover rate. In Texas, most new teachers quit before they hit the three-year mark.
And it's just like with anything, you hear about the bad before you hear about the good, because a) the bad is unusual, which makes it "news" and b) people tend to, for some reason, enjoy hearing about bad things.
In no way do I mean any disrespect by this post.
I think that saying that as a teacher you cannot say that other teachers don't smoke the ganja is a bit naieve. Honestly, if you did smoke it would you tell the other teachers about it?
I know that in my younger years, when I did occasionally smoke, only my close circle of friends were aware of it. It was not something I would have discussed with my co-workers, and I did nothing to lead to believe that I did it.
And, Saur, yes,I was much less motivated to do anything with my day, or with my life while smoking. It is a drug, and it does alter your personality and your actions.
I know for a fact that the perception of marijuana had been greatly skewed by the government. ( I used to work for the government, specifically, the FDA) I haven't discussed this previously, and this is the last time I'll mention it. Marijuana is less harmful than ciggarettes or alcohol on the human body. It is difficult to regulate, and therefore, illegal. For less biased information on marijuana, visit www.norml.com Especially pay attention to Holland. Go to Blockbuster and rent "Grass". When you have seen information given on both sides of the fence, then we can begin having an educated discussion on the subject.
If you want to get rid of teachers who are hurting students, let's look at teachers who have been in the profession for years but refuse to keep taking classes in their suject area to stay current. Let's look at teachers with many DUI's. Let's look at teachers who give athletes grades they don't earn. Let's look at teachers who aren't actually teaching. Forget about the ones on pot. Most of the time, they're the most open-minded, and often the favorites. And a lot more of them are doing it than you'd guess, but again, if you don't and they know it, they will never tell you the truth. They're afraid of you, and obviously rightly so. Look at all he wonderful things you have said in the past about my ability as a teacher and a person. Is all of that out of the window now that you know how I feel about the subject? Am I a bad person? Does this change your perception of me? It still doesn't change the fact that I'm a workaholic, sopend hours a night on lesson plans, take good care of my students in and out of the classroom, spend most of my savings on charity for my students, and am one of the best teachers my school had this year.
Polanco,
For some reason you just have/need to be right about this subject AND you have/need to have the last word. Why is that? And I am signing this anonymous, so to top it off you will have a problem with that also.
I don't mind you being anonymous on someone else's blog. I think I have said all I can possibly say about this subject at this point. I feel that it is always right to give people the freedom to do what they choose as long as it's not harmful to someone else.
Like I said...you have/need to have the last word.
Anonymous 8:38 - It looks like you're the one who needs to have the last word.
its funny they dont have anything with substance to say after reading a well-rounded, unbias post like Polanco's. Its amazing that this author can say that the American public is uneducated when she writes about the shit she writes about. lol.
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