California High School teacher, Steven Cuckovich, has deducted 25 points individually and on the whole class in response to students saying, “God bless you” after a classmate sneezes.
Many of us understand using this phrase as a cultural norm. Others of us see it as polite behavior. For many, saying God bless you following a sneeze is so ingrained that it’s difficult to not to do it.
Religious connotations aside what are your opinions on a public school teacher placing a penalty for following societal and cultural norms?
You can read more by placing Cuckovick’s name in your favorite search engine or following this link:
http://www.news10.net/news/article/156829/2/Vacaville-teacher-wipes-Bless-You-from-classroom
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Sharise H. 70
ReplyDeleteI think it is very important to know why we do things in our lives for what ever reason. However, I do not feel that it is appropriate for a teacher to impose such rules. It is very interesting that the public school system has eliminated any references to God but celebrate holidays in school. My daughter is in Kindergarten is she is more excited about the "parties" in school than learning.
Lafarah P
ReplyDeletei honestly don't think its his place or choice to deduct points in class over a phrase being said personal beliefs should be kept personal, regardless if he doesn't like it, and a lot of the times now a days people don't even say god bless you most of the time when i hear it people just say bless you.
Kudi A
ReplyDeleteI don't think it is right for the teacher to take away points from the students for saying “God bless you”. However we do live in a politically correct world where everyone's feelings count, maybe the teacher was looking out for those students who do not have religious beliefs.
Domenic R.70
ReplyDeleteI am so surprised that this guy is still teaching. Is he teaching health or history. If he is that sensitive to someone saying, "God Bless You", then he surely does not belong in a high school setting. He has found he opportunity to have his voice heard, and minimize the voice of others. Are his students learning anything else in his class besides not to say anything when someone sneezes? This is one of many reasons that education in the United States has been declining.
MelanieP.70
ReplyDeleteI believe this teacher was enforcing separation of church and state. The phrase "god bless you" may certainly be offensive to some and I believe everyone's feelings should be taken into account. I find it harsh to deduct points for such a saying, however I think the teacher was just trying to make a point. I've seen teachers deduct points for all kinds of unfavorable behavior, to me this example is not out of the ordinary.
Melaniep.70 in response to Lafarah P...
ReplyDeleteI disagree with you, he is the teacher and it is absolutely his place to make such decisions. I also think that the "god" is implied when someone says "bless you". As I said in my original post teachers, for the most part, get to make the rules, I believe that is fair.
Patti S 70
ReplyDeleteI don't think the teacher should impose such strict discipline on students for being polite. He needs to make a general rule that no one is to talk when the teacher is talking regardless if someone sneezes. This would go along with his classroom rules. It is ridiculous to reinforce negatively if not necessary. It could affect the way the students learn. Positive reinforcement is always best.
Patti S in response to Domenic R.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. It is hard to believe something so trivial would be the talk of the country instead of how well his students are learning. I think the students would have a more difficult time focusing on whatever he teaches.
I think it's wrong for Teachers to impose such negative rules. I believe that it should be o.k for students to say "God Blessed You" if needed to because it's something positive, not negative. My Motto is, W.W.J.D? whatever Jesus would do is completely positive; so therefore, saying "God Blessed You is completely justified as positive.
ReplyDeleteMARSHA VERNET
I don't think such punishment is necessary for students saying "God Bless You" after someone sneezes.I think the correct way to deal with this is to inform the students to say "Bless You" instead of "God Bless You" to avoid offending anyone including the teacher. The 25 points deductions is a bit dramatic.
ReplyDeleteI agree with MelanieP.70
RebeccaG 69 said...
ReplyDeleteI do think the teacher was being a bit harsh and ridiculous. He can't ban a phrase unless its some formal rule of the school system. But I highly doubt that. If he does not want to hear that, then he can teach somewhere else. Otherwise, people will keep saying "God bless you" or "bless you".
RebeccaG 69 in response to MelanieP 70
ReplyDeleteI disagree with you on the separation of church and state. I don't think he can make a rule of a student saying God bless you because it is a phrase mostly everyone says. It is just plain stupid to punish a student for saying what he or she think is right.
Meghan Williams
ReplyDeleteI think it is ridiculous that this teacher would deduct 25 points from the students grade for saying "God bless you". In the article he said that when students say it it is distracting, but i disagree with that. Honestly, the sneeze is more distracting then the "God bless you" that comes after. I dont think a teacher should be able to make such an outrageous rule. Some people have mentioned that the God part may be offensive to others but in the article it said that they were getting deducted point if they just said "bless you". Im surprised that nothing has been done about this yet and that the administration has not intervened.
Latreecia M-69 I I don't believe it is his place to deduct points academically for a religious/cultural saying. Most people are taught to say bless you just to be polite. That's like people saying "oh my God". Its just something that people say without any religious connotation to it. Even if it was religious, it's not his place to punish them for it.
ReplyDeleteLatreecia M 69 In response to RebeccaG 69
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. People say that quickly without thought to it because we are taught that it is polite. Honestly a lot of us are not taught the religious meaning like that. Its just not emphasized. It is taught as a common courtesy.
In response to Melanie P.70
ReplyDeleteIt is not his place to change the polite gesture of a student. He was even deducting points if a student said "bless you". In my family it is the polite thing to do. If he is not more thick skinned than that, he should not teach in a high school setting. You cannot go through life and not offend someone. Usually when "we" adjust our language or ways of doing a task, it is not to support the majority, but the minority that are offended.
The part that bothers me the most is that most students will not remember a thing they learned in his class except the fact that he can't stand the phrase "God Bless You" or "Bless You". As they say in the south, "Bless his heart".
TiffanyR 70
ReplyDeleteI am a little taken aback by this man's thought process. Do we not still say the pledge of allegiance (One nation, under God) in public schools every morning? Is he not patriotic or even an American at best? I can understand a sneeze being disruptive, but to not say something after someone sneezes is just plain rude. I feel that is absolutely the polite thing to do to say at least "Bless You" when someone sneezes. I have raised my son that same way.
TiffanyR 70 in response to RebeccaG 69
ReplyDeleteI completely agree, Rebecca. If it is not written in black and white in the formal school system, he should not be able to enforce such a rediculous rule. Why aren't parents going after this man? My son is in fifth grade, and they all say the pledge of allegiance every morning. This country was founded originally with Christianity. In my opinion, he is just a cranky, miserable, old man who no longer enjoys his job and needs to retire!
I believe that this teacher does not have the right to penalize students for saying "God bless you" after they sneeze. Just as it is unfair to force someone to do something that violates their religious or moral values, the same is true of trying to enforce your own religious or moral values on others. By doing this, this teacher is influencing his students -through fear I might add- to accept or not accept this particular cultural more. If he does not believe in saying, "God bless you" that is his right; it is not his right however to use fear to influence his students.
ReplyDeleteLatanya K-95
ReplyDeleteI remember flipping past the news channel when this breaking news was broadcasted. It was really that mi-nute to me. What ever it takes to make a story i guess. My daughter is 14 and i hear many situations where kids pervoke the teacher or they're playing around disrupting the class. Of course in her opinion, the teacher is always wrong. If i were a parent who pitched a fit whenever my child disliked something at school without weighing in the bigger picture, I'd probally be banned from my childs school. As an adult I can see clearly where some kids are just plain out of line. Saying Bless you isn't a big deal to me, if the kids were told about interrupting the class prior to this event happening and just said i don't care what the teacher says and starts blurting out Bless you, then the kids were in the wrong. Cuckovich clearly stated that his actions were not to criticize societal and cultural norms, that he was simply trying to control the students disruptive behavior. Could he have choosen another way to handle the situation? Probally. I'm sure we can all assume that there will be no "Bless you's" in his class from now on. My advice to the media....Next Story please.
Latanya K-95 in response to Latreecia M-69
ReplyDeleteI 100% agree with your comment "a lot of us are not taught the religious meaning like that. Its just not emphasized. It is taught as a common courtesy." I believe that the teacher's decisions were not based on anything biblical. We are just so accustomed to saying it. We really don't know how and why the words were originated, we just know it as a nice jesture to tell someone.
Most people are taught this as a courtesy. However, no student should have their grade deducted because of it. I know that down here in the South that would not happen. There is a cultural difference out there in California, but to take away points...WOW!! I know that if he were my teacher, he can try to stop me from saying that all he wants to. In high school we are taught to express ourselves and to stand up for what we believe and do what we think is the right thing to do. Taking away points would not stop me from saying something that I think is the right thing to do. Down here, he would taken to the school board and dealt with there.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Latreecia M-69,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Many people are just taught the common courtesy of the saying. I have heard stories of why we say God bless you. I do not think there is any religious-ness to it. All you are saying to some is "God bless you."
Denell B-70
ReplyDeleteWhat’s next? What happened to freedom of speech? I understand that the teacher did not want his class disrupted by talking. But this was a little too much. He caused more of a disruption by acknowledging than just letting it pass. Why can’t we all just get along? Agree to disagree?
Denell B-70
ReplyDeleteIn response to Tiffany R.
I am a little taken aback by this man's thought process. Do we not still say the pledge of allegiance (One nation, under God) in public schools every morning? Why do people seem to be concerned with saying the word "God" No one is asking you to say it? What will it be next?
Rob t...Well as a student there nothing they can really do. But as a tax paying citizen, I would try to with hold 25 dollars per a student he has done this too. It not fair is the student saying that. (I would if he took point if they say it in a different language). God is use in many cultures. Where is the freedom of speech the 1st amendment.
ReplyDeleteMauriceR
ReplyDeleteWhile the statement “God bless you” might be ingrained and lack any true merit, with all religious connotations set aside, this is no different than saying, “Thank you,” when expressing gratitude or “Excuse me” after sneezing on the back of someone’s head.
If this was an attempt to emphasize a point about outdated norms or customs that are based on myths, or this was some code the students used to accomplish some repeated disruptive negative behaviors, then I get Mr. Cuckovich’s rule. However, while the teacher sees this as a disruptive act in the classroom (when the term “God bless you” is repeated, by multiple students after a lone sneeze and that’s the only term that illicit points deduction), he is actually violating an educational code of ethics and the students’ civil and religious rights under the U.S. Department of Education and Constitution (freedom of expression).
Again, if the latter is the case, and the teacher really wants to make a positive educational impact, he should deduct points each time a students repeatedly uses the words “umm” and “ah”, when expressing a thought or idea in response to classroom discussions. Or better yet, add points whenever students are participating actively, unexpectedly being gracious, polite, or positive classroom citizens.
Sparkle R.
ReplyDeleteI feel as if the teacher has NO right to deduct points because of a "phrase" students say. It's not like they are using profanity or saying anything negative to hurt anybody's feelings.
In my humble opinion, I believe that teachers do not have the right to do these types of things. Taking points from students ACADEMIC grades, just because the student was being polite; there is no fairness in that. Whatever happen to a free nation. This is the kind of activity that gets me pondering our ways in society. It's foolish nevertheless outrageous to make a student have to think about loosing grade points or being courteous.
ReplyDeleteDomenic R.70
ReplyDeleteIn response to Melaniep.70
A teacher should not be able to deduct points for anything they want. When has it become an educator's job to bully students in this capacity? He is a health care teacher. He is deducting points if someone says "Bless You" or "God Bless You".
He went on to say, "“The blessing doesn’t make any sense anymore,” Cuckovich told the Fox affiliate in Sacramento. “When you sneezed in the old days, they thought you were dispelling evil spirits out of your body. So they were saying, ‘God bless you,’ for getting rid of evil spirits. But today, what you’re doing doesn’t really make any sense.”
In my humble opinion, this is another attempt to break a polite habit that uses religious connotation. I am absolutely over being politically correct.
Jason H-67 in response to Sharise H.70
ReplyDeleteI love the response from Sharise. I have two kids in school and I do find it very interesting that my kids truly enjoy school for more of the parties or social events than actual learning. Not that that hasn't been going pretty much since schools have been around, but it's much more prevalent today. Alos, like Sharise stated, in schools we are not allowed to reference God, but we celebrate religious holidays? Very interesting.
In my opinion the teacher is way off the wall. If he was punishing the student for talking in class is one thing but for the phrase "God bless you" when someone sneezes is going to far. This is telling someone they are not allowed to believe the way they want. This is against their rights as a citizen of the United States.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Charles S.....I totally agree with you. If I children have to worry about saying what comes natural to be polite when will they be able to keep their minds on their school work. Like Charles wrote, don't we live in a free country
ReplyDeleteI don't think it is right for the teacher to take off points for saying "God bless you". It is just something most people grew up with saying because they were taught that it was polite and courteous and most people don't take it as something religious.
ReplyDeleteJason H-67
ReplyDeleteIt is totally ridiculous for this teacher to do this to these kids. The God bless you was I am sure purely innocent and just a natural thing to say to someone. I feel that often times, especially in our education system, we focus on the wrong issues. This should have surely been overlooked. Now this story has caused some controversy on a matter that has nothing to do with schooling. If we brough more attention to what truly matters which is "why are we behind in so many areas of education," we would have a more prepared younger generation.
SusetteR.-67
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I don't really know what to say to this. I am so taken aback. The first thing that comes to mind is that this teacher has nothing better to do than to try to prove that he can out-do his students. I think it's preposterous and proves nothing. I feel bad for the students. They are simply doing something that comes naturally and is a part of our sociological make-up and they're being penalized for it. To answer your question... they are just being polite.
In response to Jason H.-67
I completely agree with you. This is a complete waste of time and we are focusing on the wrong issues. I believe the same thing you do. If we took a step back and actually addressed the issues that ARE important and can actually make a difference in our world, then we might actually better our education system rather than make us look more like idiots.
Samisha S-67
ReplyDeleteI think it is wrong for the teacher to deduct points for someone saying "God Bless You". I was brought up to say "God Bless You" when someone sneezes. I actually get mad if someone does not say that to me when I sneeze. I think it is rude, because that is what you suppose to do. I think it is wrong to deduct points because of someone's morals.
Samisha S-67
ReplyDeletein response SusetteR.-67
I agree with you all the way. It is a complete waste of time. I'm sure there are other things to deduct points from. I also feel like that is something natural that you do.
Porsha P 44
ReplyDeleteI feel the teacher has a right to set rules in his class. The teacher should have a rule thats says " No talking in my class at all". If the student talks then the teacher has the right to deduct points. There are tons of societal and cultural norms like the phrase " thank you" and "bless you". Saying those phrases can be disruptive during testing times.
Porsha P 44
ReplyDeleteIn response to Pattie S 70
I agree the teacher should make a general rule. Positive reinforcement is good to use. Sometimes you have to use negative reinforcement. Deducting points should teach the students a lesson about talking in the class during testing.
ToniaD15
ReplyDeleteI do not think it is right for the teacher to penalize the students for sayin "God bless you" after someone sneezes. To most people, including me, it isn't even looked at as a religious phrase, it is just being polite to an individual that sneezed.
ToniaD15
ReplyDeleteIn response to Lafarah P
I definitely agree. It is not the teachers place to deduct points from the students over a phrase especially since most people do say "bless you" and not "God bless you."
OCTAVIUS K
ReplyDeleteI see it as a total deviance to punish people for saying what is a society norm. Saying God bless you when someone sneezes is not something rude or lack of respect for it to be punishable. This would mean the teacher is non-believer and he is trying to set rules to favor his beliefs.
I do not the believe that the teacher has the right to deduct points without some sort of warning. He did not have it stated in his syllabus and therefore i believe that he has to give a warning. If he tells the students or places that warning in his syllabus then i would say it is ok!
ReplyDeleteConstance Cooper 67
ReplyDeleteTo begin with I feel as though that would be an illegal action. Religion is a part of everyone's life. For some people it's a major part, for others its just kinda in the background. However, as a teacher he should have been more understanding to the fact that if it there was a religious purpose behind saying god bless you then out of respect he should accept them saying it. As an everyday person he should still accept that the student chose to say it. There is nothing illegal or wrong about saying god bless you, even if it doesn't follow your own personal beliefs (religious or not)
Constance c 67
ReplyDeletein response to Cristen Lahaie
Whether he gave a warning in the syllabus or not the teacher should not have been allowed to deduct points from one student or an entire class for saying god bless you. Especially not 25. I could understand if the teacher repeatedly ask the student to stop talking and he did it in spite of the teacher and the class followed in suit but otherwise I can think of no reasons why it would be okay for the teacher to threaten such an action let alone go through with it.
Tameca T85
ReplyDeleteas a child We are trained by our parents, pastors, teachers inc values and respect for one another.this teacher does not have the right to try and take that away by deducting points from students that say bless you if he don't want to be blessed then that's his problem, but don't stop me from wishing a blessing on someone elsa . he should be focused on teaching his subject.
TAMECA T85
ReplyDeleteI agree with Constance 67
MarkS72
ReplyDeleteRidiculous what this guy did. Coming from a family of above-average teachers, and having spent some time studying the folks that go into the field.....seems a lot of people go into teaching for reasons other than an overwhelming desire to impart knowledge of reading, writing, and arithmetic. For instance, this guy may harbor a desire to effect change and have influence over others that he could never pull off in the private sector.....because the private sector is much more competitive than secondary school teaching. There are a lot of good teachers out there, and a few great ones....but the hard facts are that our teachers, overall, simply do not get the job done. They fail to adequately educate.
MarkS72
ReplyDeletein response to cristen lahaie....
I have to disagree with the idea that, if the teacher put it in the syllabus, than whatever the teacher said goes. Teachers' authority does not extend to curtailing the rights of students to express culturally-normal sentiments.
La Tonya C.-67
ReplyDeleteIt seems that the teacher has abused his authority in the educational intuition. If that schools districts legislation hasn’t written or imposed forum for deducting points as a punishment for a phrase that could offend someone; then in a land where we have the freedom of speech long as your words are not endangering or can cause harm to your fellow man. Then he rightfully has no place to take those points away, because him punishing a student for that same phrase is imposing his disposition of non-belief on that student. But as parents, we often seem to forget our rights as parents. Every parent who felt his actions were not warranted have the ability to remove their child from his classes. The rights as guardians’ over your children still lay in the parents hands.
La Tonya C.-67 in response to OCTAVIUS K
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. For you to enforce a punishment based off a rule / belief that is holds weight/merit to you on a personal note, while working in public institutional were you’re in a role in authority and you take that authority to invoke your on form or brand of punishment because a group doesn’t believe as you is still wrong.
Renee A 67
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding me!! This teacher should be fired to wrongfully punish students for doing something polite. If you said thank you does he deduct for that? He obviously has some issues with religion since he asked "if they were evil"
and he thinks he is right in punishing students.He needs to focus more on teaching than punishment and maybe he needs some help on what religion is. It's common to say "god bless you" as a gesture to someone. He sounds like a nut case to me.
I view this as a direct violation of the First Amendment. Whether state in the syllabus or not, we cannot be told what form of courtesy to practice. Furthermore, most people say "God Bless You" because it is what they were raised to say and a part of their Religious rearing. It is illegal for a Teacher or anyone to determine how another person practices their religion. The only way I could see it being permissible, is if another student makes complaints that they are bothered or feel uncomfortable. In this case, there still would be no grounds for grade deductions, it would be a matter of student conduct against another student. I completely disagree with the teacher and find it disturbing this would not be a violation of rights or conduct on the Teacher's part.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Constance in the regard, that I still cannot say I would find the teacher's deduction excusable, even if he had made a warning in the syllabus.
ReplyDeleteI view his decision to be a bias and not an attempt to look after his students of alternative faiths. The school has already set-out the proper guidelines for doing that, so the teacher cannot take it upon himself. I find no right in disrespecting one student's practices for that of another. Personally, I say, "Bless You", versus "God Bless You". Anyhow, if a student were to tell me that made them uncomfortable or it was rude, I would correct it with perhaps nothing or a "gazuntite". If a Teacher of mine, were to have this same rule anywhere, I would immediately make a complaint to the Board of Directors or Ethics Committee. It is a Teacher's responsibility to Educated, not discriminate.
Rachael H-69
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that it is the teachers place to punish a child for doing or saying what they have been taught is polite or correct. They are children, and are being influenced by their parents to do what they feel is correct. A teacher has no right to punish a child for saying "God Bless You" after someone sneezes.
Daquan F-70
ReplyDeleteIt seems that banning "Bless you" would leave the kids religiously confused. People see it as a cultural norm so being punished for it is ridiculous. He says that a sneeze disrupts the class and saying bless you just adds to the disruption. If I was in that setting, every time somebody sneezed I would be lost in thought as to why I'm not allowed to say bless you. The teacher is letting his own religious values effect his abilities to actually teach and correctly enforce the rules of a class.
In response to Melanie P-70
You're right, I also believe the teacher was trying to make a point and spread his close-mindedness to the kids in his class. Sadly situations such as this aren't uncommon. This is just another example of the decline in education in the U.S.
I disagree with the teacher's actions. The teacher should not have the authority to deduct points from any students grade showing an act of kindness such as this. That is the problem with some teachers today. They should be teaching the children and emphasizing positive behavior, instead of showing this form of criticism and negativity. Saying God Bless you when a person sneezes is no different then saying excuse me for burping, passing gas, and stepping over someone. We also say have a Blessed day is there something wrong with that?
ReplyDeleteRachael H-69 in response to @Porsha P 44
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with the student being deducted points for being polite. If the teacher deducts points from a student for saying God Bless you, then the student that sneezes should get points deducted as well. Sneezing is just as disruptive as someone being polite and saying "God Bless you". This whole article is a joke!!
I agree with Sharise that we should be aware of what were saying. The reasons people said God Bless you was they believed the sneeze to be an evil spirit and that it could release evil spirits; also that you would stop breathing for a moment and that demons were attacking your heart. Those were some religious reason. Just think about the spread of germs when a person sneezing, saying God Bless You is a good thing. Maybe we should say God Bless Us!
ReplyDeleteOctavio P.41
ReplyDeleteThe harsh reaction of this teacher to something so trivial probably shows us the level of stress that some educators are experiencing in today’s schools. It may also show the obsession that many display when it comes to religious beliefs. Perhaps the teacher couldn’t take the constant class disruptions any longer. In my opinion, the fact that he exhibited such abuse of power demonstrates that probably he chose the wrong career path. Having an idea of how the system works, most likely the teacher will be legally briefed by NEA’s attorneys and all will be back to business as usual until the next incident. Sometimes we forget that the government seldom loses a battle. It is not a big corporation fighting the system; is it just a bunch of unhappy parents that usually don’t show up to school but to complain so that they can get their 15 minutes of fame. My point is not minimizing the roll of parental involvement, or the right to protest against injustice. Sometimes that’s how change takes place in society.
But, we must decide what really represents a threat to our kids. Conceivably the lack of good parenting, children exposure to vulgar sexually explicit television, unsupervised web surfing, less than desirable “friends”, etcetera, etcetera , etcetera…, should be where we put our energy and parenting skills to work.
We are looking at not such a detrimental incident in “Liberal California”, compared to the cheating scandal that’s still developing in the Atlanta School System. And I want to push it even further by speculating that maybe this cheating takes place all over America as the pressure to perform increases. These tests that our kids take every year are ultimately about the performance of the teachers, not our children’s. A bad grade could cost someone their job, and not all teachers embrace the “Code of Ethics”.
Mary M 82
ReplyDeleteI think it is wrong for this teacher to punish students for saying "God Bless You" after a fellow classmate sneezes. The students are merely trying to be polite, not attempting to disrupt the class. He is not acting as a positive role model for the children in his class if he is discouraging them from being polite by deducting points.
In response to Sheena M 69
I agree with you about this being a violation of the 1st amendment. I don't think he has the authority to tell them they can't say "God Bless You" when another student sneezes. I also agree with your statement about how this should be a violation of conduct on the teacher, not the student. I would understand the teacher's actions better if he had received a lot of complaints from students about the words "God Bless You" being used in class. I still don't think that points should be deducted though.
Ryan H, 69
ReplyDeleteIf the kids are truly disrupting the classroom by saying “bless you,” then I think the teacher is right to deduct points (although the amount deducted and punishing the whole classroom seems unreasonable). It would not be right if he was doing it out of spite because of his personal feelings towards a religion. I have no problem with a teacher placing a penalty for following certain societal and cultural norms if it affects classroom integrity (obviously to a point).
Anonymous in response to Sharise H 70
ReplyDeleteSharise, I would love to tell you that academics are the number one priority in our schools but, sorry, I can’t. Entertainment as means of socialization had replaced intellectual sharing. The more noise and the least we have to engage in our kids lives as parents , we believe the easier will be for our kids to evolve in society as adults. Maybe we don’t want to be responsible for their shortcoming in the future. “I was not around as much as I should have”, may absolve us for what’s coming to society in the future. “Ignorance is bliss”. No, I want and need to know everything concerning my kids so I could stop bad behavior on time, and I can praise them even faster for their accomplishments. Our kids spent more time at school that they do at home during the week. Don't relay out job on someone that has already too much on their agenda. Let’s be parents and be there for our kids when they need us and even more important when they don’t.
By the way,
ReplyDeleteGOD bless you all.
In regards to the separation of church and state; I would agree that in this particular case this is appropriate. This teacher would not want to have $25 taken from his paycheck every time he did not say "God bless you"...would he? Therefore he does not have the right to deduct 25 points from a student if he/she does say it.
ReplyDeleteThomas L 67
ReplyDeleteWow, I really cant believe a teacher would do this. Actually I cant believe anyone in their right state of mind would do this. Not only is he punishing kids on saying something but also kids who are trying to do well in school. So that one girl who has a 98 in his class and does all of her work all the time lost points because she said three words. Sometimes man, i don`t even understand this world, why does it have to have those people with ideas like this in their heads. If your a no believer in God and Jesus well thats you. But, don`t make others suffer for your choice.
To Everyone in the class 67
ReplyDeleteMay God bless you all :)
Thomas L 67
JosephW-67
ReplyDeleteWho am I to judge how a teacher instructs their students. I imagine it took a lot for the teacher to take such measures and if the actions continue then the kids are lacking in discipline. Of course anyone who has learned from the Bible's teachings would know a verse or two about conforming to the worldly society for certain reasons. It's either time-out, disciplinary action, or 25 points off. 25 points off just seemed better to him for some reason.
JosephW-67
ReplyDeleteReply to Thomas L 67
Amen.
Ryan h, 69
ReplyDeleteResponse to Renee A 67:
The teacher might possibly be a nut case, but the only information we know about him and this situation is what is sensationalized by the media and what we think he meant by his actions. He looks older and probably has been teaching for awhile, so I am sure it took more than just a polite “bless you” or “god bless you” for him to set this rule. Although the phrase itself is polite, you can still misuse it and disrupt a classroom.
ALICE P-70
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the punishment for deducting from their grades, because this like of behavior is like a cultural thing among any groups when some thing like this happen, only if the teacher have told the student not to say that type of language in his or her class. There are rule in class like teacher says No talking, looking at someone work during testing taken or going in and out off the class at a
MichaelS-69
ReplyDeleteI think this teacher is way out of line. I understand the seperation of church and state, but this is different. For mamy people this is just second nature whether your a religious person or not. Saying God Bless You is just simply being polite, we have been taught this our entire lives. If this was my child I would say the hell with the 25 points we are taking you out of this guys class immediately. This is the crap our kids are dealing with these days. Its hard enough to stop the many distractions from friends and other students, but now it comes from teachers as well. WOW I really cant believe this guy.
MichaelS-69 in response to EurekaB-70
ReplyDeleteI agree with Eureka 100 percent. This student was showing an act of kindness and is being punished for it. Give some positive reinforcements to these students, and focus on whats important witch is their education. After all you are their teacher.
This is absolutely ridiculous. Why not penalize the kids for coughing or breathing to much in a class as well? I don't believe this is a religious problem, but rather a teacher being obnoxious and taking their power too far. They want to control their classroom which is understandable, but if you can't deal with normal behavior, it might be time to choose a new profession. If it is a religious issue he can get over that as well. I do not attend church but I will be the first person to say "god bless you". I'm not bringing god into the conversation, but rather the fact of acknowledging a person sneezing.
ReplyDeleteIn response to MicahaelS.69-
I agree. We have been taught to say it from an early age and it is polite. But on the contrary, I would not pull myself ( or my kids of the future) out of the class, I'd make it known to the principal, school board, and the media.
Lelia C.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Keith R...if this man has his own belief on why no one should say "God bless you" after a sneeze, then that's HIS opinion! If he is out in public or even in his own class and he chooses NOT to say "God bless you", then that's his right...BUT, it is also OUR right TO SAY IT IF WE WANT!! He cannot tell someone else not to do something just because he doesn't believe in it himself, just as we cannot MAKE him say it if he doesn't want to. I don't understand why people say that these kind of things violate their rights ( saying God bless you, the pledge,ect...) when we have just as much of a right to do these things than you do not to do them....if we are equals, then let us be equal...we won't mess with you or your particular beliefs if you don't mess with our's. Can't we all just get along??
SandraS/69
ReplyDeleteI do not agree with this teacher thinking he can use his power to deduct points on kids that I believe are using their manners and doing the right thing. We all grew learning to say "God Bless you or bless you" to whomever sneezes, its just polite. Some teachers bitch and complain that "kids these days" don't have manners. Yet this one wants to penalize kids for doing so. I would be one pissed child especially for those that work hard to get the grades they deserve for a teacher to take that away is unjust.
In response to MaryM
ReplyDeleteYou are right we expect teachers to be a role model to our kids as well teachers expect parents to be the same. Yet he just discourages this. This makes for confusion for the kids that are taught properly and for those who need to be taught properly.
I think it's absurd. Saying "God bless you" is just a polite reaction to someone sneezing, it does not have any religious meaning... at least not anymore. It is believed that the phrase used to, that it was used as a way to prevent the spread of plague by "blessing" someone after they sneezed. There are some other theories of it having a religious or superstitious meaning, but it is just a gesture of kindness. Enforcing any form of punishment on a social norm as widely used as this is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteFrank J 67
ReplyDeleteThis is just another case and example of division. I see it more and more nowadays. Coke vs Pepsi, Dem vs Rep, Ford vs Chevy, my NFL team vs yours, my belief in God vs your non belief. Society is becoming more and more tribal with their beliefs and likes and demonizing those who differ. This teacher is wrong for imposing his beliefs in the form of docking class points. If he has this belief, that's fine, we all have opinions and beliefs and we are entitled to HAVE those beliefs not IMPOSE them on others. The Constitution secures and assures us the right to practice religion however we please but it doesn't say we punish others for their beliefs.
Frank J 67
ReplyDeleteIn response to Kudi A
The problem with being "politically correct" is that no matter what, someone isn't going to be happy about a remark said. Whenever you hear someone saying they are trying to be "PC" they are usually saying it sarcastically meaning that person isn't in full agreement with what he or she is saying. On top of that, this teacher is making an issue of something that might not have been a belief in the classroom but by him doing this, he has brought it to the forefront of everyone.....including being the topic of this blog. He is also violating someones 1st Amendment rights by in essence punishing them for there beliefs.
beingthe this came from a time where sneezing meant certain death to say god bless you or bless you just meant that you wish the other person better health. I my wishes for your health offend you in anyway we then sorry just ignore me and i believe you can have your own response if it really bothers you that much when i say it to you but it should be averbal discussion and it should be strictly between the sneezer and the person saying bless you
ReplyDeleteHERB-67
ReplyDeleteReligious tolerance is one of the foundations of our republic. I feel the instructor is setting a bad example. There is clearly an opportunity for cultural understanding.
HERB-67
ReplyDeleteIn response to Frank J 67 in response to Kudi A
Politically correct is just another useless way of people saying, "We're all equal, but I'm still going to notice we're different by creating more complicated, multi-syllabic descriptive terms to delineate us, while still claiming to believe I think we're equal." I believe my grandfather used to call it "talking out of both sides of your mouth." I can't recall what my father called it. My son will eventually tell his Sociology class that his father thought it was stupid.
If everybody REALLY believed everybody was equal, we wouldn't have a term like "politically correct," would we?
I find this ridiculous. I feel that it is yet another example of a teacher trying to push his own agenda, rather that teach the children according to the curriculum. It is a hindrance to the children's learning, and should not be allowed. I feel if more teacher would focus on actual learning, we might be able to produce young adults that "have a clue" when they finish grade school. Absolutely ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteDavid Glemann
ReplyDeleteThe teacher who made the rule is the deviant one, clearly. He is trying to create or be part of a revolution that he thinks will ingratiate him to the "burn it all down, man" croud. This pathetic creature is supposed to be leading the teens in his class, not just trying to be the biggest kid in the room. Teens are to be expected to rebel against authority. Mature adults will get over that.
Sharise H. 70 In response to Ryan H. 69
ReplyDeleteI am trying to see this teacher's side. I think you might be on to something Ryan. If you have 30 kids in a classroom and 10 sneeze per class, can you imagine how many "bless you" go around the room. It must be very disruptive even though it is considered a polite gesture. I can only imagine that this teacher repeated himself several times to no avail to stop the madness. This is what he resorted to in order to control his class.
Shelicia H(70)
ReplyDeleteWow! how is this being addressed. When I was in high school as a fun thing we read how certain myths started and are still around. 'God bless you' was one of them. From what I remember a long time ago it was believed that spirits are around and thats what causes you to sneeze but there were other myths about it also. That when people used to sneeze they died and saying 'God blees you' was because you didn't die. This can be assocaited with religion and you can't be punished for your religious prefrence especially when everyone else is doing it.It has become so common that it's a norm. For a teacher to say it's disruptive doesn't make any sense. It's a disruption the fact that he points it out and doesn't keep going with the lesson. you can't stop sneezing. If he wanted to keep kids from sneezing he should invest in air purifiers and clean his own classrom. maybe that would help instead of penilizing kids. It shouldn't be permitted and he should have to apologize to those students.
shelicia H(70) in response to Joseph (67)
ReplyDeleteYou are saying it ok? So if you were in that class you would just stop saying it and have no problem with 25 points off. The bible doesn't say conform to this world, it says to be a light and to not be apart of it.
George M 67
ReplyDeleteI feel as though this man has a very valid point in taking points off. Once upon a time America was not as multicultural as it is today, and their are many religions that students follow. Today we should address our various religions and cultures. It should be addressed that not all people believe in the same God, or God at all for that matter. Seperation of Church and State should be enforced in my opinion.
George M 67 in response to Thomas L 67
ReplyDeleteIt could also be argued from the opposing view. What if you were the one person in the class who didnt like chocolate cake, and every day the teacher brought in chocolate cake......at some point youd feel left out or different. Some people may feel like this in class where they have different faiths then the status quo. Majority rule should not apply in such a delicate situation.
Isabelle 44
ReplyDeleteAs a Christian i believe in God ans use many citation but I do not think it is appropriate for him to deduct point from the student for this matter. Students are a combinations of muslim, christian and many other so everyone has his or her own choice and beliefs.
Megan G_70
ReplyDeleteI think it is totally rediculous that a teacher can take points away from a student for sayg "God bless you after someone sneezes." I think that taking the phrase under God out of the pledge of alligence was enough. But saying God bless you after someone sneezes and having points deducted for it is just rediculous! I was raised say God Bless you when someone sneezes and I have taught my own children the same way. That is just crazy to me!
Maria S
ReplyDeleteSteven Cuckovich is that classic example of someone who has lost any interest in achieving any cultural or personal goal. He just wakes up every day, goes to school, and does his job... just because he needs to live of something. He is no longer interested in stimulating young people's minds (RITUALISM). Someone sneeze and a student replied "God bless you" and he is irritated by that! That is crazy. The student who said this didn’t do it to make a political statement; he just wished someone wellness. And more outrageous that the parents did not scream : NO WAY IN HELL! I’m not promoting violence... I’m just saying that there is no way I would have allowed my child to continue in that man's classroom. I would have done everything possible to make sure that the teacher understands that he is not a God in that classroom. He does not have the almighty power to do as he pleases with my child's grade. He can test my child, and my child has the responsibility to study. Consequently, she would earn her grade, regardless whether she gets an A or a F. But to deduce 25pts from her grade because someone said God bless you... No way. If the school system is that bad that they would allow this teacher to teach... then i rather take her out of that school. We, the people have more rights than we think. If the parents in that classroom became organized and stated to the world that this is unacceptable, believe me, someone would listen.
Teachers have no business letting their beliefs get in the way of a students success. They should follow a culture norm even if the teachers and students do not follow the same faith or simply none at all.
ReplyDelete