Criticism vs Shaming

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  • 2FatToRun
    2FatToRun Posts: 810 Member
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    And while you are allowed to bring up other areas, what you have not done is challenged the central issue of whether the teacher has any legitimate ability to shame a student in front of his peers about his weight.

    I get what you are saying. To this, though, I don't know if it's just wording or if you mean ability. Of course she had the ability, everyone has the ability to shame someone. It's more of a question of whether she had the right to do so.

    I do believe in this case, though I have not read the story, that if the teacher was truly worried about this child being obese she could have done something more constructive, like tell the class "we're all going to bring healthy snacks tomorrow." That way the kid doesn't feel singled out and the teacher feels like she can do something. That's just assuming it was a young child anyway.

    teachers dont get paid enough for this chit
  • DalekBrittany
    DalekBrittany Posts: 1,748 Member
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    And while you are allowed to bring up other areas, what you have not done is challenged the central issue of whether the teacher has any legitimate ability to shame a student in front of his peers about his weight.

    I get what you are saying. To this, though, I don't know if it's just wording or if you mean ability. Of course she had the ability, everyone has the ability to shame someone. It's more of a question of whether she had the right to do so.

    I do believe in this case, though I have not read the story, that if the teacher was truly worried about this child being obese she could have done something more constructive, like tell the class "we're all going to bring healthy snacks tomorrow." That way the kid doesn't feel singled out and the teacher feels like she can do something. That's just assuming it was a young child anyway.

    teachers dont get paid enough for this chit

    No, teachers don't get paid enough for what they do. But they don't have any more right to call a kid fat than a police officer or a cashier or a plumber does. See what I mean?
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
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    I think it really depends on the situation. If this teacher was close with the student and the comment was respectful, I don't see a problem with it. In the same way I might tell a loved one about dangers of going tanning or drinking too much. But I wouldn't talk to someone I didn't know well about that.
  • happycauseIride
    happycauseIride Posts: 536 Member
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    This, to me, is the same situation as the guy who wrote that news gal in Wisconsin a few months back and told her he was disappointed with her weight issues. It's no ones business to tell another person if they are fat or not. We know we are. There are many reasons we are over weight and a teacher, friend, or perfect stranger don't know all the circumstances. There could be medical issues, there could be emotional issues, etc.

    99 times out of 100, the over weight person already knows it anyway. Telling me isn't going to shame or guilt me into doing something about it. All its going to do is make me mad at you and run for a box of donuts or Oreo's to make me feel better. I have to make that decision on my own.

    The teacher was wrong in telling the kid that. I didn't see the story about it, but it doesn't matter. No one has the right to say something to someone else about their weight. It's just rude and demeaning and a form of bullying.
  • epie2098
    epie2098 Posts: 224 Member
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    A teacher should never tell a student she is fat. If a teacher is that concerned about a student's weight, she can do a couple of things. 1. Mention it to the school nurse and have the nurse evaluate if there is a health issue. Then the nurse can contact the parents 2. Decide to have a class lecture on healthy eating and exercise for the entire class, never addressing the child in question specifically.

    I also call BS on coaches who believe they need to shame their players into performing better. To me it's the same logic. You can motivate people without shaming them, especially children.

    As a health teacher, it is in my curriculum to teach about healthy eating and nutrition. While I do not call out any student for being overweight, and trust me, I have a few overweight students in my class, I WILL emphasize the importance of eating a balanced diet, stick to the calorie levels kids this age should be consuming, and inform them of the amount of calories, sugar, sodium and fat there are in local fast food restaurants. They LEARN this information so they can make better choices. But, the choice to eat what they eat remains entirely up to them -- and I do not "shame" anyone. What I hope to have happen is what happened last year with my students: "Wow, there are 37 teaspoons full of sugar in that Sonic fruit smoothie!" "Wow, there are 850 calories in that one slice of loaded pizza!" "WHOA, one BK whopper with cheese, large fry and large coke is nearly an ENTIRE day's worth of calories!"

    That's what they learn -- and no one is shamed in the process.

    ^This. I have been a health teacher, but now I'm teaching special ed. There are ways to empower people to learn about healthy habits without ever calling on individuals.
  • MissFuchsia
    MissFuchsia Posts: 526 Member
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    If someone is obese, they don't need to be told they are. I'm sure realise this themselves. If someone had called me fat before i lost weight, I would have eaten a load of junk food to make myself feel better! You have to want it for yourself.

    My mother always gave me a hard time about my weight. She would insult me all the time and I had no confidence at all. She thought she was helping me by giving me the 'tough love' approach. The more she critized me the more I would binge. Maybe it's a coincidence but I started to lose weight a few weeks after I moved in with my then boyfriend.

    One thing that did stick with me was a co-worker at my previous job commenting on how much I ate and how greedy I was. I laughed it off because I didn't know how else to react. I was shocked. After that I barely ate in work and saved my junk food for evenings and weekends. To this day, I do not eat crap in front of my co-workers. Ever
  • 2FatToRun
    2FatToRun Posts: 810 Member
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    And while you are allowed to bring up other areas, what you have not done is challenged the central issue of whether the teacher has any legitimate ability to shame a student in front of his peers about his weight.

    I get what you are saying. To this, though, I don't know if it's just wording or if you mean ability. Of course she had the ability, everyone has the ability to shame someone. It's more of a question of whether she had the right to do so.

    I do believe in this case, though I have not read the story, that if the teacher was truly worried about this child being obese she could have done something more constructive, like tell the class "we're all going to bring healthy snacks tomorrow." That way the kid doesn't feel singled out and the teacher feels like she can do something. That's just assuming it was a young child anyway.

    teachers dont get paid enough for this chit

    No, teachers don't get paid enough for what they do. But they don't have any more right to call a kid fat than a police officer or a cashier or a plumber does. See what I mean?

    Everyone has the right to say what they want. Is it always taken as nice? No. If you dont want to be labeled or called fat dont be fat. Same goes for everything else in life. You lie you get called a liar. You drink too much you are called a drunk. You do drugs you are called a druggie. If you dont like to be called out on your issues...resolve them. Dont be mad or place blame on the person saying what they see in front of them. Many great ppl turned out just fine and dandy from shaming. You cant call the sky green when it it so obvious it is blue.
  • CrazyTrackLady
    CrazyTrackLady Posts: 1,337 Member
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    And while you are allowed to bring up other areas, what you have not done is challenged the central issue of whether the teacher has any legitimate ability to shame a student in front of his peers about his weight.

    I get what you are saying. To this, though, I don't know if it's just wording or if you mean ability. Of course she had the ability, everyone has the ability to shame someone. It's more of a question of whether she had the right to do so.

    I do believe in this case, though I have not read the story, that if the teacher was truly worried about this child being obese she could have done something more constructive, like tell the class "we're all going to bring healthy snacks tomorrow." That way the kid doesn't feel singled out and the teacher feels like she can do something. That's just assuming it was a young child anyway.

    teachers dont get paid enough for this chit

    No, teachers don't get paid enough for what they do. But they don't have any more right to call a kid fat than a police officer or a cashier or a plumber does. See what I mean?

    Everyone has the right to say what they want. Is it always taken as nice? No. If you dont want to be labeled or called fat dont be fat. Same goes for everything else in life. You lie you get called a liar. You drink too much you are called a drunk. You do drugs you are called a druggie. If you dont like to be called out on your issues...resolve them. Dont be mad or place blame on the person saying what they see in front of them. Many great ppl turned out just fine and dandy from shaming. You cant call the sky green when it it so obvious it is blue.

    Now, doll, you KNOW I love ya, BUT just because we've been given the right to free speech doesn't mean we can abuse others with it. There is a line that shouldn't be crossed when it comes to a teacher singling out and verbally abusing a student. That's one I won't cross, but you can bet I am very firm with my students (6th graders) when they need a good old fashioned calling out.

    NOW, however, the students KNOW I am totally funning with them, and since it's towards the end of the year, I WILL say goofy things at funny times, like when a student is walking back into the room after a drink -- I will say, just out of the blue, with a smile in my voice "And ANOTHER THING I don't like about Dylan is..." and look at Dylan out of the corner of my eye and wink. That's a way to get his attention focused back on class. None of it is ever said with mean spiritedness or rudeness. The kids totally know I'm kidding.

    In fact, two boys yesterday were talking at each other from across the room (there's a reason why they're that far from each other), and after I had told each of them twice to stop, and they hadn't, I changed my words to: "Boys, stop before the rest of the class starts to think you're flirting with each other! There's no flirting allowed" Oh did THAT get them to stop!
  • panicintheattic
    panicintheattic Posts: 102 Member
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    "Hey, I think your weight might be affecting your health" and "Hey, your weight is affecting the way you look in those clothes" are two totally different statements. The first might show concern and the second just shows you being an ignorant, superficial, judgmental *kitten*.
    Not to mention, to be able to sit there and "coach" other people on how to exercise and how to eat right is a totally privileged position. If you have access to open, safe outdoor spaces and an actual grocery store where you can buy fresh produce, you're in actuality extremely lucky.

    Same as saying you are fat just in a beating around the bush way......and as far as privileged positions of "coaching" we all do it on a daily basis with our BFFF's by motivating them to exercise or make better eating choices. Exercising and groceries have nothing to do with "luck" you either do what you need to do or you make excuses to stay where you are.

    Not if you live in a food desert and the only place you can get groceries is a 7-11, and you live somewhere where there are no gyms and going jogging can get you shot.

    Edit: And, motivating someone and calling them out are different things. If you have a friend and you are both on the same page with exercising and eating, it's an appropriate situation to discuss fitness goals. If you are only acquaintances with someone and you call them out for what you think is unhealthy, it's not exactly your place to do so.
  • chiremba
    chiremba Posts: 30 Member
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    Yes I do once I know them and especially if they are putting on weight fast
  • 2FatToRun
    2FatToRun Posts: 810 Member
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    "Hey, I think your weight might be affecting your health" and "Hey, your weight is affecting the way you look in those clothes" are two totally different statements. The first might show concern and the second just shows you being an ignorant, superficial, judgmental *kitten*.
    Not to mention, to be able to sit there and "coach" other people on how to exercise and how to eat right is a totally privileged position. If you have access to open, safe outdoor spaces and an actual grocery store where you can buy fresh produce, you're in actuality extremely lucky.

    Same as saying you are fat just in a beating around the bush way......and as far as privileged positions of "coaching" we all do it on a daily basis with our BFFF's by motivating them to exercise or make better eating choices. Exercising and groceries have nothing to do with "luck" you either do what you need to do or you make excuses to stay where you are.

    Not if you live in a food desert and the only place you can get groceries is a 7-11, and you live somewhere where there are no gyms and going jogging can get you shot.

    Edit: And, motivating someone and calling them out are different things. If you have a friend and you are both on the same page with exercising and eating, it's an appropriate situation to discuss fitness goals. If you are only acquaintances with someone and you call them out for what you think is unhealthy, it's not exactly your place to do so.

    If you are in the situation you mentioned above how the hell did you get fat? Wouldnt you be hiding and running from bullets *rolls eyes* When you re-enter realities atmosphere I will continue this convo. Until then carry on with whatever you are doing to post such a ridiculous comment lol Everyone knows 7-11 sells fruit. And I hardly leave my house and workout out. Such BS lol
    EHHHHHHH.....try again! lol
  • chiremba
    chiremba Posts: 30 Member
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    People do not always know how big they are and having a loving supportive family what support you and feed you your favourites. Do the walking for you and always give you the front seat is not always helpful. If the whole family and all friends are big them it is " normal. I weighed 120kg dropped to 80kg which was still obese but everyone thought I had lost too much because they were used to me being morbidly obese.
  • chiremba
    chiremba Posts: 30 Member
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    Oh and I get told, but you have african curves. True but I would still have those curves at 65kg with a healthier heart.
  • panicintheattic
    panicintheattic Posts: 102 Member
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    "Hey, I think your weight might be affecting your health" and "Hey, your weight is affecting the way you look in those clothes" are two totally different statements. The first might show concern and the second just shows you being an ignorant, superficial, judgmental *kitten*.
    Not to mention, to be able to sit there and "coach" other people on how to exercise and how to eat right is a totally privileged position. If you have access to open, safe outdoor spaces and an actual grocery store where you can buy fresh produce, you're in actuality extremely lucky.

    Same as saying you are fat just in a beating around the bush way......and as far as privileged positions of "coaching" we all do it on a daily basis with our BFFF's by motivating them to exercise or make better eating choices. Exercising and groceries have nothing to do with "luck" you either do what you need to do or you make excuses to stay where you are.

    Not if you live in a food desert and the only place you can get groceries is a 7-11, and you live somewhere where there are no gyms and going jogging can get you shot.

    Edit: And, motivating someone and calling them out are different things. If you have a friend and you are both on the same page with exercising and eating, it's an appropriate situation to discuss fitness goals. If you are only acquaintances with someone and you call them out for what you think is unhealthy, it's not exactly your place to do so.

    If you are in the situation you mentioned above how the hell did you get fat? Wouldnt you be hiding and running from bullets *rolls eyes* When you re-enter realities atmosphere I will continue this convo. Until then carry on with whatever you are doing to post such a ridiculous comment lol Everyone knows 7-11 sells fruit. And I hardly leave my house and workout out. Such BS lol
    EHHHHHHH.....try again! lol
    Ah yes, how could I forget the fruit! Shame on me. Sometimes I get so caught up in issues of segregation and poverty that plague the city of Chicago and the nation as a whole that I forget about 7-11's over-priced health food options that nicely accompany the Big Gulps, candy bars, and flasks of liquor.
    Good luck on your future endeavors of bacon and fat-shaming.
  • 2FatToRun
    2FatToRun Posts: 810 Member
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    "Hey, I think your weight might be affecting your health" and "Hey, your weight is affecting the way you look in those clothes" are two totally different statements. The first might show concern and the second just shows you being an ignorant, superficial, judgmental *kitten*.
    Not to mention, to be able to sit there and "coach" other people on how to exercise and how to eat right is a totally privileged position. If you have access to open, safe outdoor spaces and an actual grocery store where you can buy fresh produce, you're in actuality extremely lucky.

    Same as saying you are fat just in a beating around the bush way......and as far as privileged positions of "coaching" we all do it on a daily basis with our BFFF's by motivating them to exercise or make better eating choices. Exercising and groceries have nothing to do with "luck" you either do what you need to do or you make excuses to stay where you are.

    Not if you live in a food desert and the only place you can get groceries is a 7-11, and you live somewhere where there are no gyms and going jogging can get you shot.

    Edit: And, motivating someone and calling them out are different things. If you have a friend and you are both on the same page with exercising and eating, it's an appropriate situation to discuss fitness goals. If you are only acquaintances with someone and you call them out for what you think is unhealthy, it's not exactly your place to do so.

    If you are in the situation you mentioned above how the hell did you get fat? Wouldnt you be hiding and running from bullets *rolls eyes* When you re-enter realities atmosphere I will continue this convo. Until then carry on with whatever you are doing to post such a ridiculous comment lol Everyone knows 7-11 sells fruit. And I hardly leave my house and workout out. Such BS lol
    EHHHHHHH.....try again! lol
    Ah yes, how could I forget the fruit! Shame on me. Sometimes I get so caught up in issues of segregation and poverty that plague the city of Chicago and the nation as a whole that I forget about 7-11's over-priced health food options that nicely accompany the Big Gulps, candy bars, and flasks of liquor.
    Good luck on your future endeavors of bacon and fat-shaming.

    Ty and good luck to you on your continued blaming of society and endless excuses instead of doing something about it. Arent we a peachy pair! :drinker:
  • luckyjuls
    luckyjuls Posts: 505 Member
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    From the CNN article you seem to be referencing:
    ---
    "Hey, Precious."

    Cherie Hart Steffen turned toward her professor in the hall of their community college. "What?" she asked, sure she had misheard.

    "Precious -- you know, from the movie," he repeated.

    The students around them started laughing. Steffen could only stare in disbelief. He had just compared her to Gabourey Sidibe's obese character in the 2009 film.

    "It was like ... someone hit me with a frying pan on my head," she remembers.
    ---

    Yes, that was bullying. OP probably should have included that from the beginning. Until I went and looked at the article I wouldn't have thought so; context is key.

    I don't think this teacher intended to shame her into losing weight.
    I don't think he wanted to help her.
    I think he just wanted to humiliate her in front of her peers and even though it produced a positive result, I don't think it was professional and it could have backfired.
    I would feel the exact same way if the teacher had said, "Hello, J-Lo" implying the student had a huge butt. I would feel the same way if the teacher had said, "Hello, Harvy Milk" or "Hello, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" and implied the student was gay or "Hello, Monster" to imply they looked like Charlize Theron in said movie . WTF. It's just not ok in that environment.
    He's being paid to teach, not to comment on a student's body, gender, sexual preference, etc.

    Really glad the subject of the article lost the weight and is helping others in their journey, but I don't think she should give any credit to this teacher. He was just a plain, ol' capital D.
  • panicintheattic
    panicintheattic Posts: 102 Member
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    From the CNN article you seem to be referencing:
    ---
    "Hey, Precious."

    Cherie Hart Steffen turned toward her professor in the hall of their community college. "What?" she asked, sure she had misheard.

    "Precious -- you know, from the movie," he repeated.

    The students around them started laughing. Steffen could only stare in disbelief. He had just compared her to Gabourey Sidibe's obese character in the 2009 film.

    "It was like ... someone hit me with a frying pan on my head," she remembers.
    ---

    Yes, that was bullying. OP probably should have included that from the beginning. Until I went and looked at the article I wouldn't have thought so; context is key.

    I don't think this teacher intended to shame her into losing weight.
    I don't think he wanted to help her.
    I think he just wanted to humiliate her in front of her peers and even though it produced a positive result, I don't think it was professional and it could have backfired.
    I would feel the exact same way if the teacher had said, "Hello, J-Lo" implying the student had a huge butt. I would feel the same way if the teacher had said, "Hello, Harvy Milk" or "Hello, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" and implied the student was gay or "Hello, Monster" to imply they looked like Charlize Theron in said movie . WTF. It's just not ok in that environment.
    He's being paid to teach, not to comment on a student's body, gender, sexual preference, etc.

    Really glad the subject of the article lost the weight and is helping others in their journey, but I don't think she should give any credit to this teacher. He was just a plain, ol' capital D.
    Oh wow, I didn't realize that was the context.
    Pretty sure that probably counts as harassment. I would have filed a complaint and gotten his *kitten* fired.
  • 2FatToRun
    2FatToRun Posts: 810 Member
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    From the CNN article you seem to be referencing:
    ---
    "Hey, Precious."

    Cherie Hart Steffen turned toward her professor in the hall of their community college. "What?" she asked, sure she had misheard.

    "Precious -- you know, from the movie," he repeated.

    The students around them started laughing. Steffen could only stare in disbelief. He had just compared her to Gabourey Sidibe's obese character in the 2009 film.

    "It was like ... someone hit me with a frying pan on my head," she remembers.
    ---

    Yes, that was bullying. OP probably should have included that from the beginning. Until I went and looked at the article I wouldn't have thought so; context is key.

    I don't think this teacher intended to shame her into losing weight.
    I don't think he wanted to help her.
    I think he just wanted to humiliate her in front of her peers and even though it produced a positive result, I don't think it was professional and it could have backfired.
    I would feel the exact same way if the teacher had said, "Hello, J-Lo" implying the student had a huge butt. I would feel the same way if the teacher had said, "Hello, Harvy Milk" or "Hello, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" and implied the student was gay or "Hello, Monster" to imply they looked like Charlize Theron in said movie . WTF. It's just not ok in that environment.
    He's being paid to teach, not to comment on a student's body, gender, sexual preference, etc.

    Really glad the subject of the article lost the weight and is helping others in their journey, but I don't think she should give any credit to this teacher. He was just a plain, ol' capital D.

    I think she gives the credit to her mom..her dying words were for her to lose weight. TBH I dont think the professors comments even need to be in the story. Yeah he was an asshat for saying it but he has the right to say what he wants. Just because someone is a total asshat doesnt mean you have to cont to eat yourself into oblivion. If anything she shoudl get all the credit not the teacher not the mom. She is the one who was fat and fixed it. She took responsibility for her life the reasons behind it matter not.
  • dayone987
    dayone987 Posts: 645 Member
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    Everyone has the right to say what they want. Is it always taken as nice? No. If you dont want to be labeled or called fat dont be fat. Same goes for everything else in life. You lie you get called a liar. You drink too much you are called a drunk. You do drugs you are called a druggie. If you dont like to be called out on your issues...resolve them. Dont be mad or place blame on the person saying what they see in front of them. Many great ppl turned out just fine and dandy from shaming. You cant call the sky green when it it so obvious it is blue.
    [/quote]

    Everyone does not have the right to say what they want when they want.
    Most jobs do not allow people to say whatever they want to their patients, students, employees, customers, clients etc and could very easily face consequences such as lawsuits and professional discipline for doing so.
    But, hey, if you want to say what you want to people in your personal life, go right ahead if that's working for you:flowerforyou:
  • CrazyTrackLady
    CrazyTrackLady Posts: 1,337 Member
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    From the CNN article you seem to be referencing:
    ---

    "It was like ... someone hit me with a frying pan on my head," she remembers.

    I'm a little upset by this split infinitive. It appears as those she's been hit while wearing a frying pan on her head. That should read: "It was like, someone hit me on the head with a frying pan," she remembers.