# Newbie teacher rule #1. Never turn your back to the students! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 28, 2013, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-teacher-rule-1-never-turn-your-back-to-the-students/674978 "2013-11-28T02:36:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2013, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-teacher-rule-1-never-turn-your-back-to-the-students/674978/1 "2013-11-28T02:36:25Z")
I bet this newbie teacher never makes this mistake again. :eek: Keep those little angels in front of you! 😛 Actually it was just one bad kid. But geez WTF was wrong with him? Just a few weeks ago a transfer student from Tenn [murdered a teacher in the school bathroom.](http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/22/21575610-teen-suspect-in-murder-of-teacher-colleen-ritzer-left-hate-note-documents-say) Theres some seriously disturbed kids out there. [http://www.wbtw.com/story/24078633/teen-boy-charged-after-teacher-set-on-fire-tenn-police-say](http://www.wbtw.com/story/24078633/teen-boy-charged-after-teacher-set-on-fire-tenn-police-say) > [@](#): > > KNOXVILLE, TN – A 15-year-old student in Knoxville was arrested Monday morning after police say the boy used a lighter to ignite a teacher’s hair and shirt, WATE-TV reported. > > School resource officers responded to a West High School classroom around 10:45 a.m. > > According to the victim and witnesses, the incident happened as teacher Gabriela Peñalba, age 23, turned her back to the classroom. > > At that point, a male student lit her hair and shirt on fire, police told the TV station. > > Several other students quickly helped extinguish the fire. > \ > Peñalba is in her first year at West High School, where she teaches Environmental Science and Anatomy and Physiology, according to the school’s website. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-teacher-rule-1-never-turn-your-back-to-the-students/674978/2 "2013-11-28T02:54:07Z")
The local news link may expire in a few weeks. Here is another link. Has a few pictures that goes with the article. I’m glad the lady wasn’t hurt. That could have turned out really bad for her. > **[Boy, 15, arrested for setting teacher on fire](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2514507/Knoxville-West-High-School-boy-15-arrested-setting-teacher-FIRE.html)** > > Police in Tennessee say the teacher, 23-year-old Gabriela Penalba, escaped injury thanks to her students who extinguished the flames scorching her hair and shirt. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2013, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-teacher-rule-1-never-turn-your-back-to-the-students/674978/3 "2013-11-28T03:10:52Z")
“Extinguished the fire”? They should have transferred it from her to the kid that started it
 ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2013, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-teacher-rule-1-never-turn-your-back-to-the-students/674978/4 "2013-11-28T23:31:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Theres some seriously disturbed kids out there. And for every seriously disturbed kid (which probably should have been weeded out of regular schools at some point anyway, but wasn’t for bullshit PC reasons) there are millions of regular kids. You just don’t hear about them. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-teacher-rule-1-never-turn-your-back-to-the-students/674978/5 "2013-11-29T04:52:08Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > And for every seriously disturbed kid (which probably should have been weeded out of regular schools at some point anyway, but wasn’t for bullshit PC reasons) there are millions of regular kids. > > You just don’t hear about them. No shit, what’s your point? ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-teacher-rule-1-never-turn-your-back-to-the-students/674978/6 "2013-11-29T05:50:35Z")
Is anyone else hearing Van Halen right about now? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-teacher-rule-1-never-turn-your-back-to-the-students/674978/7 "2013-11-29T18:39:42Z")
Most teacher turn their backs on the kids to write on the blackboard. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-teacher-rule-1-never-turn-your-back-to-the-students/674978/8 "2013-11-29T19:40:22Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Just a few weeks ago a transfer student from Tenn [murdered a teacher in the school bathroom.](http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/22/21575610-teen-suspect-in-murder-of-teacher-colleen-ritzer-left-hate-note-documents-say) Theres some seriously disturbed kids out there. That story really, really disturbed me - not only did he murder her but he sexually assaulted her. [The dead teacher’s twitter is heart-breaking to read](https://twitter.com/msritzermath) because she sounds like a very kind-hearted, idealistic person who probably never thought that one of her kids would do something like that to her. I do feel bad for these young female teachers who have to try maintain control over a classroom with some of the students being these angry, violent nearly-grown young men. Back when I was in middle school, one of our teachers was a Marine who talked to us as if he was a drill instructor. Another of our teachers was an ex-military police officer. In hindsight, I think having tough, burly men who were **capable** of kicking our teenaged asses (even if they weren’t actually supposed to) probably was a brilliant idea. It seems like nowadays a lot of parents have no control over their kids. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-teacher-rule-1-never-turn-your-back-to-the-students/674978/9 "2013-11-29T20:14:06Z")
> [@lavenderviolet](#): > > In hindsight, I think having tough, burly men who were **capable** of kicking our teenaged asses (even if they weren’t actually supposed to) probably was a brilliant idea. Totally works in Basic Training/Boot Camp. Drill Sergeant never did anything to us that Mr. Rogers wouldn’t have done, but he had some excellent verbal communication skills. Plus a known history of combat kills is like a x10 multiplier to the speaker’s credibility. We should be funneling our returning vets into teaching jobs. Even if one goes off his rocker now and then and squeezes some punk’s neck, it would send a clear message to the other kids about the wisdom of messing with Teacher. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-teacher-rule-1-never-turn-your-back-to-the-students/674978/10 "2013-11-29T20:36:48Z")
> [@akennett](#): > > Is anyone else hearing Van Halen right about now? Well, I am _now!_ ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-teacher-rule-1-never-turn-your-back-to-the-students/674978/11 "2013-11-30T00:01:08Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > No shit, what’s your point? That this is hyperbole. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-teacher-rule-1-never-turn-your-back-to-the-students/674978/12 "2013-11-30T00:08:40Z")
Can’t you just wear a [Tiger](http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/4179/PreviewComp/SuperStock_4179-36433.jpg) [Mask](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-71DJil14kTs/TyXQ9tsu0qI/AAAAAAAAARY/yzHlm3T2ewk/s1600/tiger+mask+back+of+head.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-teacher-rule-1-never-turn-your-back-to-the-students/674978/13 "2013-11-30T00:36:40Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > That this is hyperbole. I, for one, look forward to your thread about the millions of good kids we never hear about. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2013, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-teacher-rule-1-never-turn-your-back-to-the-students/674978/14 "2013-11-30T00:39:55Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Most teacher turn their backs on the kids to write on the blackboard. Which is why they have eyes in the back of their head. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-teacher-rule-1-never-turn-your-back-to-the-students/674978/15 "2013-12-01T04:28:16Z")
Thankfully the over whelming majority of kids are good kids. But even one bad kid can do a lot of damage. Like set a teacher on fire with a lighter. Or rape/kill one in the school bathroom. All we can do is try and identify the bad kids before they hurt somebody. Somehow the two kids in these recent examples slipped through the cracks. much like JFK’s killing. thousands of people cheering and supporting the president along that parade. One sick POS in a window with a rifle changed the course of history. But there was very clear evidence that Oswald was disturbed long before he killed anybody. Nothing was done about him until after it was too late. > [@TBG](#): > > And for every seriously disturbed kid (which probably should have been weeded out of regular schools at some point anyway, but wasn’t for bullshit PC reasons) there are millions of regular kids. > > You just don’t hear about them. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2013, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-teacher-rule-1-never-turn-your-back-to-the-students/674978/16 "2013-12-01T06:41:55Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Most teacher turn their backs on the kids to write on the blackboard. Which is the primary benefit of overhead projectors - the teacher faces the students.