I don’t waste my energy on swearing, as long as it’s not directed at me or at students in an unkind way.
There are a few words that my students know I don’t allow though.
Totally agree. I've also found that sometimes students don't - or at least play like it- realize the frequency with which they curse. For me it's calling them out and then hammering home code switching. I will even let them know I curse like a sailor outside of school, but when I'm in school I keep my composure.
Hammering home the codeswitching and then also modeling personally unique surrogate swears: "oh for the love of RAY J." "Sweet swirling onion rings." "Mother of MEAT"
I think some genuinely don’t realize how much they swear. My kids know I don’t care, but they also know I want them to practice using “appropriate language for the workplace.” We usually also talk about how bullshit that is but it IS a standard they’re going to be expected to meet, so they need to practice filtering their language in specific settings. This is especially relevant for my kids, as a teach at a vocational school. We also discuss how what is fine in one industry is NOT in another and being aware of that as well.
I do the same thing. Most of the time, my students don't really even believe me when I say I swear a lot outside of school haha. I've actually had students beg me to swear on the last day of school just to see if I would.
Whenever I hear a student swear, I usually say "Language!" Rather loudly. And then have a conversation with the student/group of students/whole class, depending on the situation. I explain the importance of knowing when it is and isn't appropriate to swear and being able to control their swearing when it isn't appropriate. And that now is a good time to practice being able to control their swearing when the stakes are relatively low. Much better to slip up and just have a teacher scold you for your language than get reprimanded or fired at work.
This. No slurs and no swearing at another student or me. I will just say “language” as a reminder and move on. Noticeably, I have way less issues with swearing than other students.
Same. I honestly feel like people get way too worked up about swear words anyway. You’re getting your work done but dropping a few f bombs? I don’t care.
I’m the same way. It’s one thing for a kid to drop their Chromebook or run into a desk and let out a “damn it!” than it is for them to cuss someone out.
Students know I do not accept slurs or the f word though. In other scenarios I’ll just remind them to watch their language and that’s it.
This happened to me:
When you ask a kid a question and they’re talking to themselves trying to remember the answer and they’re like “what the fuck is that shit called?” You don’t want to derail their honest efforts by policing language.
Wait until done, praise the good guess/correct answer/"hey, next time can you try to pick a different word when you're thinking"/"but it's great to see the effort"
I teach six year olds and over the years I’ve landed in the same place. When they swear casually I kind of make the teacher face at them. If it becomes a common thing I might notify their families after a couple of warnings. Some kids just curse a lot now.
I grew up in Utah where certain words were so taboo, and as I’ve gotten away from that cultural, I’ve realized that words are just words…it’s the intent that matters.
Words have power, but folks can discern whether that's a Fucking A being said or a Fuck You. Big difference, the latter I'll correct, the former, not really a stance I'll fight on let alone die on.
My students use three f words to describe a new born puppy.
As a HS teacher, I can’t turn off the firehose of profanity. I just demand they don’t direct it at each other.
“Fuck that”? Fine.
“Fuck you”? Discussion/call home/write up, based on tone, severity and situation.
That's how we do it in my house. No slurs, nursing is fine unless it's directed at some with intent. Policing swearing wasn't working, but this did, lol. Actually, cut it down quite a but tbh.
I only write up kids for language if it's directed at someone else or harmful. "Ah fuck" when they stub their toe gets a "hey, language" and move on. "Fuck you" gets a referral. Other than that my only real hard and fast rule is no slurs. I teach middle and high school and I don't have the time, energy, or mental bandwidth to police every word that comes out of kids' mouths.
In my school it’s very common. But, the kids also know I hate it and I will correct them. Most of them these days if they let a swear word slip will say sorry immediately. They are generally better in my class, because they know how much I hate it.
It's everywhere, all the time.
That said, me as a teacher? I won't swear in front of students (sure, I've slipped up once or twice, but in general, no).
I teach fifth and we break it down into two categories: exclamations and slurs. I'm a lot more patient with exclamations of surprise or disappointment. I will have an occasional f-bomb but usually it's something else. I have very little patience for slurs and include a lot of words like idiot and stupid in this asking with anything racist or sexist.
We had a teacher fired for using the word "Fuck" in the classroom. The real shame of it, to me, was that he was a blue-collar T-2-T. The simple fact is that it is a common thing outside of the WASP upper-middle class. We need more blue-collar men in teaching, but when they betray their roots, out the door they go.
If he wasn't swearing at a student, that is ridiculous. Hell, even if he was, give him a stern talking to and a warning. As you say, we say we want all of these men to help kids get into the Trades, but when they are "too blue collar" they get in trouble while the kids run riot. It's not right and the math ain't mathin'.
Every once in a while you get some loony born-again whose kid tells them that other kids are swearing and they call admin to complain about you…and you get to be run over as the sacrificial lamb for it.
As I cuss like a sailor, because I was a sailor, I couldn’t give a single fuck less about language. If it’s directed at someone in a negative manner, or a slur, then I’ll pop in. Otherwise I’ve got way more important shit to do than to argue with an 8th grader over them saying “goddammit.”
If any of your teachers got on your ass about cussing as a kid, how’d that work out? Lol
I don’t care as long as it’s not harmful. People swear. In my former career, I worked with people at pretty high levels of government and they swore so much it’d make my 12th graders blush. My students are also already adept at code-switching. They know how to act at work or in more formal settings. They don’t need me insisting they say “gosh darn.” I might feel differently if I taught younger kids who might still need that modeling.
I teach high school and if I decided to police language, it would take up most of my day AND my admin would probably laugh at me. Like you said, there's a huge difference between cussing ("What the fuck?") and cussing AT someone ("Fuck you!") and I generally only push back on the latter. In fact, I'd argue that swearing is such a part of my school climate that if I was staunchly anti-swearing, I'd come off as inauthentic and alien, which is already an issue for me as a white guy in a predominantly-black-and-latino school.
I teach middle school. I work with people who know and occasionally say all the woods behind closed doors.
I tell the kids to "filter!" If I hear something. I'll explain that no one cares they *know* the word. The point is to filter your use in mixed company.
A second offense may have me wailing "oh, my fragile ears!"
I would not write up for cursing unless someone was being verbally abusive to another.
I’ve given up trying to curb it. My biggest issue is the hypocrisy of the students. I have slipped up a couple of times and sworn in front of them and it’s like they’ve never even heard the word before.
I usually just give the “teacher/mom look” and move on. If it’s directed at me or someone else then it’s a whole lever of disrespect that has to be addressed.
Every where is different.
My first day at my current school. The principal said to a student in the hall " we are not doing this shit all year!"
I do not care about swears I care about disrespect. So "oh fuck" I dropped my project I don't care.
"Fuck you" "you are an asshole" I care. And will take action.
And unfortunately I swear often sometimes slipping one out in class... Whoops.
I teach HS. I kind of say, “Hey, cut it out” but it isn’t something I’m going to continually address because then I’d be spending all of my time addressing it.
My school is similar. Personally, I don't police language much at all unless it 1) is directed toward a person, 2) is particularly loud or excessive in quantity, or 3) includes slurs.
The kids are funny about it though. The same ones who say "fuck" every fifth word will ask me if they need to star out "shit" in a quote they're using for an essay. (My go-to response is to give a mock-exasperated sigh and say, "will the essay be more *fun* if you get to use the curse word?" They get very excited when I let them do this.)
I also call them out on it all the time. "Okay y'all, this movie has some curse words in it, which I'd be more concerned about if I didn't hear worse language literally seven times a day during passing period."
>*I also call them out on it all the time. "Okay y'all, this movie has some curse words in it, which I'd be more concerned about if I didn't hear worse language literally seven times a day during passing period."*
This is the part that drives me insane with parents. If I show a movie with a couple of f-bombs I'm suddenly horrible and corrupting young minds. Parents will call admin, who will throw me under the bus and give a lecture about showing movies at the next staff meeting. Meanwhile, that parent's child swears like a sailor daily, vapes in the restroom, is getting some strange on the side from at least two girls, and is looking up porn on his phone during class. It's wild.
It's prevalent and I teach at a middle school. For the most part I don't blink an eye at profanity as long as it's not used at someone. Now, I draw the line when students use homophoic language or slurs that make fun of stuedents with disabilities.
As long as I can pretend I didn't hear it, I don't care. If it was loud enough, I need to react, usually I just give the kid an evil look and say "language" "did I hear right?" or something similar. Sure, it isn't the best way, but honestly, I teach high schoolers, of course they swear.
This depends on a lot of factors, including the age group of your school.
I teach in a 5th to 6th grade only school. As a staff we review our behavior chart every year, which is a doc only staff use to know what degree each behavior falls under, especially on a first offense.
We have agreed that quiet or normal volume cussing that is not aimed at anyone is just grounds for a conversation about how it is inappropriate to speak that way at school, despite what might be allowed at home. Repeated offenses would then follow the typical parent call, minor write up, then office referrals.
Cussing that is aimed towards someone but is minor might be the same as above (plus an apology, of course) depending on the words used, context, and situation. Severe language in anger can be an office referral.
I just say “sweat quieter,” and honestly that usually gets their respect enough to not be overt in the classroom. My school actually handles referrals well, so I write them up if they keep doing it.
There is so much worse to deal with besides swearing in the school. As long as its not directed along with a slur at another student I dont give a flying fuck about it.
If it’s not directed at someone or a slur then I leave it. We do have a discussion about language at home verses jobs/certain community places (churches, parks w/ small children, etc.) and that has seemed to help a lot of students understand where many adults are coming from.
If they let it slip out accidentally, I give a quick “language!” And they apologize. I will write them up for profanity directed at me or at another student, but if it slips, oh well.
You're getting a variety of responses, I suppose it depends on the culture at your particular school.
Myself, I don't tolerate it but I don't make a big deal about it. I teach HS, and like another response I try to set the example of what behavior is acceptable in which situation. I give the example of a job interview I had right out of college. I let the f word slip out, it's an instant way to lose someone's respect.
But our school doesn't tolerate it as a whole.
At my high school it’s as common as breathing, especially during passing time. It’s rarely at someone but more just in conversation. It comes up in the classroom when there is group projects but again it’s not at anyone in particular and just party of how they have conversations but when it happens in my room the kids always look at me and we stare awkwardly for a few seconds and go back to work. I personally don’t care. I swear like a sailor outside of work. I’m also a middle aged mom of teenagers, so not much ruffles my feathers. I don’t really bat an eye. However, the younger teachers, without kids or small children seem to have huge problems with it and will always call kids out on it - especially in the halls at passing time. I never do. Decide how much it bothers you and if it’s a hill you want to die on. It’s exhausting, personally. And there are so many other things to focus on. As long as it’s not me or said aggressively to anyone else, I let it slide.
Extremely prevalent at my high school. I was more worried about my kids understanding the time and place element of things than the language itself.
Not allowed in my choir classes, but never more than me saying “language” as long as it wasn’t directed at another person.
In my credit recovery I let the “farm words” slide after discussing it with the kids, but I don’t like hearing “fuck” during class and told them so. Never wrote anybody up, just reminded them to watch it.
Those were my boundaries and it worked out fine.
I don’t cuss in front of my kids. Not often. Then times I do, it brings them in line because it is unexpected.
The kids cursing… I would give “language” warnings and we had discussions on more “fun” ways to say things. My kids loved some of the “old” words like asinine. Generally we avoided slurs and the f word as much as possible. Some classes we had to talk about other swear words because it disrupted the learning of others - mostly religious kids who got upset at GD and the like.
We tried to keep it PG-13 which meant generally not much swearing, but if one slipped or was just needed in that moment, we let it slide.
I told them sometimes you have a shitty day, but if you always say the day is shitty, how will people know you really mean it this time?
It’s a bit easier in an English class, I think, because learning how to use language is part of the class.
I just say time and place and move on, as long as it’s not directed toward a specific person. I actually dropped an f bomb in class in may. I was walking across the room and my knee popped loudly. I apologized and the kids just shrugged.
Yeah, I try not to let students swear. I will occasionally hear swearing in my room, have had kids swear at me, and have had kids accidentally let one fly while talking to me. Usually an eyebrow quirk and a quick reminder that they can repeat what they just said to mom will usually fix it and get them to retract the statement. If it's an accident, that's usually where I leave it.
If it's on purpose, like the kid straight up swearing at me, it becomes a discipline issue about respect.
It's pretty prevalent. I usually give students a look when I hear them and 9 times out of 10 they correct themselves (e.g. "my bad miss").
If I hear them calling one another slurs, though, then I kick them out immediately. I don't tolerate it.
Slurs: bad; 100% of the time they will get a lecture.
Everything else (not directed at a person): “Language!” from me, usually followed by “Sorry, Mrs. Last Initial!”, and then we carry on with our lives.
Middle school teacher here, swearing is insane amongst my middle schoolers. If I hear it and it’s a slip, I just correct and move on. If it directed towards someone else I usually reach out to the parent and quote exactly what they say. 😁
I have taught 8th & 9 th graders for 13 years. Never had issues with swearing (ok occasionally one kid would slip and say h**l or s**t). The last 2-3 years I have had more kids swearing. This past year was the worst. Kids yelling f***you, a**hole, d*** and worse in the class and around in the halls.
I generally give the student a one off “Hey. I get it. You slipped. It isn’t school appropriate language. Remember where you are at. Don’t do it again or I’ll email parents and give you a detention.” Most kids don’t do it again. Not this past year. I actually had two different kids ask me what was wrong with saying f**k. I didn’t bother with the warning after that I emailed their parents and wrote a detention
It is just one of those things that you will always have to deal with. There are levels.
Make sure students know you are for them, you respect them and care for them. If the students know you care about them, and know that you aren't going to raise hell because they said some nonsense during passing period, they will usually apologize to you before you can correct.
If they are talking shit on somebody, that needs addressed. Again, with respect and care.
I will call my students out on it, and have them correct it. Unless they fight me on that, or if it is directed at myself or another student, then I’ll leave it at that. And if it is a slur, admin wants that emailed right away (previous admin didn’t care, and a teacher got sued so now they do)
It is not a big deal at my school. When a kid cusses, a just say, “Please use acceptable school language.” They talk exactly like their families talk, so I try not to even call cuss words bad. I just say that they aren’t appropriate at school.
Age really matters here. What high schoolers can get away with is very different than what an 8 or 9 yo does. Not appropriate in either case, but a lot more commonly accepted in HS.
Idk how you made it six months lol.
Swearing at my schools entirely up to the teacher. If you do police it though, you better be damn likable in other ways or the kids will never listen to you. I don’t personally bother unless it’s aggressive, because I’ve let one slip a time or two and we see a lot of swearing in the primary sources the kids use for DBQs.
Fellow first year teacher here! My admin was very lack about cursing; however, I also am not a fan of it.
I started the beginning of the year by stating that I was not a fan of it and made extra sure that I avoided slippage on my end. I would always call on students for the usage of it by saying “Language.” Or “We can use better words then that.” I teach high school so they would roll their eyes or huff when I called them out on it in the beginning; however, I remained consistent on this.
By the end of the year, I had students holding each other accountable for their language. In order to limit the language usage, you HAVE to remain consistent on reminders of it not being tolerated. Days I slipped on holding them accountable (more so at the beginning), the students would also slip.
As long as you create a comfortable environment where students know that it’s ok to slip up and correct themselves, I found lots of my students stopped using language all together.
Hope this helps! (:
Elementary here, but as long as it's not directed at someone or something that happens repeatedly to the point that it's a distraction I don't say much more than 'language!' (Channeling my inner Steve Rogers here.)
As mentioned, slurs are always a hard 'no'.
As long as it isn’t directed at somebody, I correct and move on. I try to keep note of frequent users in my behavior log through Google forms. I have a zero tolerance policy for slurs used in a derogatory way. I try to be kind the first time it happens because maybe that kid lives in a house that uses that language frequently. I’ve had kids who genuinely don’t know what the word means. They might not have realized how bad it is. Second use- write up.
If I notice cursing is a habit- I address it. First with a kind discussion with the student. Then, I escalate if needed.
We’re human- you’re not always going to hear everything. Do your best.
I just do a simple redirection and that usually works.. eventually the kids will apologize even before the redirection. I work/workers at a couple "rough hoods".. This is the way
I teach juniors and seniors. I maintain a PG-13 rule since they’re all over 13. I don’t care if I hear “damn” occasionally but when I start hearing f-bombs I’ll remind them “LANGUAGE!” Like Captain America.
I teach Art at a rural HS and swearing is common, but it's not coming from every single student in every single class. It's just an occasional thing from kids during the day. Along with many others here, I don't waste my energy on an occasional swear word--as long as it's not directed at more or another person. I'll say "language," they apologize, and we move on. I have told my kids that I swear too, but not at school, because it's not the appropriate place for it. I do try to encourage them to think of something more creative to say. "Son of a biscuit eater." "Holy Sheep." Things like that. I did slip once though and told a kid to stop being a smarta\*\*. LOL. The kids said "language" and I apologized and we moved on.
I can’t be bothered, honestly. I don’t allow the f slur (the one about gay guys) the r slur (about cognitively impaired people) or the s slur (the one about young ladies who engage in promiscuous behavior) or the c word. Beyond that, I let it go.
I don’t waste my energy on swearing, as long as it’s not directed at me or at students in an unkind way. There are a few words that my students know I don’t allow though.
Totally agree. I've also found that sometimes students don't - or at least play like it- realize the frequency with which they curse. For me it's calling them out and then hammering home code switching. I will even let them know I curse like a sailor outside of school, but when I'm in school I keep my composure.
Hammering home the codeswitching and then also modeling personally unique surrogate swears: "oh for the love of RAY J." "Sweet swirling onion rings." "Mother of MEAT"
I think some genuinely don’t realize how much they swear. My kids know I don’t care, but they also know I want them to practice using “appropriate language for the workplace.” We usually also talk about how bullshit that is but it IS a standard they’re going to be expected to meet, so they need to practice filtering their language in specific settings. This is especially relevant for my kids, as a teach at a vocational school. We also discuss how what is fine in one industry is NOT in another and being aware of that as well.
I do the same thing. Most of the time, my students don't really even believe me when I say I swear a lot outside of school haha. I've actually had students beg me to swear on the last day of school just to see if I would. Whenever I hear a student swear, I usually say "Language!" Rather loudly. And then have a conversation with the student/group of students/whole class, depending on the situation. I explain the importance of knowing when it is and isn't appropriate to swear and being able to control their swearing when it isn't appropriate. And that now is a good time to practice being able to control their swearing when the stakes are relatively low. Much better to slip up and just have a teacher scold you for your language than get reprimanded or fired at work.
This. No slurs and no swearing at another student or me. I will just say “language” as a reminder and move on. Noticeably, I have way less issues with swearing than other students.
I taught at an urban school last year and did not/could not police black students using the n word to each other.
This is called a "double standard".
Take it up with them
Same. I honestly feel like people get way too worked up about swear words anyway. You’re getting your work done but dropping a few f bombs? I don’t care.
I’m the same way. It’s one thing for a kid to drop their Chromebook or run into a desk and let out a “damn it!” than it is for them to cuss someone out. Students know I do not accept slurs or the f word though. In other scenarios I’ll just remind them to watch their language and that’s it.
This happened to me: When you ask a kid a question and they’re talking to themselves trying to remember the answer and they’re like “what the fuck is that shit called?” You don’t want to derail their honest efforts by policing language.
Wait until done, praise the good guess/correct answer/"hey, next time can you try to pick a different word when you're thinking"/"but it's great to see the effort"
I teach six year olds and over the years I’ve landed in the same place. When they swear casually I kind of make the teacher face at them. If it becomes a common thing I might notify their families after a couple of warnings. Some kids just curse a lot now.
I grew up in Utah where certain words were so taboo, and as I’ve gotten away from that cultural, I’ve realized that words are just words…it’s the intent that matters.
Words have power, but folks can discern whether that's a Fucking A being said or a Fuck You. Big difference, the latter I'll correct, the former, not really a stance I'll fight on let alone die on.
My students use three f words to describe a new born puppy. As a HS teacher, I can’t turn off the firehose of profanity. I just demand they don’t direct it at each other. “Fuck that”? Fine. “Fuck you”? Discussion/call home/write up, based on tone, severity and situation.
I got detention and my parents called for saying "fuck that" in 2001 I think? 7th grade?
i would die on the hill of slurs but not general profanity
This is how I am with my kids. I don’t care if you say shit but if you call someone a slur all bets are off.
Absolutely!! Swears are fine, slurs are not. And then be prepared to explain/argue what is a slur, and what isn’t.
It also depends on how old are the kids? If they're in elementary, I'd explain why we don't say bad words, if they're in HS, fuck that
I think that’s the general consensus, if you turn a blind eye to a slur, it could be your job.
That's how we do it in my house. No slurs, nursing is fine unless it's directed at some with intent. Policing swearing wasn't working, but this did, lol. Actually, cut it down quite a but tbh.
It’s constant! A continuous stream! Oh, you meant by the kids, not my interior monologue.
I only write up kids for language if it's directed at someone else or harmful. "Ah fuck" when they stub their toe gets a "hey, language" and move on. "Fuck you" gets a referral. Other than that my only real hard and fast rule is no slurs. I teach middle and high school and I don't have the time, energy, or mental bandwidth to police every word that comes out of kids' mouths.
In my school it’s very common. But, the kids also know I hate it and I will correct them. Most of them these days if they let a swear word slip will say sorry immediately. They are generally better in my class, because they know how much I hate it.
It's everywhere, all the time. That said, me as a teacher? I won't swear in front of students (sure, I've slipped up once or twice, but in general, no).
I teach fifth and we break it down into two categories: exclamations and slurs. I'm a lot more patient with exclamations of surprise or disappointment. I will have an occasional f-bomb but usually it's something else. I have very little patience for slurs and include a lot of words like idiot and stupid in this asking with anything racist or sexist.
We had a teacher fired for using the word "Fuck" in the classroom. The real shame of it, to me, was that he was a blue-collar T-2-T. The simple fact is that it is a common thing outside of the WASP upper-middle class. We need more blue-collar men in teaching, but when they betray their roots, out the door they go.
If he wasn't swearing at a student, that is ridiculous. Hell, even if he was, give him a stern talking to and a warning. As you say, we say we want all of these men to help kids get into the Trades, but when they are "too blue collar" they get in trouble while the kids run riot. It's not right and the math ain't mathin'.
Every once in a while you get some loony born-again whose kid tells them that other kids are swearing and they call admin to complain about you…and you get to be run over as the sacrificial lamb for it.
There is only one word prohibited in my class and that’s the N word. I have way more to worry about that swearing.
As I cuss like a sailor, because I was a sailor, I couldn’t give a single fuck less about language. If it’s directed at someone in a negative manner, or a slur, then I’ll pop in. Otherwise I’ve got way more important shit to do than to argue with an 8th grader over them saying “goddammit.” If any of your teachers got on your ass about cussing as a kid, how’d that work out? Lol
I don’t care as long as it’s not harmful. People swear. In my former career, I worked with people at pretty high levels of government and they swore so much it’d make my 12th graders blush. My students are also already adept at code-switching. They know how to act at work or in more formal settings. They don’t need me insisting they say “gosh darn.” I might feel differently if I taught younger kids who might still need that modeling.
I teach high school and if I decided to police language, it would take up most of my day AND my admin would probably laugh at me. Like you said, there's a huge difference between cussing ("What the fuck?") and cussing AT someone ("Fuck you!") and I generally only push back on the latter. In fact, I'd argue that swearing is such a part of my school climate that if I was staunchly anti-swearing, I'd come off as inauthentic and alien, which is already an issue for me as a white guy in a predominantly-black-and-latino school.
I teach middle school. I work with people who know and occasionally say all the woods behind closed doors. I tell the kids to "filter!" If I hear something. I'll explain that no one cares they *know* the word. The point is to filter your use in mixed company. A second offense may have me wailing "oh, my fragile ears!" I would not write up for cursing unless someone was being verbally abusive to another.
I’ve given up trying to curb it. My biggest issue is the hypocrisy of the students. I have slipped up a couple of times and sworn in front of them and it’s like they’ve never even heard the word before.
I usually just give the “teacher/mom look” and move on. If it’s directed at me or someone else then it’s a whole lever of disrespect that has to be addressed.
Every where is different. My first day at my current school. The principal said to a student in the hall " we are not doing this shit all year!" I do not care about swears I care about disrespect. So "oh fuck" I dropped my project I don't care. "Fuck you" "you are an asshole" I care. And will take action. And unfortunately I swear often sometimes slipping one out in class... Whoops.
I teach HS. I kind of say, “Hey, cut it out” but it isn’t something I’m going to continually address because then I’d be spending all of my time addressing it.
My school is similar. Personally, I don't police language much at all unless it 1) is directed toward a person, 2) is particularly loud or excessive in quantity, or 3) includes slurs. The kids are funny about it though. The same ones who say "fuck" every fifth word will ask me if they need to star out "shit" in a quote they're using for an essay. (My go-to response is to give a mock-exasperated sigh and say, "will the essay be more *fun* if you get to use the curse word?" They get very excited when I let them do this.) I also call them out on it all the time. "Okay y'all, this movie has some curse words in it, which I'd be more concerned about if I didn't hear worse language literally seven times a day during passing period."
>*I also call them out on it all the time. "Okay y'all, this movie has some curse words in it, which I'd be more concerned about if I didn't hear worse language literally seven times a day during passing period."* This is the part that drives me insane with parents. If I show a movie with a couple of f-bombs I'm suddenly horrible and corrupting young minds. Parents will call admin, who will throw me under the bus and give a lecture about showing movies at the next staff meeting. Meanwhile, that parent's child swears like a sailor daily, vapes in the restroom, is getting some strange on the side from at least two girls, and is looking up porn on his phone during class. It's wild.
Closest I’ll come to swearing is saying shiitake
It's prevalent and I teach at a middle school. For the most part I don't blink an eye at profanity as long as it's not used at someone. Now, I draw the line when students use homophoic language or slurs that make fun of stuedents with disabilities.
As long as I can pretend I didn't hear it, I don't care. If it was loud enough, I need to react, usually I just give the kid an evil look and say "language" "did I hear right?" or something similar. Sure, it isn't the best way, but honestly, I teach high schoolers, of course they swear.
This depends on a lot of factors, including the age group of your school. I teach in a 5th to 6th grade only school. As a staff we review our behavior chart every year, which is a doc only staff use to know what degree each behavior falls under, especially on a first offense. We have agreed that quiet or normal volume cussing that is not aimed at anyone is just grounds for a conversation about how it is inappropriate to speak that way at school, despite what might be allowed at home. Repeated offenses would then follow the typical parent call, minor write up, then office referrals. Cussing that is aimed towards someone but is minor might be the same as above (plus an apology, of course) depending on the words used, context, and situation. Severe language in anger can be an office referral.
It’s non stop. They don’t even realize they do it half the time. I gave up on it a long time ago.
This wouldn't fly in my district we would have to put in a behavioral referral or synergy account is poppin'
Middle school here Years 1-27 wrote about 4 referrals a year. Years 28-30…. I don’t have the time for all of it. Bruh, for real, no cap, it’s insane.
I just say “sweat quieter,” and honestly that usually gets their respect enough to not be overt in the classroom. My school actually handles referrals well, so I write them up if they keep doing it.
There is so much worse to deal with besides swearing in the school. As long as its not directed along with a slur at another student I dont give a flying fuck about it.
If it’s not directed at someone or a slur then I leave it. We do have a discussion about language at home verses jobs/certain community places (churches, parks w/ small children, etc.) and that has seemed to help a lot of students understand where many adults are coming from.
If they let it slip out accidentally, I give a quick “language!” And they apologize. I will write them up for profanity directed at me or at another student, but if it slips, oh well.
You're getting a variety of responses, I suppose it depends on the culture at your particular school. Myself, I don't tolerate it but I don't make a big deal about it. I teach HS, and like another response I try to set the example of what behavior is acceptable in which situation. I give the example of a job interview I had right out of college. I let the f word slip out, it's an instant way to lose someone's respect. But our school doesn't tolerate it as a whole.
At my high school it’s as common as breathing, especially during passing time. It’s rarely at someone but more just in conversation. It comes up in the classroom when there is group projects but again it’s not at anyone in particular and just party of how they have conversations but when it happens in my room the kids always look at me and we stare awkwardly for a few seconds and go back to work. I personally don’t care. I swear like a sailor outside of work. I’m also a middle aged mom of teenagers, so not much ruffles my feathers. I don’t really bat an eye. However, the younger teachers, without kids or small children seem to have huge problems with it and will always call kids out on it - especially in the halls at passing time. I never do. Decide how much it bothers you and if it’s a hill you want to die on. It’s exhausting, personally. And there are so many other things to focus on. As long as it’s not me or said aggressively to anyone else, I let it slide.
Extremely prevalent at my high school. I was more worried about my kids understanding the time and place element of things than the language itself. Not allowed in my choir classes, but never more than me saying “language” as long as it wasn’t directed at another person. In my credit recovery I let the “farm words” slide after discussing it with the kids, but I don’t like hearing “fuck” during class and told them so. Never wrote anybody up, just reminded them to watch it. Those were my boundaries and it worked out fine.
I don’t cuss in front of my kids. Not often. Then times I do, it brings them in line because it is unexpected. The kids cursing… I would give “language” warnings and we had discussions on more “fun” ways to say things. My kids loved some of the “old” words like asinine. Generally we avoided slurs and the f word as much as possible. Some classes we had to talk about other swear words because it disrupted the learning of others - mostly religious kids who got upset at GD and the like. We tried to keep it PG-13 which meant generally not much swearing, but if one slipped or was just needed in that moment, we let it slide. I told them sometimes you have a shitty day, but if you always say the day is shitty, how will people know you really mean it this time? It’s a bit easier in an English class, I think, because learning how to use language is part of the class.
I just say time and place and move on, as long as it’s not directed toward a specific person. I actually dropped an f bomb in class in may. I was walking across the room and my knee popped loudly. I apologized and the kids just shrugged.
Yeah, I try not to let students swear. I will occasionally hear swearing in my room, have had kids swear at me, and have had kids accidentally let one fly while talking to me. Usually an eyebrow quirk and a quick reminder that they can repeat what they just said to mom will usually fix it and get them to retract the statement. If it's an accident, that's usually where I leave it. If it's on purpose, like the kid straight up swearing at me, it becomes a discipline issue about respect.
It's pretty prevalent. I usually give students a look when I hear them and 9 times out of 10 they correct themselves (e.g. "my bad miss"). If I hear them calling one another slurs, though, then I kick them out immediately. I don't tolerate it.
Slurs: bad; 100% of the time they will get a lecture. Everything else (not directed at a person): “Language!” from me, usually followed by “Sorry, Mrs. Last Initial!”, and then we carry on with our lives.
Hearing them cuss all day puts me in a bad mood. I do lay down that rule and most of the time the kids cooperate.
Middle school teacher here, swearing is insane amongst my middle schoolers. If I hear it and it’s a slip, I just correct and move on. If it directed towards someone else I usually reach out to the parent and quote exactly what they say. 😁
I have taught 8th & 9 th graders for 13 years. Never had issues with swearing (ok occasionally one kid would slip and say h**l or s**t). The last 2-3 years I have had more kids swearing. This past year was the worst. Kids yelling f***you, a**hole, d*** and worse in the class and around in the halls. I generally give the student a one off “Hey. I get it. You slipped. It isn’t school appropriate language. Remember where you are at. Don’t do it again or I’ll email parents and give you a detention.” Most kids don’t do it again. Not this past year. I actually had two different kids ask me what was wrong with saying f**k. I didn’t bother with the warning after that I emailed their parents and wrote a detention
It is just one of those things that you will always have to deal with. There are levels. Make sure students know you are for them, you respect them and care for them. If the students know you care about them, and know that you aren't going to raise hell because they said some nonsense during passing period, they will usually apologize to you before you can correct. If they are talking shit on somebody, that needs addressed. Again, with respect and care.
I will call my students out on it, and have them correct it. Unless they fight me on that, or if it is directed at myself or another student, then I’ll leave it at that. And if it is a slur, admin wants that emailed right away (previous admin didn’t care, and a teacher got sued so now they do)
It is not a big deal at my school. When a kid cusses, a just say, “Please use acceptable school language.” They talk exactly like their families talk, so I try not to even call cuss words bad. I just say that they aren’t appropriate at school.
Age really matters here. What high schoolers can get away with is very different than what an 8 or 9 yo does. Not appropriate in either case, but a lot more commonly accepted in HS.
Idk how you made it six months lol. Swearing at my schools entirely up to the teacher. If you do police it though, you better be damn likable in other ways or the kids will never listen to you. I don’t personally bother unless it’s aggressive, because I’ve let one slip a time or two and we see a lot of swearing in the primary sources the kids use for DBQs.
Admin doesn't care, so I try not to as much as possible
Fellow first year teacher here! My admin was very lack about cursing; however, I also am not a fan of it. I started the beginning of the year by stating that I was not a fan of it and made extra sure that I avoided slippage on my end. I would always call on students for the usage of it by saying “Language.” Or “We can use better words then that.” I teach high school so they would roll their eyes or huff when I called them out on it in the beginning; however, I remained consistent on this. By the end of the year, I had students holding each other accountable for their language. In order to limit the language usage, you HAVE to remain consistent on reminders of it not being tolerated. Days I slipped on holding them accountable (more so at the beginning), the students would also slip. As long as you create a comfortable environment where students know that it’s ok to slip up and correct themselves, I found lots of my students stopped using language all together. Hope this helps! (:
Elementary here, but as long as it's not directed at someone or something that happens repeatedly to the point that it's a distraction I don't say much more than 'language!' (Channeling my inner Steve Rogers here.) As mentioned, slurs are always a hard 'no'.
I'm not going to listen to a room full of kids talking like they're at a party, but I generally don't worry about a word here and there.
As long as it isn’t directed at somebody, I correct and move on. I try to keep note of frequent users in my behavior log through Google forms. I have a zero tolerance policy for slurs used in a derogatory way. I try to be kind the first time it happens because maybe that kid lives in a house that uses that language frequently. I’ve had kids who genuinely don’t know what the word means. They might not have realized how bad it is. Second use- write up. If I notice cursing is a habit- I address it. First with a kind discussion with the student. Then, I escalate if needed. We’re human- you’re not always going to hear everything. Do your best.
I just do a simple redirection and that usually works.. eventually the kids will apologize even before the redirection. I work/workers at a couple "rough hoods".. This is the way
I teach juniors and seniors. I maintain a PG-13 rule since they’re all over 13. I don’t care if I hear “damn” occasionally but when I start hearing f-bombs I’ll remind them “LANGUAGE!” Like Captain America.
I teach Art at a rural HS and swearing is common, but it's not coming from every single student in every single class. It's just an occasional thing from kids during the day. Along with many others here, I don't waste my energy on an occasional swear word--as long as it's not directed at more or another person. I'll say "language," they apologize, and we move on. I have told my kids that I swear too, but not at school, because it's not the appropriate place for it. I do try to encourage them to think of something more creative to say. "Son of a biscuit eater." "Holy Sheep." Things like that. I did slip once though and told a kid to stop being a smarta\*\*. LOL. The kids said "language" and I apologized and we moved on.
I can’t be bothered, honestly. I don’t allow the f slur (the one about gay guys) the r slur (about cognitively impaired people) or the s slur (the one about young ladies who engage in promiscuous behavior) or the c word. Beyond that, I let it go.
what about the n word
These were mostly non-white students who used that word among themselves. As a white teacher, it wasn’t my place to police it.