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afowles · Joined: 02 Jan 2004 Posts: 85 Location: USA

This might be a bit off topic, but I think it concerns us as teachers.

Is anyone else sick and tired of our students' penchant for smoking in the bathrooms or hallways?

At my school, which shall remain nameless, there is a "palarnia" for the students. That should be fine and good, but the damn palarnia is located in the middle of the damn passageway between the two damn sections of the school meaning that every damn person has to walk through that damn hallway ever damn day and smell the damn smoke that wafts through the damn door.

I'm just curious. Is it only in my school in which this is a problem? I'm beginning to belive that this is seriously affecting my health.

j-ang · Joined: 22 Aug 2003 Posts: 16 Location: Poland (WLKP)

Oh, Boy, don't get me started on this one. I agree smoking is a problem in
(public, where I teach,) schools. At my school, students are not allowed to smoke anywhere in or around the school. So, they go off to the local playground or around the corner. Lip service is given to "Don't smoke, don't do drugs, don't drink, etc" but only lip service. There are no penalties if someone is caught doing or dealing. There are no plans of what to do if we see someone doing or dealing. Also, and the biggest problem in my opinion, some teachers smoke (fine, if they want to kill themselves, that's their business) IN THE PRESENCE OF STUDENTS. Seems a bit hypocritical, doesn't it? The school I worked in in the states had a strict no smoking on school grounds policy. If a teacher's car was parked in the school lot, that's still school grounds, s/he could not go to the car and smoke. And there were penalties for students and teachers who broke the rules. For underage,under 18, students, the police were called. Older students were suspended for a week and couldn't return until there was a conference with their parents and the adminstration. Teachers were given first a verbal warning, second a written warning, then time off without pay. We teachers are, whether we like it or not, role models for the students. What we do is noticed and remembered long after what we say has been forgotten. I'm sorry but "Do as I say and not as I do" just isn't good enough.
Sorry for the diatribe but I do have strong feelings on this. And, yes, I'm one of those reformed smokers who now believes it's a disgusting habit.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I am a reformed ex-smoker too. BUT we should come to terms with the fact that in many parts of the world smokers are still in the majority.

In many parts of Eastern Europe the non-smokers are a minority !

Alex Shulgin · Joined: 20 Jul 2003 Posts: 553

[quote="j-angFor underage,under 18, students, the police were called. Older students were suspended for a week and couldn't return until there was a conference with their parents and the adminstration. Teachers were given first a verbal warning, second a written warning, then time off without pay. [/quote]

What a great idea! Teach kids that if they don't do exactly what they are told to do they will have their education harmed and will not get into the college of their choice! Who the hell do they think they are doing what they want to do with their bodies? Lucky for them that we are here to tell them how to live. And to punish them when they don't do what they are damn well told to do.

afowles · Joined: 02 Jan 2004 Posts: 85 Location: USA

Chris · Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2004 6:52 pm Post subject:

Hi all..

Well, I am a smoker here in Poland. The university where I worked made a policy last year, Jan 1st, to not allow smoking inside the school. So they put all the ashtrays outside the only entrance to the building. It's much better than it was for non-smokers, but yes, you still have to go through the "smoke screen". Oh, and the secretary still smokes in her office.

However, I remember when I was at university, it didn't bother us so much that others were smoking.

Now, as for "Maybe, if we as teachers try to teach our students a little respect for other people, or even an awareness of other people's needs, then a few years down the road Poland won't have such high "corruption levels." "

Look at most of the EU. Smoking is still allowed at work and many other public places. In the Frankfurt airport, there were smoking areas in the middle of the corridor. So I don't think that "high corruption levels" is correlated with smoking...

Just my .02 worth...

Chris

mike10 · Joined: 11 Jul 2004 Posts: 28

Mary 55 · Joined: 16 Nov 2004 Posts: 5

I think it's different in Poland than in the rest of Europe, maybe because of history, but it is changing