At IHS, simply taking out your phone can earn you a lunch detention. However, mocking a teacher in front of an entire class can sometimes carry a less severe consequence. That raises the question: What behavior should the school’s disciplinary system prioritize?
The issue matters far beyond IHS. National data suggest that disrespect toward teachers has become increasingly common in American schools. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the percentage of public schools reporting verbal abuse from students toward teachers at least once a week doubled from five percent in 2009-10 to ten percent in 2019-20. Other acts of disrespect toward teachers increased from nine percent to fifteen percent during the same period.
Recently at IHS, I have become increasingly aware and concerned by how casually some students treat disrespect toward teachers. This does not always mean using obviously offensive language or shouting at teachers. Sometimes it is talking over teachers, openly mocking them, ignoring repeated instructions, or treating their frustration as entertainment.
One incident I witnessed particularly changed how I thought about discipline. In one of my classes, students created bingo boards based on things the teacher frequently said or did that they considered funny. Students marked their boards as the teacher unknowingly repeated those phrases during class. Some students may have seen it as harmless. Eventually, the teacher noticed what was happening. From what I observed, there was no disciplinary consequence for the students who planned the game. What kinds of behavior does IHS consider serious enough to require a consequence?
That question becomes even more important when compared with how other rules are enforced. I have seen students receive lunch detention for having their phones out, including cases in which students say they received no warning beforehand. I recognize that there are legitimate reasons for IHS to restrict phones. Phones can disrupt classrooms, and administrators and educators are held responsible for upholding the state law. But if taking out a phone can quickly result in lunch detention, what should happen when students deliberately mock a teacher? What about repeatedly talking over one? What about disrespectful language toward staff?
There is a difference between a school being strict and a school having effective discipline. Effective discipline does not mean giving more detentions or suspensions. It means making expectations clear, using proportional consequences, and applying them consistently. A minor first offense might deserve a warning or a conversation. Repeated behavior should lead to stronger consequences. Behavior that directly targets or humiliates another person should be treated more seriously.
Students should also understand how the disciplinary process works. What behaviors can result in lunch detention? Does a student normally receive a warning first? Who can assign one? Are first and repeated offenses treated differently?
Clearer answers would make discipline feel less arbitrary. IHS should therefore reconsider not simply how much it disciplines students, but what behavior it prioritizes. A phone violation is easy to see and easy to punish. Disrespect is more complicated. But complexity should not become an excuse for overlooking it. Schools teach more than academics. They are also the place where students learn to treat others, respect boundaries, and participate in a community.
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