Your impact on the community, part 2

Hello everyone,

Occasionally, when I am in classrooms, I get really uptight when I see students with hats. Some of the teachers I visit wonder why--it's no big deal as long as the kids are working, right?

I confess that one reason I react so strongly to hats is because of their history of gang association. For years, Garfield used a dress code--including the banning of all hats except those with a Garfield logo--to help put a damper on gang activity on campus. I enforced that ban in my classroom, and I felt that it helped quell the sort of unspoken gang declarations that certain clothing allowed. I never wanted anyone to come into my class and easily declare affiliation to a crew or a gang.

There is the much less dangerous fact that it's rude to wear a hat indoors under most circumstances (including a classroom).

This is an illustration of one of the ways a teacher's in-class actions have an effect on the outside environment. Even now, if I'm in a class, I make a gesture for students to take off their hats, and they understand that it's inappropriate to wear them. I can't honestly say how often wearing a hat is associated with gangs or crews anymore; probably not as much as ten years ago, but I still think that it is something that should not be allowed.

Invariably at least one student in class will say something like, "Nobody else makes me take it off," or "The deans saw me wearing this and they didn't tell me nothing." That may or may not be true; I suspect that it's frequently true. However, if everyone is consistent in requiring good manners and urging avoidance of gang activity, then the message is more likely to take.

The same thing applies to offensive clothing, especially T-shirts. I have found students who, during 6th period, come into class wearing obscene or offensive T-shirts (racist, sexist, or drug oriented), and I am the first teacher that objected. (Of course, it's easy for things to slip by, and we are not fashion police, after all. But if the shirt is obvious, there's no excuse.) In effect, if we allow it, we put our stamp of approval on it, and that should not happen. Let it be a certain lie when the student says, "Nobody did anything before."

Likewise, don't tolerate or express admiration for graffiti. Don't allow cell phones in class (you may take them away). Don't allow iPods or other MP3 players. All of these things don't just affect your classroom; they affect the tone of the entire school. They carry out into the neighborhood. The kids take them home.

Never allow your stamp of approval on behavior that is rude or disrespectful; never casually overlook illegal behavior.

During one horrible year, early in my career, eight students were killed in gang violence. Never let anyone think that you think that that is acceptable.

What you do or don't do in class spills out.

Jeff Combe