France teacher asks students to write suicide notes - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Acey · 12-12-2012, 04:43 PM

Thought about adding this to the Anderson thread, but I think it can stand on its own.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/1...usaolp00000003

Quote:

A French teacher is under fire after assigning his class to write suicide notes as homework.

“You’ve just turned 18. You’ve decided to end your life. Your decision is definitive. In a final surge you decide to put in words the reason behind your decision. In the style of a self-portrait, you describe the disgust you have for yourself. Your text will retrace certain events in your life at the origin of these feelings.”

moon · 12-12-2012, 04:47 PM

Seems like a fairly pointless assignment and a pretty terrible idea for 13-14 year old kids.

I think people take way too much offense to things and especially when it comes to teachers and schools but this does seem to be over the line and something worthy of a suspension/firing and some anger.

GreatWhiteEbola · 12-12-2012, 05:07 PM

It seems like a great way to vet those that may have suicidal tendencies.

CaptainCrunch · 12-12-2012, 06:51 PM

Kid of our of character for the French shouldn't they be out in the school yard practicing waiving a white flag, and clasping their hands over their heads and dropping to their knees.

GreenLantern2814 · 12-13-2012, 01:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Kid of our of character for the French shouldn't they be out in the school yard practicing waiving a white flag, and clasping their hands over their heads and dropping to their knees.

Is there a more permanent surrender that I'm missing?

Superfraggle · 12-13-2012, 02:17 AM

It's not a good idea at all and his bosses should let him know that, but I don't think that, in itself, this warrants any kind of suspension or firing. The school may feel they have to suspend him just for PR sake, though.

peter12 · 12-13-2012, 07:41 AM

Anyone read Camus' "The Stranger?" This stuff is just built into the French social fabric.

ernie · 12-13-2012, 08:20 AM

Perhaps not the best but I think a lot depends on what the follow up was going to be and how it was presented to the students. Was it simply tossed to them as "write a suicide note" or was it something that followed discussion of another author's work, how writing from a position of emotional pain and turmoil can be effective and the assignment just grew organically from that discussion.

With that said I also don't find it that much different than a "write your eulogy" assignment I had in high school. In this case your tapping into a different side of yourself....creative writing can't all be about sunshine, lollipops and rainbows. To do it effectively you have to be able to get into those hidden recesses of your mind. Seems to me that such an assignment might be an excellent way to tap into those things you may be reluctant to write about.

Though I will say 13/14 years old seems a little young but I'd likely have little issue if the kids were 16/17.

SeeBass · 12-13-2012, 08:21 AM

I didn't read the article but at first glance it seems like a great exercise to train these students to (I dont know what word to use so I will just use think)/

I know squat about teching and raising kids but to me it seems like an interesting assignment and if it can generate interest in a student to do it then that seems ok to me.

edit-I didnt see the ages before my first post but 13 does seem a little young for this

Thor · 12-13-2012, 09:37 AM

French kids are not coddled like American kids, so a 14 yr old can handle a mature assignment, where as if this happened in the US it would be followed by mass outrage, lawsuits and lots of faux outrage.

FlamesAddiction · 12-13-2012, 10:21 AM

Has anyone here actually written a suicide letter before and thought about the things you would want to say to people? It's hard to say if there is value in it unless you actually try.

MJK · 12-13-2012, 10:23 AM

I know as part of the Romeo and Juliet curriculum, (14-15 year olds) students are asked to write their own obituary while reflecting on their lives and everything they have done. It sounds like this teacher took this to another level by asking them to write suicide notes instead.

CaptainCrunch · 12-13-2012, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Has anyone here actually written a suicide letter before and thought about the things you would want to say to people? It's hard to say if there is value in it unless you actually try.

Haven't we all at one point in time?

FlamesAddiction · 12-13-2012, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thor

French kids are not coddled like American kids, so a 14 yr old can handle a mature assignment, where as if this happened in the US it would be followed by mass outrage, lawsuits and lots of faux outrage.

I think children in general are a lot more independent in Europe. By the time a kid is 7, they are often waking themselves up, eating breakfast and going to school without an adult needing to hold their hand and blow kisses to them at the bus stop while i sit behind the bus getting frustrated. Like seriously, how long does it have to take to get kids on the bus?

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Haven't we all at one point in time?

I think everyone thinks about it from time to time. Some even daily. I find though, that if someone lays it out on paper, often ideas that are fleeting or abstract, can be broken down and analyzed better.

flamesfever · 12-13-2012, 01:07 PM

The degree to which this teacher shows a lack of judgement, tells me he should be fired immediately.

Thor · 12-13-2012, 01:26 PM

I couldn't disagree more.

flamesfever · 12-13-2012, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thor

I couldn't disagree more.

What if it was your kid in his class, and was showing some early signs of mental illness?

Canehdianman · 12-13-2012, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flamesfever

What if it was your kid in his class, and was showing some early signs of mental illness?

Then I'd be glad that it was brought up to be discussed rather than letting my kid turn it all inward and leave his family wondering what went wrong when we find out he jumped in front of a ctrain....

flamesfever · 12-13-2012, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canehdianman

Then I'd be glad that it was brought up to be discussed rather than letting my kid turn it all inward and leave his family wondering what went wrong when we find out he jumped in front of a ctrain....

What if he jumped in front of the ctrain because of the teacher? I think anything done in this regard should be handled by trained professionals.

From what I have read, half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14, and for a teacher to do this to kids at this age, is absolutely idiotic.

AR_Six · 12-13-2012, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flamesfever

What if he jumped in front of the ctrain because of the teacher?

Good point, because if you're a mentally ill person at risk of killing yourself, I imagine you spend most of your time thinking "Damn, I'd end it all right here right now if only I could get some instruction from my high school teacher as to how to properly express myself in a suicide note."