Children are taught that the offensive language they hear in their neighborhoods, at home, or on the basketball court are not acceptable in school.  However, some teachers need to reign in their emotions when dealing with students because sometimes the teachers let inappropriate language slip.

It is not new that teachers will get frustrated with students, especially with students who are difficult, and it happens because teachers are human. But once a teacher crosses that line, students will instantly lose respect for him/her. Even if students don’t like the teacher, they still look up to that teacher for guidance and their education. Students also respond better to constructive criticism as opposed to swearing.

Language expert James V. O’Connor has stated, “People who swear often tend to be disagreeable, critical, cynical, angry, argumentative, and unhappy complainers.” For example, those who curse whenever something goes wrong reflect the belief that everything must always go right. It’s as if they just can’t handle mistakes. Keep in mind, students are almost adults, but many of them come from homes that do not value a profanity-free environment. Society has to be flexible and willing to forgive the occasional expletive that slips out from frustration.

So much is accomplished through behavior modeling by the teachers and staff, and a true, genuine respect for the students as people. Throughout my time in middle school and high school, I’ve encountered teachers who curse directly at students with the wrong intentions. I’ve personally been cussed at by a teacher before and it was an uncomfortable feeling. I felt like that situation that occurred could’ve been handled another way instead of using profanity to get the point across.  Bottom line, teachers should be careful of what they say and to whom. With current technology, a video of a teacher using profanity can hurt a career.