Former Teacher Posted Tragic Suicide Note on Facebook Before Killing Himself (VIDEO)

maandag 23 september 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Rebecca Stokes 1 hour ago

A former high school teacher took his own life last week after posting a suicide note on Facebook. Sources say the man, Christopher Swanson, 41, was despondent after losing his teaching license and may have been obsessed with a former student.

His body was found in front of a fountain on the Mercyhurst University campus in Erie. Police say he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. In previous Facebook posts, Swanson had mentioned that his former student was now a freshman at Mercyhurst, but that is currently unconfirmed. 

The tragic questions: If Swanson was so open about his plans, why did no one reach out to help him until it was too late? Did no one read it? Did no one take him seriously?

In addition to posting on Facebook, Swanson also had a website where he discussed the turns in his life that he believed had contributed to his increasing feelings of hopelessness. Chief among them, his belief that his former student would never reciprocate his feelings.

Adding to this tragedy is that in spite of his website and Internet activity, Swanson was unable to connect with resources that could have provided help. For all its size, the Internet can still be an exceptionally lonely place. What a tragedy.

His death prompted Mercyhurst President Tom Gamble to reach out to the university community via video. Gamble implored people to turn to their faith in this troubling time.

What would you do if you thought you saw a suicide note online?

Please call 1-800-273-8255 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in case you are worried about yourself or someone else.

Image via Michael Schreifels/Flickr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rebecca Stokes

Rebecca is a writer who lives in Brooklyn with her cats. She is probably even at this moment spilling food on herself.

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Teacher Tells 10-Year-Old God Is Not an Acceptable 'Idol' (VIDEO)

vrijdag 13 september 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Mary Fischer 5 hours ago

Ugh. Can someone please explain to me what the heck this world is coming to? Because after hearing that a 10-year-old girl was not allowed to choose God as her idol to write about for a school assignment, I really don't know whether to scream or cry.

Mom Erica Shead explains how her daughter, Erin, came home from school on Wednesday upset. When she drew a diagram in class with the words, "I look up to God," in the middle of it -- her teacher told her that God was not an acceptable idol, and that she'd have to start the assignment all over again.

The poor kid wound up choosing Michael Jackson (basically going from one extreme to the other) as an alternative.

Erin told her mother she wanted to write about God because "God created the earth" and added that she's "doing the best she can."

And as you can imagine, Erica is absolutely irate over the teacher's decision, as she should be.

Take a look at this video clip to hear more about what happened.

That poor child. This makes me absolutely sick to my stomach. Who the hell is that teacher to tell a child who she can and cannot look up to? By telling her to choose someone else, and by not even allowing her to keep the original assignment at school (you know, because it's SO offensive), she's basically teaching her that her faith doesn't matter and isn't worth believing in. And that's just sad, wrong, disgusting, ridiculous, and well ... really shitty, if you ask me.

What would've been the harm in letting her write about God? It's not like she was preaching to the class or anything. She was simply following the instructions she was given to complete her school work -- and she basically got punished for it. Yes, it is a punishment to take a child's beautiful, creative idea and classify it as wrong, when it clearly isn't.

Oh, and another thing, I'd be appalled about this incident no matter where in the country it happened. But in Millington, Tennessee -- right outside of Memphis?!? If kids can't express their love for God in the Bible belt, it certainly doesn't offer much hope to the rest of the U.S.

I don't blame Erica one bit for going straight to the principal. I would've done the same thing in her shoes, because the way her daughter was treated is unacceptable. Schools should be a place where children are encouraged to stand up for what they believe instead of hiding from it.

That teacher should be ashamed of herself. All I can say is thank GOD my kid isn't in her class.

Do you think Erin should have been allowed to write about her true idol?

Image via WREG

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mary Fischer

is the writer behind The Mommyologist, and the mom of a future famous comedian. Her current loves include Pinot Grigio on ice and Harry Styles -- in that order.

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Teacher Gets Jail Time After Instructing Students to Hit the Class ‘Bully’

vrijdag 23 augustus 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Nicole Fabian-Weber 16 hours ago

Cynthia Ambrose was an elementary school teacher from San Antonio, Texas. Why was she a teacher and not one anymore? Because Ambrose encouraged her students to line up and hit Aiden Neely, a 6-year-old who was "showing signs of being a bully," as hard as they could so he could see "what it feels like to be a bully." And, being children, they obliged. The assault on Neely stopped after the seventh kid hit him so hard in the back of the head that he began to cry. Yes, this was under the supervision of a teacher.

After being fired from her job, Ambrose was convicted of the misdemeanor charge "official oppression" by a jury, and now she's been sentenced to 30 days in jail. Just or totally out of line?

I'd say this, coupled with the fact that Ambrose will never work as a teacher again, is an appropriate punishment. To think of what all of those children must have felt like that day -- scared, humiliated, confused -- while under the supervision of Ambrose, a teacher, is nauseating. Bullying is obviously a real problem, and it needs to be dealt with, but how Ambrose went about the situation was wrong, and she deserves to be punished for that.

Hopefully, during the 30 days this woman is in prison, she'll sit and really think about what she did. Aiden Neely should have had repercussions if he were being a bully, but not like that. If anyone should know that "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind," it's a teacher.

Do you think this is an appropriate punishment for Cynthia Ambrose?

Image via Tim (Timothy) Pearce/Flickr

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5 Ways to Make Your Kid's Teacher Like You From Day One

dinsdag 6 augustus 2013

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AppId is over the quota
by Jeanne Sager 5 hours ago in Big Kid

Don't think back to school time is stressful enough, what with trying to find those fine point pens (because really, is it so bad to have medium point) and coming thisclose to a brawl over the last pink plastic folder on the store shelves? Enter teacher gifts for the first day of school.

Never heard of 'em? Me neither. I just stumbled on this whole new way to feel inadequate as a parent this week, and it set my teeth on edge.

More From Our Partners: Tattoo Sleeved T-Shirts For Kids? SERIOUSLY?!

Face it: you WANT the kid's teacher to like you. It's just easier for everyone that way. But there's being accommodating ... and then there is being a brown noser.

Buying the teacher gifts for the first day back? That's a trick straight out of the suck up playbook.

And it's completely unnecessary. There are ways to make the teacher like you from the get-go ... without making the other classroom parents hate you. I hit up my teacher friends for tips!

1. Buy the darn school supplies. Yes, it's expensive, and you can whine about it (I do! I do!), but government monies are tight, and if you don't buy 'em, that means the teacher is probably going to have to get the money out of her own wallet to pay for them. Not the best way to start the year.

2. Send extra supplies. This isn't necessary, but if you find a great deal on anti-bacterial wipes or pencils, it doesn't hurt to throw a few extras in the bag. At the very least, you won't get a letter home in December that says your kid has run through the supply already.

3. Supply your contact information. Several teachers said they appreciate a simple card from parents that lists the best way to reach them, especially their email address. As one third grade teacher noted, "It is important to become partners in the child's education, and that is a great first step."

4. Offer to help. Not every parent can volunteer in the classroom, but there are myriad ways to help out. Spell out your availability -- in writing -- and make a solid offer to the teacher. Can you send in fruit for holiday parties? Can you show up once a week? Once a month? Whatever it is, let her/him know in detail what you can do, and then, whatever you do, don't FLAKE.

5. Introduce yourself. It's not always possible to drive your kids to school on the first day, but if you can, it's worth it! Simply having a face to put with the name and showing the initiative to walk your kids into the classroom and shake a teacher's hand makes such a good impression. Do remember it's the first day, and the teacher is a bit frazzled, so she/he won't have much time to talk. But this is a good time to hand over that contact information card, letter offering help, any extra supplies, etc.

Still think you NEED to send a gift? One third grade teacher admitted that cookies NEVER get turned away from her classroom!

What do you do for the teacher on the first day of school?

Image via stevendepolo/Flickr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jeanne Sager

writes articles for The Stir by day, slays closet monsters and bounds through bedtime stories with her elementary schooler by night. The Phineas and Ferb soundtrack reverberates through her brain.

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