I don’t know enough about Asperger’s Syndrome to be considered an expert on the condition. Regardless, I am sure of this – a teacher who has a reputation for saying demeaning and insulting things to his/her students with some level of frequency needs to find another profession whether they have Asperger’s Syndrome or not.
I am a deep critic of the general lack of understanding and support given to students with autism and other related conditions, so I want to make it clear that I am not insensitive to the difficulties that such a condition poses on a person’s social skills.
Having said that, it is my belief that Robert Wollkind, if indeed it is proven that he did do what is alleged, needs to be fired for his behaviour:
A Connecticut high school teacher faces the loss of his job after asking a student, who is overweight, if he had eaten his homework. According to the Hartford Courant, officials in the Brookfield school district want to fire Robert Wollkind who, they say, has made a ‘string of inappropriate remarks over his 32-year career.’ Wollkind, a math teacher at Brookfield High School, was diagnosed in 2002 with Asperger’s Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder in which individuals have normal or above intelligence but struggle with social, communicative and sensory skills. Wollkind has been on administrative leave since the November 2010 incident.
Lawyers representing the school district says that Wollkind has ‘used abusive language to others, including telling one student that he hated him.’ According to the News-Times:
The student, identified as “Student 21,” had been previously teased by peers about his weight, said the school district’s attorney Patrick McHale.
Wollkind’s personnel file also contains reported incidents of him screaming at a student, grabbing a student, and using “abusive and foul language” with students.
Wollkind counters that ‘many of those incidents have been described inaccurately.’
The fact that more than 1,000 Brookfield parents and students have signed a petition supporting him suggests he has some fine qualities as a teacher and that the parents of Brookfield are very understanding.
My issue is with his behaviour. Teachers have an important role to fulfill that goes beyond the teaching of skills and knowledge. They are there to build up the confidence of their students, empower them to take responsible risks and help them to realise their full potential.
Comments that hurt and strike at a child’s self-esteem do not belong in a teacher’s repertoire. It hurts enough in the schoolyard by peers, but to get teased by your teacher is simply not acceptable and potentially destructive to the child.
Whilst I can understand that Mr. Wollkind’s jibe’s were a product of Asperger’s Syndrome, and I am deeply sympathetic to it’s likely influence over his actions, I am not sure I would want him teaching my child.
Tags: Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, Body Image, Brookfield, Childhood Obesity, Classroom Management, Education, News, Obesity, Parenting, Political Correctness, Robert Wollkind, Self-Esteem, Teachers, Teaching
Topical Teaching 
April 1, 2011 at 10:15 pm |
That teacher deserves the hot soup he has got himself into and looks like he is very likely to end up losing his job. If he loses his job in teaching, well, it’s a pricey lesson he has to bear with for the rest of his life. If he is lucky enough to retain his job, people need to petition against him and see that he would never teach again and for life. Bullying from a teacher against a student, whether he has Asperger’s or normal, is never acceptable.
April 3, 2011 at 11:44 pm |
I obviously agree with you whatsaysyou, but I wonder why the parents don’t see it our way. Are they just understanding or is there more to this story than has been reported?
April 2, 2011 at 1:51 am |
I agree that a teacher should not bully children, but wonder if you have the facts right, if the teacher disputes them and 1000 parents and students support the teacher. It is rare for an abusive or incompetent teacher to get that level of support.
I also disagree strongly with the notion that “They are there to build up the confidence of their students”. Some students need confidence boosting, others are already over-confident of their abilities. Teachers need to know when to boost confidence and when to prick the bubbles of illusion.
April 3, 2011 at 11:38 pm |
I’ve never met an over-confident child. Just ones that fake over-confidence to cover up their insecurities.
April 3, 2011 at 2:12 am |
I think that this teacher has made a mistake if he did say this. However, I think you need to look at what the other allegations are. Parents and students support this teacher, so he must be doing something correct.
I have a former teacher that was fired because he was very strong willed. He taught American History in Kansas and he was criticized several times for having a Rebel Flag in the classroom. It’s our history. What is wrong with that?
I feel that teachers make mistakes. They need to look closely at the allegations. If he has had enough in a short amount of time, then yes, he needs to lose his job. However, if he has one incident a year, is that really enough to be fired over?
April 3, 2011 at 11:41 pm |
I have no issue with “strong willed teachers”, and I am aware that teachers make mistakes. You are right that these are allegations Anthony, and should therefore should not be treated as facts. I do however feel that if it is established that he is a repeat offender, he must understand that the impact of his actions are potentially quite destructive.
May 17, 2011 at 5:01 am |
People with Asperger’s Syndrome can be kind hearted or heartless. And many teachers are sarcastic and do not have Asperger’s Syndrome. This man sounds like a jerk who has Asperger’s Syndrome. Asperger Syndrome does not make someone a jerk. Many people with Asperger’s Syndrome are very kind hearted and are not very political and end up having problems with staff members not the kids. Staff members tend to bully them and are good at pretending where Asperger people are very transparent. So don’t make this about Asperger’s Syndrome. It is about a jerk teacher who is using words to hurt students and any teacher who does this should hit the road.
May 17, 2011 at 11:01 am |
You make some convincing points Emily. Thank you so much for commenting on my blog.