Scorners and Mockers

The concept of someone being a “scorner” or “mocker” may be difficult to understand because the terms are not often used today. The book of Proverbs has many references to scorning and mocking and the detrimental effects they have. The NLT of Proverbs 29:8a says, “Mockers can get a whole town agitated….” We have discovered that classrooms and the entire school are agitated by the activities of a few scorners and mockers in our midst. Mockers make fun of diligent hard working students that seek to participate in class. They will sometimes ask disdainful questions just to hinder the teacher’s instruction. Scoring and mocking is proud and arrogant attitudes and behaviors that hinder our purposes in academic excellence and Christ-like character. The difficulty we face is that the very scorning and mocking we are seeking to correct is resistant to discipline. Mocking students will not listen and will often roll their eyes and huff. They display a slouching disrespectful posture and attitude when the teacher speaks to them. Because a few scorners and mockers can disrupt the entire school we are going to seek to identify and deal with them in a very purposeful way. If our attempts at loving correction do not produce the desired changes in behavior and/or attitude these students will be asked to leave ACA. For an insightful study of scorning and mocking we would encourage parents to read, SCORNERS AND MOCKERS, by Rick Horne published by ACSI. The following is a brief summary of how we plan to handle scorners and mockers:

Titus 3:10-11     10 Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. 11 You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.    NIV 

Step 1 – Student will be spoken with in private to make him/her aware of the effect his/her behavior is having on the other students. He/she will be encouraged to improve the offending behavior.

Step 2 – If the behavior is not radically changed in 2 or 3 days, the student will be talked with again privately

1. Student will be reminded of the previous conversation
2. A review of the behaviors and the effect on the class will be given
3. The student will be told that if the behavior doesn’t change, they will suffer the consequences of their poor choices. The first thing is that parents will be talked to. 

Step 3 – After the first two steps have been done, other teachers will be surveyed to see if they are also having problems with this particular student.

Step 4 – Parents be called and concerns are expressed over the behavior and attitudes that are being witnessed. Dr. Carden or Mr. Hughes will be informed about the conversation.

Step 5 – If no change occurs Dr. Carden will be requested to meet with teachers and student.

Step 6 – Headmaster will call and inform the parents that the student is on official probation