Nope, you don't get it. Go back to the link and see if you're actually ABLE to order said shirt....

I'm sure he's "formal" andrewmichaels43, as opposed to "casual" andrewmichaels43, when he's in a teaching setting.

Similar to how managers can't get too chummy with their subordinates, because it can cause problems and misunderstandings.

"Good boy! That's a GOOD doggie! Have a treat."

I am a teacher. I teach elementary grades and at that age, it would be inappropriate for me to discuss playing poker with my students. I don't hide the fact from the adults I work with. But if a student asks about poker -- once, for example, when one told me his parents played with him -- I still don't tell them I play. I live in an area where religious morality runs high and gambling is definitely a taboo subject.

Even with that said, I teach students with disabilities so I have a bit more flexibility in the way I present the material. Several years ago, I taught almost all of the material through probability lessons. A lot of addition, fractions, percents, decimals, and probability (especially combinatorial stuff and likelihood) make appearances in our standards at the grade I was teaching. I love math and we had a great time that year. The real justification came the next year when we got the results back from the state testing. The majority of my students had shown tremendous growth in math. I haven't done that since because they moved me to a different grade and to a class with different abilities. But it was a great year. Still, poker never made an appearance. We used dice and cards a lot but never in a way that could be called poker or gambling.

I used to play in a private tournament in the county where I work. Sadly, it fell apart when the host moved. Many of the people who played in that game had children in the school system. It didn't stop me from playing but I had a (personal) 1 drink maximum and was sure to act in a manner that I wouldn't be ashamed of if they ended up seeing me in school. They often had their children in the house, playing with each other, so it was a bit weird. None of the students attended my specific school though.

The most awkward moment happened when a new player joined the game one week. He was 18 or so at the time. He instantly recognized me, "Hey you have my brother in your class!" This was a pretty major concern with me because I was teaching the severely emotionally disturbed at the time and privacy concerns forbid discussing specifics about students in public. Actually, I wasn't even supposed to confirm or deny if a specific student was in my class. He told me his brother's name and said something along the lines of, "he's a total nut at times." My response was, "Man, it's Friday night... I don't want to talk about work right now. We can talk during the break." When I had a chance, I told him that I didn't like talking about students in public settings. He understood and it wasn't a problem after that. He only came once in a while but he was a good enough guy.

Even if I taught high school, I still wouldn't talk poker with my students or play in any game with them. College is an interesting area though. I am not sure about that one. From a professionalism aspect, to remain above suspicion, I probably still wouldn't do it. I generally wouldn't fraternize with students to avoid accusations of favoritism. That said, when I was in college... I drank with many of my professors and some of them even showed up at some private parties held by my brotherhood. It didn't change my impression of them or harm their teaching or authority in the college setting. But I don't even want to take that risk.

I told my students (grammar school) that I play poker, and even played with them on class trips. However, I always told them that I play only a few hours a month.

When you play on a regular basis or even every day, you can't tell your students for obvious reasons.

Bad, BAD idea. I would call you out on this, AS a poker player with kids whom I play poker with.

You really need to drop this activity with them. Not high school, and CERTAINLY not grammar school. What were you thinking?

You have to play a role around the students. I was a lazy student. But when one of my top students does not do his homework, I have to get mad at him, even though I can relate and know that he doesn't really need to do them since he is ahead of the others anyway. But if the class were ever to find out that I feel that way ...

Maybe I confused you. We teach a class for two years; then the class gets new teachers. The class trip is at the end of those two years, so afterwards I usually don't teach those students anymore.
Also, LDO, we played for peanuts (literally) and candy.

No, that doesn't make any difference at all. Unless they are you OWN children, at your OWN home, you should never be playing gambling-like games with young children... from both a legal, and from a "hunted down by angry parents", standing.

As a teacher of said children? STILL a bad, bad idea.

But we need bart teaching a new generation of fish, how will I make a living 10 years from now?

I say, play poker and teach these kids something useful in life, at least 1 thing.

What's with all those caps?
From the legal standing there is absolutely nothing wrong with playing poker with children. Without money, it is not illegal.
As for the parents - I pretty much did them a favour. I did not come up with the idea of playing poker, the kids did (16yo by the way). And two of the boys I played with had already adopted the idea that Poker is a game of skill (probably from TV); I am the one who told them that it is actually gambling.

Yeah, as if anyone who makes posts like this ever is a winning player.

I strongly support better education on probability and risk for our high school students. I don't think teachers should be playing gambling games with students but teaching them about EV and risk/reward would go a long way towards reducing the degenerate gamblers out there. It is hard to want to play a game (like the lottery) when you really understand that ever dollar you bet will bring you less money back.

People are so afraid to be thought of as teaching "evil" things to teens that we end up graduating people who think scratch off tickets are a good investment.

It has nothing to do with poker .... but when i was in high school (a long long time ago) I had a teacher/coach who I know had on occasion invited one or two students to his home (there was a time when the I was invited but that was with the whole team). Though those students were friends of mine we never really spoke about it . . . . but i have always had the feeling that those visits may not have been appropriate .... if you know what I mean.

For that reason alone you should be very hesitant to involve students in your personal life. You see even if you really are doing nothing wrong (and gambling with underage students may not be viewed as doing nothing wrong) other people may believe that you are doing something inappropriate. And that alone is a problem.

lawl

im an elite minority i guess

umm IveArrived HU vs. Bart? I bet my roll on IveArrived

Touche. I'll rephrase: I wish I could get that shirt. I understand the play on idiots and enjoy mocking them to no end. I failed to actually read below the ironing board. I'm retired.

Actually, legally, that isn't true in a number of states, from what I remember. It's often written as a variation of "something of value".

Just an FYI.

Actually, from what little I know about degeneracy, knowledge doesn't "fix" it, any more than it does people inclined toward drug addictions.

I agree with you and bart here (we won't argue what a "good" investment of a dollar is) as to the value of the benefits of poker knowledge.

But, there are control, addiction and other things that kids aren't mature enough to grasp wholly, as a general group... and that is a major problem.

That, and the overreaction of parents, which is another monster.

I understand, of course, where you're both going.... but be careful about where it might lead.

You might want to go back and read my original post. I am opposed to teachers playing poker with children. As I teacher, I don't do it and I don't tell my students that I play.

I still believe that education is a good prevention to gambling problems. It's not going to help once someone has already got it into their heads but it does prevent a lot of the problems. It's hard to get started when you have been taught that it's a losing game. Not that playing is horrible, if you enjoy it. Someone has to pay to keep the lights on at the casinos.

Personally, I was raised playing poker. And it was always for money. I was greatly warned about the dangers of it and how it was a skill game and that there were people better than I, who would take all my money. It kept me from playing outside the family games (or games I personally arranged) for a long time. It didn't prevent me from playing and trying to get the skill to become one of the players I was warned against. But it did instill a sense of caution.

I really didn't mean to indicate that you were saying teachers should play with kids.

See, I believe that the problem is right there- the addiction problems in addicts are IN their heads already, literally.

Now, for kids without the presumed physical problem, but other emotional and control issues, it can be good and bad... and again, what you think is best may not fly with the parents.


And that's good- gold star to whomever taught you. But, note that you were taught within your family (presumably) and not in a school setting.

Absolutely... I don't think poker should be part of school. Especially not at the grades I teach and have taught (everything from 2nd to 5th). Poker, and all gambling, is a social and personal issue and should be something that is up to the family. I don't teach religion to students either. Personal values are up to families and not teachers.

Anyway, I feel awkward if I run into parents of children in my school when I am playing poker, drinking, or smoking... because those are not representative of the values I represent while working. It's not something I "like" but it is the way it is. Students shouldn't see me drinking or gambling... just part of the position.

As a teacher I would never play with a student. But I also don't hide the fact that I play, but I won't talk about where and when I play, who I play with, what stakes, or about the hands themselves in school.

On a side note, the greatest ECON lesson I ever taught was how a sports book worked. I had never heard my class so quiet or had such good questions asked during that 50 minutes.

^
I don't like it, I it!

These are tough problems for people helping kids grow up. I'm not sure you do them too big a favor by shielding them, though. Obviously a balance has to be struck between teaching them about things and keeping them from hurting people, themselves in particular. Different people will draw a different line through the middle of the grey area between healthy experimenting and recklessness.

right. when the teacher and parents aren't in tune with where those boundaries are, the teacher probably ought to be the conservative one. if you're dealing with a whole class of students, it's even more difficult.

I'm sure I've told this story before, so tune out if you've heard this:

My sister fell in love with a talented mathematician in high school. When they finished college, they decided to get married. He was supporting himself as a poker prop in local cardrooms by then. They day they announced their engagement, my mother cried.

I had never really heard this before, but her father had a gambling problem. He'd come home late on a friday night after losing his paycheck on the way, which would pose a challenge to a family of 9 I imagine. I never asked whether it was cards or horses or what. This is not a happy subject with my mother.

My sister's husband is a good guy, but the best we can hope for with mom is that she stay open-minded. It got better when he got a dealing job, so he wasn't exactly gambling himself.

Then one day a friend hooked him up with the financial industry, so he's an options trader now. Mom has finally come around, since he stopped gambling.

The point is, some people are going to be irrational about gambling, and I find it hard to argue with them. It can ruin lives.