Sit Down and Shut Up: How Discipline Can Set Students Free

by Cinque Henderson

An insider's account of teaching the most difficult kids inside America's most challenging schools

On his very first day of school as a substitute teacher, Cinque Henderson was cursed and yelled at by a class of 11th graders. One kid in particular, big enough to be a linebacker, openly threatened him. The student was spoiling for a fight. Cinque, not wanting trouble or any broken bones, called the hall monitor, who escorted the student to the office. But five minutes later the office sent him back. He was carrying a note that he handed to Henderson with a scowl. It read simply enough, "ok to return to class." The student sat glowering at Henderson for the rest of the day.

But it didn't matter, Henderson had already lost control of his charges and there was nothing more to be done. That was it: no suspension, no detention, no phone call home, no picking up trash after school, no sidebar conversation with the office to figure out how they could intervene. In the generation since Henderson had gone to public school in a poor black town in the rural South, the world had undergone dramatic change.

Sit Down and Shut Up: How Discipline Can Set Children Free, part memoir, part jeremiad, is a passionate and personal analysis of that change, the story of Henderson's single year as substitute teacher in some of America's toughest schools. Henderson found that the culprits for the failures of our worst schools weren't some endless stream of unqualified teachers, protected by tenure and coasting along on long ago laurels, but rather the result of population in crisis: students who thumbed their noses at teachers, cursed and threatened them and a school system and a political culture that turned a willfully blind eye to the economic and social decline that created the crisis. He soon came to see that beyond the sound and fury of adolescent misbehavior, the four corners of a public school classroom were hothouse laboratories/microcosms--chaotic, teeming, vibrant, tough--of all our nation's most vexing issues of race and class. Beneath the surface, the legacy and stain of race--the price of generational trauma, the cost of fatherlessness, the failures of capitalism, the false promise of meritocracy--played itself out in every single interaction he had with an aggressive student or unengaged parent or a failed administrator.

Henderson also found solutions, namely a recommitment to the notion that discipline--emotional, psychological, behavioral and moral discipline--wisely and properly understood, patiently and justly administered--was the only proper route to freedom and opportunity for generations of poor youth. Ranging from the Declaration of Independence and Black Lives Matter, to Whitney Houston and Walt Whitman, Henderson has managed a profound, oft times funny, but always poignant meditation on freedom, the promise of democracy and the very nature of human consciousness.

Genres: Nonfiction, Education, Memoir

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 18, 2018

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much to think about. I’d love to discuss as a book study. One thing I can say, I’m thankful for the school I work at.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

From my blog and instagram account - @livereadandprosper

This is a part-memoir story of Cinque Henderson, an African American male who spent a year as a substitute teacher in a pretty rough public school. We get a glimpse of what student dialect and conversation looks like between adult supervisors and their peers. It's jaw-dropping in some instances.

Speaking as a public high school teacher, I didn't feel like I learned as much as I wanted to from this. In all honesty, this book is much more of an eye-opening story as to what's really going on in the public education system these days. Henderson accurately describes and depicts a realistic classroom setting that I believe most citizens turn a blind eye to. This was more of a touching story about what these students go through on a day-to-day basis rather than tips on how to manage a classroom. The classroom management part is what we learn in the college classroom setting (so for me, nothing new). I recommend this book to those who are new to the public school system or really want a taste of what a day in the life of a substitute teacher looks like. I really expected more tips for combating behavior as a teacher.

3.5/5 Stars

[Myles · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this education manifesto, Henderson, a Harvard graduate, and full-time substitute teacher primarily advocates for an explicit ladder of disciplinary consequences and the reinstatement of a culture of respect premised on a "broken mirrors" agenda that views cursing and other anti-authoritarian behavior as a root cause of low-student achievement in poorer communities.

In terms of Danielson's Framework--the official teacher evaluation system--Henderson's focus falls heavily on Classroom Management or 2d Managing Student behavior. Unfortunately, this constitutes 1/22 of the Framework.

Another large section of the book is dedicated to blaming Hip-Hop, advertising, and crack-cocaine for the erosion of black educational achievement.

It is remarkable that an untrained, non-certified sub, with short-term experience, who demonstrates minimal knowledge of pedagogy would write confidently about education reform without providing significant evidence of significant improvements in outcomes. Perhaps the job was taken to further his writing career.

[Marietta · Rating 2 out of 5]

This gentleman has some interesting ideas, but they reflect the attitudes of a beginning professional. If he had stuck it out in a single classroom, or had dedicated more than a year of substitute teaching to the effort, I would have found his reasoning and his revelations more compelling.

[Kevin English · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m still thinking through and processing a lot of what Henderson offers in this book. Ultimately, I do think he makes a valid point: we can teach our students to be disciplined—and we must do it if our poorest and most disenfranchised are to survive in today’s world. He offers a critique of the radical shift by the left and the right, arguing for a greater understanding of how discipline shifts have moved in light of larger contexts, and he repeatedly calls for principals to stand by and support teachers.

[Melissa Daley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book based on the synopsis. As a substitute teacher and someone who actively advocates for students, I was intrigued by the title Sit Down and Shut Up: How Discipline Can Set Students Free. I expected a critical but constructive look at how school discipline has changed and where things have gone wrong in our education system.

Instead, the majority of the book is heavily focused on systemic racism and broader societal issues. While those are valid and important topics, I found the discussion overwhelming and unbalanced. The actual breakdown of school discipline—things like the shift away from suspensions and detentions—was barely touched on, and that’s the conversation I was hoping for.

The most useful section came at the very end, in a brief three-page segment titled “What Can We Do Now?” Each paragraph introduced a potentially powerful idea, and I found myself wishing each one had been its own chapter. As someone who wants to be part of the solution, I needed more than just a rundown of what’s broken. I wanted depth, strategy, and vision.

Unfortunately, the book didn’t deliver on that front. It raises important issues, but it left me feeling like I’d only read the first half of a conversation. Two stars from me, mostly for the potential that peeked through at the end.

[Anthony · Rating 1 out of 5]

the mere idea of a substitute teacher with no real grounding in education theory pathologizing black communities and blaming them for their oppression is revolting. This book is like if Uncle Ruckus got a substitute teaching gig and then decided to write a book about it.

[Emily Linacre · Rating 4 out of 5]

so, i'm amazed by teachers and their superhero-ness, and i've been having less than super feelings about the kids in my life (both my own, and ones attending my teen programs at work), so i checked this book out to try to learn more about two birds with one stone. i didn't expect to relate to parts of it as much as i did--a white girl in a smallish, pretty-vanilla midwestern town vs. a black man subbing in inner city schools of LA. his discussion of the politics of the education system is timely and frankly tragic.

fave thoughts and quotes:

--
[My students] fell into one of three categories. They were either gems, knuckleheads, or assholes. Sometimes they were two (it was rarely a fixed identity) and some could be all three. Of course these are purposefully crude distinctions, but they are instructive...
Of the three types of students, the [assholes] are the most powerful and the [gems] the least powerful, but the knuckleheads are the most important. Knuckleheads are the kids who are well behaved when the kids around them are well behaved and cut-ups when the other kids are cut-ups. If there are mostly gems in the class, knuckleheads behave like gems. If too many kids are rowdy and aggressive--then the knuckleheads become [rowdy and aggressive] too.
I believe these categories are not just confined to schools. I think they describe how all institutions work. Think of the Second Persian Gulf War. The three people responsible for pullling us into the most costly and consequential armed conflict of the last fifty years were Colin Powell, George W. Bush, and Dick Cheney. Powell was dead-set against the war from the start; Bush was on the fence, though already war-minded because of the 9/11 attacks; Cheney, however, was obsessed... Colin Powell, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney: gem, knucklehead, asshole.
pp43-44
--

'Do nice things in a mean way.' It's a little mantra I'd come to practice, along with "Don't smile until January," which other teachers had taught me, so kids think you're mean until they find out you're not.
p57
--

But what about that phrase, 'zero tolerance'? I saw nothing approaching zero tolerance in the more than fifty schools where I taught during my year as a sub. Instead I saw the extreme opposite, with teachers and administrators tolerating all manner of bad behavior just to keep kids in school between 8:00am and 3:00pm. A childhood friend who has taught in Miami-Dade County for almost twenty years wrote: "They dismantled the discipline system...It is virtually impossible to discipline a student...students are rarely, if ever, suspended. I know we are losing a generation of kids as a result of allowing them to run wild."
p132
--

[O]vercorrection is what we have seen in public education rather than a patient reevaluation of our predecessors. Behavior is as bad as it's ever been and in some instances worse. Weapons are gone (mercifully), but in many schools chaos still reigns. Why? The political faddishness that is a woefully permanent part of public education reform has amped up our instinct to overcorrect, with school districts in large cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, suddenly and without much warning, outlawing suspensions altogether and making expulsions nearly impossible, no matter the offense. [W]hen suspensions are gone, detention is meaningless because the consequence for skipping detention no longer exists. And the ban on suspensions means parents are off the hook because they no longer have to deal with a kid who's been sent home for the day for starting a fight or being disrespectful, thus, weakening parental accountability.
p139
--

If we cannot begin a serious and consequential debate about the obligation parents have to cooperate with teachers and administrators, then students and parents should sue school districts to compel rules around some basic level of parental involvement (a few hours every semester maybe). Legislatures can deivse new legal obligations for parents, who should be subjected to reasonable consequences if they fail to meet those baseline obligations. This is a serious philosophical question: What does a citien owe the state and community in exchange for government-funded education for their child?
p222

--

[Maria Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cinque Henderson spent a year substitute teaching in all levels and sorts of Los Angeles schools: public, private, charter; Catholic and Jewish; well-funded and struggling inner city; elementary, middle school, and high school. The result is Sit Down and Shut Up: How Discipline Can Set Students Free, a thoughtful and reasoned discussion of the problems besetting our nation's educational system and our poorer public schools.

At one point during the year, Henderson noticed that the constant background hum of noise present in all school hallways sounds different in the toughest schools, and attributed the difference to the ease and frequency with which students at failing schools swear in the presence of adults. This simple lack of respect for authority is a symptom and result of the breakdown of discipline in the lives of many inner city children at home and at school.

Henderson explores a variety of societal, political, and economic reasons for the decline of discipline in schools, including the crack cocaine crisis and absence of strong male influences at home and at school; an over-correction from too-stringent zero tolerance policies; the elimination of suspension and expulsion as punishment because school funding and accreditation are based on daily attendance; and the fact that the chaos and disruption at school perpetuates the difficulty of learning.

All is not lost, however. Despite the steep challenges, Henderson assures us that there are individual successes in even the most difficult schools, and ends with a list of practical and policy reforms to improve our schools now. Anyone involved in education, especially at the administrative level, should read this book.

[Sarah Koehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic. Here’s what I’m aiming to take with me into my classroom from this book. Some of this, I already do, and Henderson helped immensely to reiterate it. Others are excellent reminders of things I should always be doing. Some are new, but genius.

1. Set my expectations early and MAINTAIN THEM. Do not back down or “coward out.” Make students hold themselves accountable because the world will do this, too. (Note the story of the man who was fired over having his cellphone on his desk at his job. The job dealt with super secure, confidential, and classified information, and phones have cameras. The policy was clear. He broke it and was fired, though no photos were ever found. The point is, the rules are in place for a reason. Follow them or face consequences; the world owes you nothing.)

1b. Remember always that it is my job to PREPARE MY STUDENTS FOR REAL LIFE. I can be tough as nails and still love them unconditionally. They all know this; but don’t ever let them forget it.

2. Be firm, but not snotty. Don’t always be so sarcastic. (This one is going to be HARD.) Don’t feel I have to be “on stage” as a performer. I don’t need to outdo a student; it’s not a competition. I’m the teacher. I have already won.

3. Stop yelling. Wait it out. Let kids yell at me or whatever it is, then say something like, “this? I don’t do this well. So you decide. You go, or I do. Are we ending class for this today?” (Obviously this is for the college, not the HS.) This is based on an incident in which First Lady Michelle Obama was heckled during a speech; she handled it brilliantly. No surprise there.

4. Laugh with my kids more often. Let them lighten up and be funny — even at my expense. It’s okay sometimes. I can take it…. For real.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was on board for some of this book, but not all of it ("The Child is Father to the Man" had me seeing red). I do think that discipline is needed in schools, and I am going to be thinking about the last line of his book--"What does a citizen owe the state and community in exchange for government-funded education for their child?"--for a long time. I also think Henderson is right on the money (ha) about how capitalism is ruining schools--competing with other schools does not make them better. Often, it means that minority and low-income students are failed over and over. Henderson doesn't talk about this, but methods like Maria Montessori's or Waldorf's were meant for less privileged children but now you need to be wealthy to ensure your children have access to that kind of education.

But man am I going to be stewing over his sexist argument in "The Child is Father to the Man" for a long, long time.

[Mark Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought provoking and somewhat sad commentary on the current situation at a large number of our , mostly inner city and minority attended schools across America. His last chapter on “What Can We Do Now” really hits the Main Points of his perspective and suggestions , from Substitute teaching for a year, at various Public Schools in Urban pourer School Districts. It’s NOT the Teachers that are Failing, but for the most part their lack of power to do anything to “discipline “ the Unruly Students, and even more so the Complete UN-Involvement by their Parents to engage with the Schools that their kids go to. Very Sad situation that’s not easy to fix?

[John Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although much of what Cinque writes about comes from his experiences in an urban setting, I challenge anyone living in less fortunate rural areas to refute his observations. I've chatted with numerous teachers here in Somerset County Maine and their stories don't differ much, save for the racial mix. I'm glad he wrote this book and I'm fine with his not offering a blanket-load of 'fixes' because ultimately, it's up to the parents and teachers in each school district to work together, first to admit things are a mess and then develop location-based solutions to address them.

[Neil James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more or less my same assessment of the current situation in education across this country. The difficulties seem insurmountable unless everyone works together and moves in an effective direction.

[Susan]

Review only provided to the publisher.

[Kim Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid and surprisingly well-researched reflection on public schools - as well as strategies for supporting them.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look at how public schools have reached the point they are at now and how we can make a difference for kids to be able to learn.

[Alexander Valdem · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read for everyone who wants to teach, or work with kids.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been teaching for over twenty years. In the last 6-8 years there has been a widespread movement among education policy makers to diminish student accountability in regards to behavior and academics. The consequences of this are detailed perfectly by Henderson. Ask teachers around your community, see if they are noticing this trend. Read "Sit Down", we need to stop hurting vulnerable students with misguided policies.

[Ken Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written book, That is likely to be interesting to members of The teaching profession .