Proper Discipline
Jackie, Uncle, Jade, and the fillies sat across Mrs. Hartman's desk. The teacher had raised an eyebrow at the other girls being there for Jade's Parent-Teacher Conference, but the information that Jackie and Uncle had no one to watch them while they were both there smoothed it over. Mrs. Hartman instead went to the meat of the issue. "Mr. Chan, this is not the first time we've had a problem with Jade," she explained as the girl in question hunched in on herself. "Swinging from gym lamps, stilt walking with ladders, scaling the building with a fire hose..." She looked up from reading the material.
"Just like Jackie!" Uncle offered happily. "He reminds me of a chimpanzee!" He winced as he received an elbow to the gut from Sweetie Belle, who sat in his lap now that she was too big to sit on Uncle's head for Uncle's older spine. "What?"
"Uncle Jackie has studied parkour extensively," Scootaloo offered. "He's taught all of us some of the basics, too."
"I see," Mrs. Hartman offered, surprised and impressed. "Still, there's the issue of her fighting. I don't know where she learned it-"
"From Jackie!" Uncle piped up again. "He is good instructor!"
"Uncle!" Jackie snapped out warningly, only for Uncle to smile impishly. He then turned back to the teacher. "Mrs. Hartman, the martial arts I've taught Jade and the others are for self defense and discipline." He glanced over at Jade. "Not for picking fights."
"I didn't pick a fight!" Jade complained. "I was just standing up for everyone! Meynard is such a bully-"
"Jade!" Jackie scolded, making her fall silent. "Meynard?" he asked Mrs. Hartman.
"An older student," Mrs. Hartman explained. "He's been held back a couple of years for academic issues. He's the one who Jade 'whomped', as per testimony from other students who witnessed it."
"Jade..." Jackie began warningly.
"Ahem!" Sweetie Belle spoke up, holding up a video tape. "If I may?"
"What is that?" Mrs. Hartman asked.
"I've been studying filming as a hobby," Sweetie Belle explained as she walked over to the TV/VCR in the corner of the classroom. "I happened to be filming when Jade and Meynard had their...altercation. I just now finished prepping the tape to play." With that, she stuck the tape into the VCR, turning the TV on.
The video played, showing Meynard having one of the weaker, nerdier students held upside down to shake out his lunch money. Then Jade stepped up behind him.
"Put the kid down, Meynard," Jade spoke out on the TV.
"Or what, shrimp?" Meynard replied as he bent to pick up the fallen change.
On the screen, Jade visibly twitched, but took a breath and let it down. "Step away from the lunch money and no one gets hurt."
"Oh yeah?" Meynard offered disdainfully. "Hey, there's enough here for fish sticks and pie!"
"I'm warning you, I'm trained in martial arts," Jade spoke up, taking a defensive stance.
Meynard laughed as he turned to face Jade. "Then let's see what you got, shrimp!" Stepping up, he put out his hand to push Jade.
Sweetie Belle paused the tape. "For this part, I should play it slowly." She then made it play forward bit by bit, giving everyone time to see everything that happened.
Jade's hands came up, gripping Meynard's wrist and pulling back as she turned into him, the bully falling forward slightly. Her foot slid back, pushing Meynard's foot back to put him even more off balance as she leaned forward, pulling the larger boy over her shoulder to slam onto the ground on his back, completely dazed.
Mrs. Hartman's eyes were wide as the tape continued to play at normal speed, showing Jade taking a calming breath, seeming nearly as stunned as the dazed Meynard. A pleased smirk crossed her face when the other students started cheering...one that faded as Mrs. Hartman arrived. As Sweetie Belle stopped the tape, the teacher spoke up. "What was that?" she asked, stunned.
"A defensive throw I taught her," Jackie explained, "meant to protect her if she should find herself in danger. I've been teaching her that one until it happens automatically, or at least that was the goal." He smiled down at Jade. "It seems I succeeded."
Jade chuckled softly, brushing the lock of hair that always fell across her face behind one ear.
"Do I understand this correctly?" Uncle spoke up. "Meynard picks on other students as a bully. One more thing, Meynard physically assaulted Jade after she stood up for others, and she defended herself. One more thing, Meynard is twice Jade's size!" His voice changed from easy and laid back to suddenly harsh, his eyes opening into a gimlet glare. "And Jade is one in trouble? This makes sense to teacher, no?"
Mrs. Hartman flushed, plainly unhappy being caught in this situation. "Why didn't you mention this at the time, Jade?" she asked.
For her part, Jade sat back in her chair, arms crossed, every inch the jaded child. "Would you have listened?" she asked flatly, coldly. Mrs. Hartman visibly winced.
"I can't blame Jade for this," Jackie spoke up. "She is...highly precocious, but was unable to truly reach her full potential back in Hong Kong. In trying to explore her full abilities, she...got into a great deal of trouble." He gave Mrs. Hartman an understanding look. "You are a teacher. I am sure you well understand the trouble of precocious students who lack appropriate challenge." The teacher nodded understandingly. "Her parents sent her to live with me for a year, hoping I could both help challenge her, and give her schooling here where she would have a clean slate. But I can't blame her for thinking she can't count on school authority in these situations, when she's so used to being seen as the 'problem child'." He rested a hand comfortingly on Jade's shoulder. "I have been there myself."
Mrs. Hartman sighed regretfully. "I'm afraid I can't blame either of you, myself," she admitted. "I want what's best for my students, but for all my good intentions, regulations as far as what I'm allowed to do as far as these situations..."
"Can only act on what ya see fer yerself?" Apple Bloom offered. Mrs. Hartman nodded.
"Hmph!" Uncle grunted. "And I thought schools supposed to get better on these things as time goes on. No better than when Jackie was in school!"
"Except now we've got cameras!" Sweetie Belle spoke up happily.
"And I thank you for that," Mrs. Hartman told Sweetie. "With that evidence, I can now actually address the situation with Meynard directly, and future student testimonials about his behavior can be given more credence." She turned to Jade. "I am sorry I put the blame at your feet right away. It was undeserved."
Jade still looked grumpy about the whole thing, but a look from Jackie made her relax. "Apology accepted," she relented.
"And in the future, do you think you could engage in your emulations of Jackie somewhere other than school?" Mrs. Hartman requested. "In return, I'll see what I can do about giving you a more challenging academic and physical lesson plan, so you don't get bored with school as easily." Noticing the eager looks from the other girls, she nodded. "You three as well."
Jade managed a smile. "I think we can agree to that."
"And from now on, please tell me if you are having problems of this sort," Mrs. Hartman concluded. "I want all my students to excel, and that means addressing any problems they might be having. But I can only address the problems I'm aware of." She offered Jade her hand, and Jade accepted the handshake with a smile.
Uncle nodded happily. Mrs. Hartman was a good teacher, stuck in a bad system. She was tough, but fair. He approved.
At that moment, Jackie's phone rang. Confused, he picked it up. "Hello?" he asked calmly. He then gasped out in shock. "No! ...we'll be right there!" He quickly hung up the phone. "We need to get to the hospital," he said quickly. "It's Augustus!" Everyone quickly got to their feet.
"Go," Mrs. Hartman stated quickly. "Check on your friend. I've got new lesson plans to lay out."
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Chapter Forty Six
"Aiyah!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 29
"One More Thing!"
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Chapter Count: 2
Total Count: 51
I wonder how many other such situations have been settled via video testimony? Camera phones must have pissed off alot of bullies when they became a thing
Im glad the teacher is legit and not just a stereotypical hardass
I remember the Dragon Talisman episode. It was actually the first one I watched. Black got hurt pretty bad, IIRC.
Echo is pleased with this chapter! One more thing, Sweetie Belle will make a good defense attorney!
7567901 Mrs. Hartman demonstrated rather late in the show that she had the best interests of her students at heart, and wouldn't hurt them, even when under the influence of demon chi.
I do honestly hope that Meynard learned the same lesson here that he did in the show, or at least an equivalent one. It was kinda sweet seeing Jade pass on what she'd learned from Jackie.
I love how much these stories just change things so subtly and everything turns out so much better.
I really love how you do stuff like this. In the show Jade was just the "problem child", as you described it, and nothing was really done about that beyond her having outlets in joining Jackie on his quests. Here you go providing both a believable reason for said outbursts and ways that it could, and should, be addressed, fictional or not.
Awesome chapter as usual.
How about that? Video evidence saved the day again. Bullying sucks nowadays, and it's even worse if one gets punished for standing up for themselves.
7567923 I know, right? I loved that part at the end of the episode, myself.
Well, that's a minor problem solved. Now if only Valmont and Shendu would go down so easily.
7567901 Unfortunately this would not work in real life. someone tried this exact thing before (though with an Ipad instead of a regular camera) and the teachers had him arrested for Wiretapping.
That being said, this was a nice chapter, always a good feeling to watch a Bully get his just deserts like this.
7568056 Seriously?
My faith in mankind keeps plummeting...
Oh wait, I've never had faith in mankind!
As someone who was bullied (mainly teased verbally) in elementary school I am very glad Jade was able to protect herself from a bigger kid and once the teacher saw hard evidence she apologized to Jade and started working to correct the problem.
That's definitely a video for the records.
Guess Jade's fight for thrown automatically.
They have a good teacher when they're taking their lesson plans to Hart.
I saw this in the feature box, congratulations!
7568056 he was arrested for showing evidence? That's just stupid.
7568291 And grounds for False Arrest in nearly every single jurisdiction in the country. The administration there in your example was WRONG.
That tactic DOES work, and HAS worked, in many situations. Your example is an outlier.
Since you started the story I've been rewatching show. Though of course I've watched multiple episodes at a time so I'm way past this episode. But I'm pretty sure I remember that Jade was having a hard time with schoolwork. So is giving her more challenging schoolwork the best plan? So since Meynard will be punished I'm suspecting he's going be very furious and go after Jade, this time for blood. So I'm not sure if the ending of the episode will end exactly the way it did like the last episode you wrote.
7568605
She wasn't having trouble with schoolwork because it was too hard for her. Considering how easily she tackled any 'extra credit' project thrown her way, she was having trouble with school work for the same reason I was when I was her age...I was bored and couldn't get myself to care. So what she needs is challenge.
glad uncle had the decency to not instantly calm down when he found out what the teacher did, frankly everything points towards her knowing Maynard is a bully, frankly well this was handled better then the show, the teacher getting away with the same excuses they seem to throw at a situation all the time gets annoying. this isn't a simple case of mistaken identity she knew jade was likely innocent or at least less to blame in this, it's still wrong of her.
So, when the Tiger talisman comes around, and Shadow Jackie appears, Jackie will prolly need this for mood music: [youtube=IORp_o7bnvM]
So, one qualm I recall having back when the show was on was Captain Black later being used for the Worf Effect, 'magic can only defeat magic'--- meh. I perferred the Gargoyles interpretation: "Energy is energy, whether created by magic or science." I could allow 'a millennial demon has more energy that any current tech that's wield-able by a single human'--- buuuuuuuuut, since ya had that bit about Clarke's 3rd Law devices, I wouldn't mind seeing Section 13 being more effective than U.N.I.T.
So rare to see the student who's in the right NOT get a raw deal in school because the teacher showed up at the wrong time. Having been in Jade's position more than once myself, having been punished for defending other kids/myself from a bully, I took a great deal of vicarious satisfaction from this.
7569077
Dang straight. Far too quick to judge and dismiss the reasons and explanations of kids when they only see hyperactivity and a fight. Really wish more of my teachers had been that willing to change their tune when proof was given of my innocence. <nods> Well done Mrs. Hartman.
There we go, caught up.
Glad to see a bullying issue go right for once.
7568305
Aye. In a public location, under commonlaw, there is no expectation of privacy. Most schools USE closed circuit cameras these days... and most phones, tablets, and computers have integrated cameras. My guess is that your example was an earlier case with less precedence.
Either way, unless recordings were expressly forbidden (or it occured in one of the few states that require explicit notice) it would still be private property, without a criminal act, and thus such an arrest should have been thrown out as both frivolous and unlawful.
But you know how these things go... someone's gotta complain and someone else feels the need to "make an example" rather than address the actual problem.
7568637 so, basically Jade has had my junior high... high school and college...? seems legit
I like many others in the past have been a victim of that corrupt system, so nice touch addressing that in the story.
7578465
I didn't say anything on the subject when this chapter was first posted, but I too sympathize with Jade here and everyone else in the comments section. Honestly, it got to the point that when my Dad got called in by the principle, his first comment was "Who was picking on [My Boy] now?". When my niece first started school, my own pearl of wisdom I imparted upon her was "Teachers never see who through the first punch, and as such end up punishing the victim far more often than the bully".
That was almost painful to read for how often I would've wished for a teacher that willing to admit her fuckups back when I was still in school. Chucking a rock at a bully's head so hard he needed stitches did me no academic favours, even if it's an effective solution to a bullying problem.
7587719 That reminds me. I hate that most bullies stem from their parents/home life. The kid is treated wrong, which treats other kids like crap, which affects their friendships and home lives, which might affect multiple relationships as blame is shifted to others, causing the angry idiots to either spread it further or end it in some way that isn't good. That's the simple parts.
It is no wonder bad neighborhoods exist.
7606305
Ain't that the truth. As I always say, everyone has a reason for what they do. It may not be a good reason... but that doesn't mean it's not there.
Wish there were more teachers this reasonable now. I was lucky enough to have a few good ones, few enough of those left...
Uh oh, is Jackie going to become angry again?
Dragon Valmont better watch it.
7608443
except for the insane ones, some of them just do things, with no reason attached, but the dangerous ones are the ones that still have reasons because their reasons are nearly unfathomable.
7571116
What constrained you to pick/remain at that college?
9847813
Parental pressure, monetary problems, scholarships, fear of the unknown, take your pick. There are hundreds of reasons for someone to be "stuck" at a collage.