A substitute teacher in Milan has been fired after injuring a student with a pair of scissors. Apparently the child was misbehaving in class, and in what the teacher claims was a joking manner, she threatened to cut the child's tongue. While the teacher was "mimicking the action with a pair of scissors, the pupil made an unexpected move and cut his tongue on the scissors," according to the police report. She then apparently tried to convince the boy not to reveal the exact details of what happened to his parents.

The teacher was suspended and charged with assault. Apparently, the parents plan to sue both her and the school "for moral and material damages."

As for the boy, he was rushed to the hospital and received five stitches in his tongue. He will have to remain on a liquid diet throughout the healing process, which doctors are estimating will take about ten days. The mother has left her job to care for her son as he remains in shock since the incident, too frightened to return to school.

This isn't about one person being a bad teacher, or even teachers in general. This is about an adult who made a very poor decision. I can not think of one circumstance where it is ok to threaten a child with intent to harm, joking or not. I honestly believe that the challenge in parenting, educating, or (for some) simply being around children is dealing with our own behavior. It is about controlling what we may think or say, and controlling our actions. Kids will be kids. Sometimes they are angels, other times they are naughty as can be. That is what they DO. An adult, who puts themselves in the position of being around children, has the responsibility to control their actions in front of those kids and never, ever threaten them with harm. Joking or not.