A number of things need to be considered when it comes to the use of cut downs in the classroom. While some students may view them as a necessary evil, teachers and other school administrators around the country see them as a critical component to building a solid school climate. In any case, teachers and school administrators must make sure they're implementing effective cut down strategies.
When it comes to good cut downs, there are a few main types. The first kind is used by posters who hang out in the hallways. Posters who sport funny pictures or angry statements are a common target of many hecklers. For this reason, good cut downs posters and slogans need to be catchy and funny in order to avoid being attacked from either side. Another type of cut down poster is the "good guy bad guy" approach, which aims to diminish the presence of aggressors by projecting the "good" character on the opposing side.
While posters that display messages of hate are common sights, there's another type of teacher prevention method that is less predictable. While it's true most of us do not want to be identified as hecklers, we also don't want our classmates and fellow students to think we support their views. That's why posters promoting unity and love are so effective. Consider a situation where a set of rival teams play at a high school baseball diamond. Two opposing sets of players often tussle over a ball; once the game starts, the winning team takes home the trophy. Without a doubt, anyone who's ever been on the receiving end of such treatment understands how painful it can be to participate.
However, such scenarios are rarely about hatred or jealousy. Instead, they're usually about a person's pride being questioned by another person. With a " Loyal User "posting, people like you can post messages encouraging unity while discouraging opposition. To do so, simply post a message encouraging people like yourself to "spread the love" while respecting the right of others to voice their opinions. As someone who routinely causes a ruckus in this way, I can attest that many people respond well when they're told to be kind. This strategy is infinitely more effective than hoping to win popularity points with a barrage of "good guy' posts posted daily.
Indeed, those who disagree with me often point out that those who enjoy participating in the debate are rarely kind. Indeed, those who oppose me frequently mention that those who enjoy participating in the debate are never kind. For example, there was a recent post on my alma mater which discussed the need for a "New User Policy" in light of a new rule which states no one may post anything on the school website that is offensive to any student. Many establishmentarians and conservative posters decried this move, claiming that all it did was empower those who disagree with the establishment to take over the forum and "silence" those who support the common good. Yet, a quick perusal of the forum indicates that most students and alumni are up in arms about the new policy, proclaiming that it endangers academic freedom.
This is yet another example of those who want to be heard and have their say hear as they freely express their opinions. If a new user finds a post offensive and deems it unworthy of sharing, they're perfectly within their rights to shut down the post right then and there. If someone is persistent enough, they can actually start trouble for those who are merely exercising their right to freedom of expression. In a case such as this, the new user has little to lose, and everything to gain. It would be interesting to see if Alberta's new user policy becomes another breeding ground for social parasites and helllers.