Ivy (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ivybgreenflower) wrote2011-03-04 05:24 am
ivybgreenflower) wrote2011-03-04 05:24 am
Entry tags:
Writer's Block: Life's lessons
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This is a more general response, but:
Stop teaching. You're hurting people by continuing to be a horrible person. You are literally ruining lives.
Mrs. Hudson, my sixth grade math teacher, hated me. I have no idea why. It wasn't a case of me not liking her and projecting my dislike; she actually hated me. Other kids would ask why she hated me. She had a verbal tic, in that she'd stutter when angry (she told us this herself). Guess what? She used to stutter when she said my name, even if it wasn't in a context of me being in trouble or the class acting up or anything. Now, I'm really, really math stupid. I've always been. And sixth grade is when you learn the foundations of all the important math that comes after. Because of her dislike, the fact that I was so uncomfortable ever asking questions or asking for tutoring, meant that I ended the year without much of the knowledge I needed for my later school career. My 9th grade Algebra teacher told me I wasn't lazy; I was missing important knowledge from earlier levels. I failed my second semester of Algebra that year, which set in place the motions for my failing Geometry the next year and eventually nearly failing all of high school, instead of getting the senior year off from math I would have gotten otherwise.
Of course, her teaching methods also sucked. She rarely did more than one example of a math problem, had trouble explaining things clearly, and didn't really have a great system for us to use to take notes and study.
She continued to hate me even after I wasn't in her class anymore. I was in an afterschool program centered around reading stories out loud (kind of like acting) and was finishing up what we were doing there when I walked out the door, talking to a friend. We were talking about another friend's boyfriend and how much we hated him (he had also been in attendance) and I called him a "freaking piece of crap". Mrs. Hudson happened to be walking by- kind of far away, actually- and heard, and tried to give me detention.
For saying crap. After school. Thank God the teacher who had been in charge of the program liked me and got me out of it. I'd done the only detention of my entire school career for Mrs. Hudson the year before, when I was in her class, and because her clock ran fast I was late. My Spanish class was literally on the opposite side of the school. I had to cross two basketball courts and go through several hallways, crossing over the big courtyard in the school, to get to her class. I also had a bad back, so I carried my books in a dorky little rolling backpack that was hard to get across all these hallways and passages full of other kids, many of whom didn't pay attention and tripped over it or outright kicked it (which twisted my arm). She didn't care. We didn't have a bell at that time so all the teachers had to go based on their clocks- and when we did get a bell, we found out that her clock did run fast. She also gave me other punishments, like having to stay behind at lunch and clean tables; one of these times I was so upset I cried, because my back had been hurting that day, and the kindest worker, who all the kids loved, sent me off to my next class out of pity. (Yes, this woman actually gave me punishments that involved me missing my other classes, because apparently it's not hypocritical at all to punish someone for being late BY MAKING THAT PERSON MISS CLASS). Somehow she found out and got angry.
I've had tons of other teachers. I've had teachers who liked me. I've had teachers where I was their favorite. I've had teachers who didn't like me because they didn't like anyone. I've had teachers who were really strict, but also fair. None of these other teachers ever gave me detention or made me clean tables or anything like that. They never even threatened it. None of them stuttered when they said my name.
So, anyway, to teachers who hate their jobs, who hate kids or who aren't willing to put the work in making sure kids with different learning styles can learn in their class: please quit. Please walk away from this and stop damaging the students you're in charge of. They're still just kids. They're not adults. You're hurting them, by being cruel or just ineffective. If my sanitation worker left behind half my garbage, or my newspaper delivery person threw it on my roof, or a cashier dropped my eggs on the floor, or a postal worker blew her nose on my cable bill, or a computer programmer forgot some lines of code, or a chef undercooked pork, then that person would be fired. How are crappy teachers allowed to continue doing their lazy ineffective jobs while all those other people would be fired?
(As an aside, to all the good teachers I had, and to all good teachers who don't make their students fail, or worse, feel like crap, there aren't words for how wonderful you are.)
This is a more general response, but:
Stop teaching. You're hurting people by continuing to be a horrible person. You are literally ruining lives.
Mrs. Hudson, my sixth grade math teacher, hated me. I have no idea why. It wasn't a case of me not liking her and projecting my dislike; she actually hated me. Other kids would ask why she hated me. She had a verbal tic, in that she'd stutter when angry (she told us this herself). Guess what? She used to stutter when she said my name, even if it wasn't in a context of me being in trouble or the class acting up or anything. Now, I'm really, really math stupid. I've always been. And sixth grade is when you learn the foundations of all the important math that comes after. Because of her dislike, the fact that I was so uncomfortable ever asking questions or asking for tutoring, meant that I ended the year without much of the knowledge I needed for my later school career. My 9th grade Algebra teacher told me I wasn't lazy; I was missing important knowledge from earlier levels. I failed my second semester of Algebra that year, which set in place the motions for my failing Geometry the next year and eventually nearly failing all of high school, instead of getting the senior year off from math I would have gotten otherwise.
Of course, her teaching methods also sucked. She rarely did more than one example of a math problem, had trouble explaining things clearly, and didn't really have a great system for us to use to take notes and study.
She continued to hate me even after I wasn't in her class anymore. I was in an afterschool program centered around reading stories out loud (kind of like acting) and was finishing up what we were doing there when I walked out the door, talking to a friend. We were talking about another friend's boyfriend and how much we hated him (he had also been in attendance) and I called him a "freaking piece of crap". Mrs. Hudson happened to be walking by- kind of far away, actually- and heard, and tried to give me detention.
For saying crap. After school. Thank God the teacher who had been in charge of the program liked me and got me out of it. I'd done the only detention of my entire school career for Mrs. Hudson the year before, when I was in her class, and because her clock ran fast I was late. My Spanish class was literally on the opposite side of the school. I had to cross two basketball courts and go through several hallways, crossing over the big courtyard in the school, to get to her class. I also had a bad back, so I carried my books in a dorky little rolling backpack that was hard to get across all these hallways and passages full of other kids, many of whom didn't pay attention and tripped over it or outright kicked it (which twisted my arm). She didn't care. We didn't have a bell at that time so all the teachers had to go based on their clocks- and when we did get a bell, we found out that her clock did run fast. She also gave me other punishments, like having to stay behind at lunch and clean tables; one of these times I was so upset I cried, because my back had been hurting that day, and the kindest worker, who all the kids loved, sent me off to my next class out of pity. (Yes, this woman actually gave me punishments that involved me missing my other classes, because apparently it's not hypocritical at all to punish someone for being late BY MAKING THAT PERSON MISS CLASS). Somehow she found out and got angry.
I've had tons of other teachers. I've had teachers who liked me. I've had teachers where I was their favorite. I've had teachers who didn't like me because they didn't like anyone. I've had teachers who were really strict, but also fair. None of these other teachers ever gave me detention or made me clean tables or anything like that. They never even threatened it. None of them stuttered when they said my name.
So, anyway, to teachers who hate their jobs, who hate kids or who aren't willing to put the work in making sure kids with different learning styles can learn in their class: please quit. Please walk away from this and stop damaging the students you're in charge of. They're still just kids. They're not adults. You're hurting them, by being cruel or just ineffective. If my sanitation worker left behind half my garbage, or my newspaper delivery person threw it on my roof, or a cashier dropped my eggs on the floor, or a postal worker blew her nose on my cable bill, or a computer programmer forgot some lines of code, or a chef undercooked pork, then that person would be fired. How are crappy teachers allowed to continue doing their lazy ineffective jobs while all those other people would be fired?
(As an aside, to all the good teachers I had, and to all good teachers who don't make their students fail, or worse, feel like crap, there aren't words for how wonderful you are.)
no subject
oh man, i also had ONE detention in high school, from the teacher i hated, my economics teacher senior year, who LOATHED me for reasons i simply don't understand. i totally understand, it's like outright dislike for you for pretty much no reason. she went out of her way to find things that she could hate me for. so obviously i hated her in return. there was an awards ceremony meeting during her class once that i wasn't invited to because i was lazy, and i would have been the ONLY one stuck in the room with her so i left with everyone and sat in the theatre room and did homework and came back with everyone. so, ok, it was totes my fault lol but the thing is she went through EVERY NAME ON THE WHOLE ENTIRE PROGRAM TO FIND THAT I WASN'T ON THERE. so i got this detention and the teacher running said detention was my black and white photography teacher and he was like, "LOL DAT BITCH" and i was like, "IKR" and we laughed about it and during that detention i wrote an entire dr. seuss version of "waiting for godot" for my english project so thankfully i was never too emotionally scarred by that experience. and mind you, this was ONE WEEK before graduation, too. i will never take economics again, though.
TL;DR WHY ARE THERE TEACHERS WHO HATE YOU FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON
I LOVE YOU THO <3
no subject
I LOVE YOUUUU <33
omg my economics teacher in senior year was so awful though I hated him and I know he didn't like me much, and he was terrible at teaching and I was already like breaking down from the stress of all my advanced special~~ classes and I actually started having panic attacks every day in my Anatomy class because I was dreading going to economics. Like I'd have to take off my jacket and all my (tons of) jewelry and put up my hair because I was itchy and had to scratch all my skin, it was awful. Next semester we had a different class and suddenly no more itching.
what is it with economics teachers?
no subject
When we found out I had scoliosis, my mom bought me one of those horrid back packs with wheels. More often than not, I carried it. In one hand too, so I probably messed up my back even more. When I did roll it all those assholes used to kick it and twist my arm all up. Rolling back packs pretty much ruin kids' lifes. They should take them off the market. I also tripped on it trying to get into the gym once and cracked my jaw pretty hard on the bag. It ended up cutting my neck. I had to go to the clinic, and a bunch of kids laughed at me, but at least I got out of gym.
The worst teacher I ever had was in college though. His name was Mr. Katrovis. He taught Reading Creative Non-fiction. He was such a pretentious man. The first day of class he rambled on about how he hated teaching undergraduate classes (to an undergraduate class) because students were always apathetic. He also used to name drop a lot. All of these famous authors he met at fancy parties. It's like, Idon'tfuckingcarewhoyouknow, I care what you know, so teach me that instead!
no subject
When my dad came to pick me up, the people at the front office told him that essentially I was an insolent kid and that he had to sign the pink slip. And, if I got two more, I'd get a detention. So, my dad signed the slip and then lectured the people at the front desk because I was a good kid and this pink slip BS was a total waste of his time.
no subject
no subject
The rolling backpack made my back hurt less but it was such a hassle I stopped carrying it after 6th grade.
lol why does he think meeting famous authors is a big deal? It's not actually that hard to meet authors (especially ones that do speaking engagements or the convention circuit).