Reader Feedback on “When the Teacher is a Jerk”
About 3 min read
The following letters are from students who feel they have a bad teacher or one who does not treat them fairly.
Letters
- Worst teacher in the world
- Hard to keep a low profile
Worst teacher in the world
Ii have the worst teacher in the whole world. I’m in grade school and I need your advice. She is always yelling at me when I talk, but an atomic bomb could be set off across the room by another kid and she wouldn’t even notice it.
I think she really really hates me and I hate her. I have had her since the first grade, and she keeps failing me even though I do all of my work. What should I do ?
Tyler (April 2002)
Answer
Boy, that sounds like a tough problem. She probably has you pegged as a troublemaker and has her eye on you, even if it isn’t true. And it also sounds like you are going to be having her in the next grade too. I hope not.
If you she is not going to be your teacher again next year, you might just keep a real low profile in class, so that she doesn’t even notice you.
But if she is going to be your teacher again, you need to get on her good side. At least so she doesn’t give you a hard time.
One thing to do is to imagine that she is a real nice teacher who likes you. I know that is hard to do, but if you visualize her as nice, she may be able to sense that and change her ways. Also, tell your friends that. I know you probably have told other kids that she is mean and that you don’t like her. Well, someone may have told her, and that may be why she acts mean to you. Only say good things about her, and she may respond to that.
You might also ask her for help on something. Some teachers like that, and she may act nicer to you.
Of course, anything you do might backfire, but at least it is worth a try to get on her good side.
Hard to keep low profile
I joined debate and the teacher is mean to me for some reason, she just doesn’t like me. I can keep a low profile for Chemistry or Physics class, but debate we are constantly talking and going on tournaments. What do I do?
JC (August 2002)
Answer
It is really difficult to figure out why a teacher wouldn’t like you or act mean to you. Usually it is because she got some impression about you and is acting as if you don’t like her or have said bad things about her.
Make sure you don’t say anything bad about her to any of your friends or fellow students. In fact, try to think of positive things to say about the teacher. Words get around.
The thing to do that may sound strange, but seems to work, is to say to yourself just before you go to class that: your teacher is anxious to see you in class, she likes you, and that you are her favorite student. Say this to yourself before every class with her. It will create a subtle change in your body language that she will detect and respond to. Like I said, it seems strange but it often works.
In conclusion
From these problems these students had with their teachers and the suggested courses of action to take, you can see how they apply to your own situation. Or perhaps you may have a better way to handle such a problem.
What do you think?
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