Jumbo Crayons

[ArenaBoy]

Like RK, I hated public school. When I started elementary school they didn't want to take me in because I had ADHD. They suggested a "Special" school all because I rarely talked That really pissed my family off and pretty much tore the school board a new one along with 2 teachers who really took a liking to me. I hated the reading lessons, I was very advanced and would be done before everyone else and got in trouble for it. I remember wanting to read comic books and chapter books while others were reading basic books. I was also a computer wiz, something of a rarity at the time (Early 90s) and was quite a genius with it thanks to my dad, who taught me how to use a computer when I was 3. Keep in mind they were JUST starting to get popular so while others are learning how to use the mouse, I'm sitting there wishing I could fart around in DOS.

As for teachers, I had an English teacher who I swore was a bad reccomendation for Honors English. I kind of regret not realizing it but she hated me because I was often done early with my work. Then there was the economics teacher who refused to answer your questions if he knew he was going to be proven wrong. He often said "Statistics show that..." Cue me replying with "Well, I just read an article that shows that your statistics are wrong." He never answered.

I fear public schools and the way they're going sadly, what's really sad is the lack of culture being taught in schools also. I'm either looking for a private school or I'm just going to home school my kids. Zappa was right about the school systems.

[GyroKat]

This is insane!

I live in Denmark, and the schools supply all paper, glue, scissors, whatever. All our kids have to bring is at least 2 pencils (2 in case one breaks or gets lost during the day, and it doesn't matter what kinds as long as you can write with them!) and a pencil sharpener, and an eraser. And then maybe some coloured pencils or crayons, but if you don't have them, you can usually borrow from the teacher or another kid.

I'm horrified by this school supply Nazi system you have, seriously!

[AFpheonix]

Wierd. I only went to public school through 6th grade. Most of my teachers were very kind, and I think they cared quite a bit for all of us. The other kids were absolutely awful to me, however. Ah well, taught me how to deal with idiots now that I'm an adult, I expect.
Mom put me into private Christian school by Junior high, because 1) I think she was hoping I'd go be a missionary when I grew up....whoopsie, and 2) to get me away from some of those awful children.

It was much more strict there. Gah. It did teach me to organize better and to work through stuff, even if I didn't like it. They were also anal retentive about english and grammar, so I came out of that in great shape.

I do remember one time in pre-school. It was the only time I got in trouble, and it was because I'd started an exercise (one of those circle the thing that doesn't belong) before the teacher said to start....not my fault that I could already read the directions

[RecoveringKinkoid]

"Later that same day she flat out refused to work with me on my reading (each student usually got a 5 minute session each day to work on reading aloud) because "I don't want to hear from people who don't eat all their food."

If I ever hear about such with my child, I swear I will have that teacher's job. It will become my goal in life to see that teacher standing in line at the unemployment office.

I told you I was going to become sucky.

[Jpurple]

I am a teacher's kid. If I put *one foot* out of line I heard about it at school and then at home. My mom knew if I misbehaved in any way before I even did it. So your situation isn't always the case, and I'm wondering why the teacher was able to have her child in her class - that should never happen unless it is the only class.

Yeah- I am my daughter's teacher right now- I teach the A and B classes English, she's in the B class, along with 2 other co-worker's kids, and the A class has another 2 co-worker's kids in it. I was worried about this at the beginning of the year because I know at school I have to be teacher first and a mom second. It's really difficult! And trying to make sure that I treat all the kids equally when I have 5 teacher's kids in my class is NOT FUN! You can bet I hear about it right away if my daughter misbehaves, but generally she's an angel for everyone except me...

I'm seriously appalled at the things I've been reading in this thread- I had a few less-than-stellar teachers as a child, but some of the winners you have been talking about should have been taken out and shot, not given a teaching license and set loose with power over children!

The only thing I can come up with to explain the anal-retentiveness about supplies is that maybe that's the only thing the teachers feel they have any control over? It's a pretty sad commentary on the school system if this is true, and if it's not, then way too damn many anal control freaks are becoming teachers. What happened to goign into teaching because you like children and think it's a vital job to teach children to learn and enjoy learning?

(sorry...I'm of the opinion that teaching is a calling, not a job)

[Dreamstalker]

For about 2 years, I got stuck in something called "Interactive Math Program"...a form of "New Math" I think it was. More emphasis on the procedure than the answer, which would have been fine if not for the fact that said answer (and hence the procedure they asked for) were wrong half the time (or, when the answer was correct, the procedure was much more convoluted than it needed to be).

I'd still love to know what the heck the teacher expected of me. Was I supposed to dumb myself down so that I went at the same speed as everyone else?

I was kept back for a fifth year in high school because (due to the school's own scheduling snafus) I didn't complete the "required" senior english class/paper (the paper was all but written, but apparently that wasn't enough and I had to take this class as well).

Since I had been shoehorned into "special ed" (a joke in itself), so was the english class. For half the year we read some ridiculously stupid fifth-grade-level sports novel, and the other half of the year we were required to do "reading logs" (I swear, it was like second grade all over again...for the one book, kids took turns reading out loud). I finished said ridiculous book in a day or so, and spent the rest of the classes getting complained at and talked down to by the teacher "come on now Dreamstalker, let's read along with the rest of the class"...look lady, I read the damn book, you can give me a test on it if you don't believe me). She should have had a clue when seeing Heinlein, Bradbury et al books in my bag that just maybe I was too smart for that crap and should be moved to a regular senior english class.

I had some fun with the reading logs though...the books I wrote on were such oddities as the King In Yellow, Necronomicon (one of the better "authorized versions"), and other eyebrow-raising tomes.

[Rapscallion]

My teacher yelled at me about how kids were starving in Ethiopia

"Name one?"

Rapscallion

[Gurndigarn]

I've been watching this thread for a while now. I'm surprised that no teachers have spoken up— I'm assuming we don't have any as regular posters.

If anything, teachers as a whole have it worse than most of us. Their customers have no desire to be around them; they have to deal with the same customers five days out of every seven most weeks; their corporate structure is government, so it's even more boneheaded and regimentialized than what most of us deal with*; and their suppliers** suck even worse than the customers.

I guess it's kind of like when someone here categorizes some type of employee. Bashing begins, but sooner or later someone (usually in the profession) makes some defense of the profession. I'm just surprised that noone spoke up here yet. So, as someone who at least started the certification process***, let me point out:

Yes, there are bad teachers out there. Yes, they do give the rest a bad name. Yes, some of them don't belong in the profession****. However, none of us are perfect, so it's probably a good idea to cut most of them a little slack. Yeah, I have my horror stories too*****, but what we have is still better than what was availible five hundred years ago, and is the cause of much of the prosperity we have today, so in most cases, it's better, IMO, to relax and not worry about the small quirks of teachers. It's better to save up for the times when the fights count.

* Believe it or not
** ie, parents
*** I never finished the certification because I realized that I could deal with students, or parents, or administration, but not all three. Well, that's what I thought at the time. I could probably do it now, but only because I'm past middle age now, and have a lot of experience under my belt.
**** Now, a fight that would be worthwhile would be to convince the government to make it easier to fire employees, so school boards could actually get rid of bad teachers.
***** Including the history teacher who was known for throwing desks in class and not being able to catch blatant (and I do mean blatant) cheaters.

[Dreamstalker]

"Name one?"

I never did understand that line of logic...

[Rapscallion]

I've been watching this thread for a while now. I'm surprised that no teachers have spoken up— I'm assuming we don't have any as regular posters.

I can name two off the top of my head, though one's in Korea...

Rapscallion

[NightAngel]

First off- I understand that there are a lot of really great teachers out there. My oldest son is currently in a good public school and doing very well. I also understand that the sum of my negative school experiences and his (and mine dealing with his) are not necessarily average. I seem to be able to find the worst school situations ever.

I told you I was going to become sucky.

When it comes to your children and their education being an "SC" is an entirely different issue than it is at the grocery store. The end product will seriously effect your child's life until their dying day.

[protege]

First off- I understand that there are a lot of really great teachers out there.

There are. However, I didn't run into many of them until my last years of school--I somehow got stuck with some really sucky situations. I don't think anyone here was slamming *all* teachers...just the ones that sucked.

[Namrepus221]

This wasn't grade school level but rather college level. BTW this is all coming second hand information from first hand experiences of personal friends who had this teacher.

There was a Professor here that taught a woman's studies course. She would tell students the first day of class "If you are a man and taking this course. You've already failed"

Seriously. If you were of any gender other than a Womyn (she refused to accept papers that did not spell it like that) you failed the course. Didn't matter what you did in the class, if you were a guy when your transcript came back, it had an F on it for the seimester for that class.

She was fired this last seimester because the people in charge of the college were tired of appealing her grades (all of them male) as well as the threat of a lawsuit from one individual for sexual discrimination.

I never had a personal problem with my grade schooling. Though I was yelled at once for reading in a group in 3rd grade. Basically we grouped together and one student would read a short story. The head of teh group was an older student and when he asked me to read the story we were working on. I read it....to my self....as I had become accustom to doing in the class

After two more attempts of asking me to read the story he went to the teacher who came over. She asked why I wasn't reading the story, I said I was. She then asked me to read the story aloud to the group which I did without a problem.

The older kid was slightly embarassed and the teacher got a small chuckle out of it as I was simply doing what he asked me to in the most literal way possible.

[NightAngel]

I don't think anyone here was slamming *all* teachers...just the ones that sucked.

I know- I didn't mean it that way.

We have encountered a lot of issues with the public school system and it's easy for me personally to get angry thinking about it. It's also easy for me to be consumed by discussing all the bad things that happened.

For Example:
Have I ever mentioned my son's 3rd grade teacher who was awesome with him because she had overcome childhood ADHD also? Even when he'd go totally, severely ADHD she was calm and patient with him. He learned much from her both academically and in controlling himself.

She was truly a God Send.

[Reyneth]

When it comes to your children and their education being an "SC" is an entirely different issue than it is at the grocery store. The end product will seriously effect your child's life until their dying day.

Yes, exactly. There is being proactive and involved in your child's education - and there's being a SC parent.
Like the parents who couldn't give a flip that their child has not handed in anything for 3 weeks - including work done IN CLASS - yet after the progress reports come out and he's very close to failing, pulls my mom into a confrence with the principal, blaming her that she has it out against her pwescious baybe and he couldn't do anything wrong, my mom was requiring too much of him.
Totally different than the parent who requested that my mom call her each night that daughter's work was not turned in so she could deal with it with her child immediately. A little extra work on my mom's part, but she was glad to do it - and she only needed to make those calls for 2-3 weeks.

Please, everyone here - remember your GOOD teachers, even the ones that takes you hindsight to realize that they were good and not just strict - and thank them. Especially middle school ones, they tend to get the shaft. And trust me, they appreciate it when they are remembered. They deserve credit, make sure they know it!