Thursday, October 12, 2006
How Do I Get Through The Year With This Teacher?
Dear Guidance Guy,
How do I get through a whole year with a teacher I absolutely despise? My algebra teacher doesn't like me and I don't like her. I'm way up in the front of the room, where I have to pretend to be listening in class all the time. She's boring, old, and grumpy. I can't switch out because it's too late. She always wants everything her way or it wrong, and if you don't answer a problem right away she'll either yell at you to hurry up or will pick another person. What is your advice? I can't stand getting through another semester and a half with her.
Please help!
Rae
*** *** ***
Dear Rae,
Seems like you may have gotten stuck with one of those "stick in the mud" type of teachers. Yelling or embarrassing students when they're slow or get answers wrong never works. She may be old and grumpy, but your letter sounds like you're "young and grumpy," at least in her class.
You can always talk with her before or after class when no one is mad at anyone at the moment and tell her how you feel. Sometimes this helps, but for a teacher who is set in her ways, she may not react well.
One thing you can do no matter what she does is to change the way you SEE her. She may be boring, old, grumpy, miserable, etc. But at one point she was young, energetic and excited about starting a teaching career. She loved kids, and maybe she still does. She just needs someone to remind her why she got into teaching in the first place. Maybe you can be that person.
Try asking her about something from her career, or getting extra help from her, or just showing some appreciation for any little thing she does for you. Don't be surprised to find a lot of kindness and "cool teacher" still left in her. Maybe something is going on in her life that makes it difficult for that to come out. You can help remind her how great teaching can be.
And you'll become a better student, even if she doesn't respond!
Thanks for your letter,
The Guidance Guy
How do I get through a whole year with a teacher I absolutely despise? My algebra teacher doesn't like me and I don't like her. I'm way up in the front of the room, where I have to pretend to be listening in class all the time. She's boring, old, and grumpy. I can't switch out because it's too late. She always wants everything her way or it wrong, and if you don't answer a problem right away she'll either yell at you to hurry up or will pick another person. What is your advice? I can't stand getting through another semester and a half with her.
Please help!
Rae
*** *** ***
Dear Rae,
Seems like you may have gotten stuck with one of those "stick in the mud" type of teachers. Yelling or embarrassing students when they're slow or get answers wrong never works. She may be old and grumpy, but your letter sounds like you're "young and grumpy," at least in her class.
You can always talk with her before or after class when no one is mad at anyone at the moment and tell her how you feel. Sometimes this helps, but for a teacher who is set in her ways, she may not react well.
One thing you can do no matter what she does is to change the way you SEE her. She may be boring, old, grumpy, miserable, etc. But at one point she was young, energetic and excited about starting a teaching career. She loved kids, and maybe she still does. She just needs someone to remind her why she got into teaching in the first place. Maybe you can be that person.
Try asking her about something from her career, or getting extra help from her, or just showing some appreciation for any little thing she does for you. Don't be surprised to find a lot of kindness and "cool teacher" still left in her. Maybe something is going on in her life that makes it difficult for that to come out. You can help remind her how great teaching can be.
And you'll become a better student, even if she doesn't respond!
Thanks for your letter,
The Guidance Guy
# posted by Larry Hochman : 1:28 PM
