Standing up to teachers

seamus

smcgiff wrote: »

We've learned two thinggs about seamus. He has a dubious grasp of maths and Irish

I initially only had two options and then added one, but forgot to change it

evolving_doors

Dunno OP you're not giving us a lot to go on...(but you probably shouldn't be too specific either). On one hand it seems like your teacher runs a tight ship with NO messin or talking allowed.. and on the other you admit you are a 'bit chatty'... So obviously she wants you to stop talking.

I don't really give a care if someone 'does their homework' but still persists on preventing other people's learning by having a little chat in class or whatever..
Just stop talking.

If you want to stand up to her and you feel that you are being treated unfairly then hey.. just stand up to her and say "I think I'm being treated unfairly and I want to do well in the subject" and see what she has to say.

It's a bit early to start drawing battle lines now though as you'll have another 2 years of her to go yet!!! I get the impression it's the first time you have come across this teacher too so maybe just reserve judgement for a little bit longer.

Reventon93

I've had that situation happen to me a couple of times. In the end it was a clash of personalities. After that there were no problems be. And I always had my work done and was on time, so there was no other reason.

Advice:
1. Dont be late - i know that it can be incredibly annoying for people to show up late, so I can only imagine what its like for the one teaching

2. Do all your work, at the end of the day YOU have to sit exams. And "I didnt do well because my teacher didnt like me" isnt gonna work. And he/she is trying to their job. Its probably frustrating when the work they assign to benefit you isnt being done. So just keep your head down. It can only benefit you

3. TALK to them - You can be amazed what can be revealed when you just talk. You have no idea how he/she is feeling about you as their student. And if they got the wrong impression of you, talking can at least change their opinion somewhat. And you get to say how you feel.

4. Be on your best behaviour.

foggy_lad

sw33t_r3v3ng3 wrote: »

I get what your saying. I will admit I do talk a bit in class but I do all homework assigned and am a good student in general (except her class)

THat there is your one and only problem! the reason is that no matter what work or homework you have done for or in the class when you are "chatting" you distract others from their work and that requires the teacher to address your behaviour when they should be teaching you and others!

I know someone who was the same and could not keep her gobby trap shut and when told to keep quiet she would talk back to the teachers and get detention and eventually the teachers just gave up on her and ignored her and any work she did.

If you want to learn then keep your mouth shut! Don't be thinking or mumbling "your not the boss of me!" because as soon as you walk in that classroom door she is the boss!!

Geuze

sw33t_r3v3ng3 wrote: »

I'm in 5th year and I've got a ***** of a teacher. She tries to be intimidating but she's not really. I wouldn't say I'm afraid of her by any means but I'm not great at standing up for myself. How can I stand up for myself in future when she starts giving me ****?

A teacher will only give out to you if you are being troublesome.

So look to your own behaviour.

Geuze

sw33t_r3v3ng3 wrote: »

I will admit I do talk a bit in class but I do all homework assigned and am a good student in general (except her class)

There you go.

You admit the problem.

It's yours to solve.

lanos

Geuze wrote: »

There you go.

You admit the problem.

It's yours to solve.

No its too late for that, she is the problem now
Tell her to her face that the next time she annoys you will call her a fat ugly cow in front of the whole class.
Or imply that her husband doesn't fancy her in bed anymore.
This could actually be the source of her frustration.
The risk of being undermined will be too great and she will back off immediately. Worst case scenario, a period of suspension, but you will be a legend for a while.
Man up and sort it out.

Egginacup

sw33t_r3v3ng3 wrote: »

I'm in 5th year and I've got a ***** of a teacher. She tries to be intimidating but she's not really. I wouldn't say I'm afraid of her by any means but I'm not great at standing up for myself. How can I stand up for myself in future when she starts giving me ****?

Use 5 instead of S in your username.
Mix it around..you'll never make a phr3@kr

zcorpian88

One thing I don't get is why do people always side with the teacher in most cases, teachers can be unjust and unfair too. I'm lucky that I didn't have those kind of teachers in secondary where they picked on people for no good reason, mine were strict but fair.

Primary was a different story, was over 12 years ago but one story sticks out in my mind and still pisses me off today.

I was in 6th class, had a lady teacher, she could get really snipy for no reason but she wouldn't have punished ya if you didn't deserve it and wouldn't have punished you if you got a question wrong especially. Anyway this particular week, my older sister was in transition year and she always wanted to be a teacher, so she came to my primary school, which was also her old primary school to do her work experience. So she went from class to class all week helping teachers out by correcting copies and helping students out, eventually she got to my class towards the end of the week.

So my sister was at the other side of the class correcting maths copies while we were getting on with geography class, everybody in the class knew she was my sister. I'm normally excellent at geography, but this time the teacher fired a question at me, and I didn't know the answer, if she asked anyone else in the class it would have been no big deal, she's just make sure you knew the answer and that had been it.

What does the teacher do but gives me lines as a punishment and humiliated me in front of the class and my sister. All I could do is sit there just mind boggled that she is just picking on me for no good reason, couldn't believe she was serious, and all I wanted to do is call bull**** on her but I thought I shouldn't embarrass my sister. Then my sister being my sister, goes home and tells on me to my parents, I told them all I wasn't doing the lines because she picked on me because my sister was there and she wouldn't have done that to anyone else, essentially called her a cow for the whole night. Led to a massive argument between my folks and I because they wouldn't even hear me out or take my side. Sided with that bitch of a teacher. Hated her from that day forth. Even when I see her in public now raises my blood pressure.

Tzardine

I had an absolute cnut of a teacher in 6th year. My oldest brother was a bit of a knob and gave her a hard time so she used to be particularly nasty to me. I genuinely never said or did anything to her.

One day she was really bullying me in the class and making fun of me.

I used to drive to school on a moped. I happened to see her on the way home and I just snapped so I decided to run her off the road.

Gardai were waiting for me the next morning and I got suspended but she never looked at me sideways again.

As I got older and wiser I understand that it was a stupid thing to do but I can agree with the OP. Sometimes you just get a w@nker of a person that should not be in teaching.

OldNotWIse

IME teachers dont like students who stand up for themselves. Any time I did they simply said, "Oh ONW has issues with authority and can't take correction" - it's never their fault

Call Me Jimmy

You've already gotten solid advice so far but it's up to you to choose: cry at her aggressively OR lob the gob.

Barely There

Have a threesome with her and her friend and then report her to the Guards.

martinedwards

when I was teaching we would have meetings at the start of term and decide which perfectly normal, trouble free pupil we would pick on and make their life a living hell.

because clearly we had nothing else to do.

teacher picks on you?

don't flatter yourself.

you are one of 200 or so people through their room in a week.

Donkey Oaty

martinedwards wrote: »

when I was teaching we would have meetings at the start of term and decide which perfectly normal, trouble free pupil we would pick on and make their life a living hell.

because clearly we had nothing else to do.

No dark sarcasm in the classroom, I hope?

looking_around

In college now, and butted heads with one of the teachers. Tried talking but felt they didn't understand my situation clearly.
So I talked to the course coordinator. who talked to the teacher.
And we talked again, this time coming to an understanding and agreement.

There's always that one teacher you'll have a little trouble with, for the most part, talking to that teacher will solve the issue. They can explain their side of things more clearly and you can explain yours.

If that doesn't work, you talk to the year head.

But you must absolutely make sure you're not being disruptive/trouble in class. If you are, you lose all grounding.

lanos

martinedwards wrote: »

because clearly we had nothing else to do.teacher picks on you?
don't flatter yourself.
you are one of 200 or so people through their room in a week.

and the christian brother teachers didn't abuse innocent trouble-free kids in their care either ?

no point denying it
lots of teachers are cnuts

the evasion_kid

Was suspended from school more times than I was in it,even though I had brains to burn, the final straw was when a teacher slammed a book down on my hands for something I didn't do,I saw red and picked up a bin and fired it at him

Doris300

ian87 wrote: »

Stop being a cheeky pup and do your homework.

**** you and your mentality

Summer wind

When I was at school the only teacher I ever had any trouble with was my geography teacher. I had no interest at all and once even managed to give the answers in a test about one country all wrong and answered them about another country we had studied in a previous chapter.

She was always giving out to me and I couldn't wait to get into fifth year so I could give up geography. It was so bad the night before my inter cert geography exam I opened my book read the first page and closed it. I hated that subject so much.

When I got my results I was shocked to see that I got a c grade because it was my worst subject. When I was back at school next day my geography teacher called me and said she was delighted id passed and that she knew if she kept giving out to me it would be worth it.

I was shocked because at the time I thought she was giving me a hard time because she didn't like me. I was still so relieved to give up geography though:)

thelad95

martinedwards wrote: »

when I was teaching we would have meetings at the start of term and decide which perfectly normal, trouble free pupil we would pick on and make their life a living hell.

because clearly we had nothing else to do.

teacher picks on you?

don't flatter yourself.

you are one of 200 or so people through their room in a week.

Teachers DO pick on students and a lot of them are too young and/or scared to stand up for themselves.

This last bit is completely irrelevant.

looking_around

thelad95 wrote: »

Teachers DO pick on students and a lot of them are too young and/or scared to stand up for themselves.

This last bit is completely irrelevant.

This is true.

I remember a teacher asking once (note this was the lowest of the low, Irish level classes.) "Anyone here who can't count from 1-10 in Irish."

I put my hand up thinking she'd go through it. oh no. No. She burst out laughing at me and said "don't be ridiculous, what do you mean you can't count from 1-10, are you stupid, everyone learns that in primary school."

Got the rest of the class laughing with her to.

Needless to say that didn't go down well, I never made much of an effort in Irish after, just ended up somewhat forgotten at the back of the class.

I have other examples of cruel teachers but I think this covers it, emotionally anyway.

Triceratops Ballet

thelad95 wrote:

Teachers DO pick on students and a lot of them are too young and/or scared to stand up for themselves.

this may be true but in this case the op admitted that they talk in class and are "generally a good student (except in her class) "

Assuming this is the full story and given the lack of specific evidance to the contrary. The teacher is right, the op is not only disrespecting the teacher by talking out of turn but is also impeding the learning of classmates as the teacher is spending time she should be teaching on disciplining the op

evolving_doors

lanos wrote: »

and the christian brother teachers didn't abuse innocent trouble-free kids in their care either ?

no point denying it
lots of teachers are cnuts

lots of people are that too, whaddaya expect all teachers to be?robots?

I had excellent christian brother teachers... and nutters too, people are people...

osarusan

Summer wind wrote: »

When I was back at school next day my geography teacher called me and said she was delighted id passed and that she knew if she kept giving out to me it would be worth it.

I was shocked because at the time I thought she was giving me a hard time because she didn't like me. I was still so relieved to give up geography though:)

Did she actually make you work harder though?

Or is she just finding justification for treating you like she did?

Smidge

I had a teacher in secondary school and she was absolutely horrible to me.
Now, as an adult, looking back, she was a bully of the highest order.
I never gave her any reason to dislike me (other than I wasn't particularly good at the subject she taught but I kept my head down).
She still couldn't leave me be.
She went out of her way to try to humiliate me, day in and day out. Personal attacks that got more vicious as the years went on. Luckily, I wasn't a particularly fragile person. If I had been, it could have been a completely different outcome.
I would love to meet her now ;-)

lm01

Meangadh wrote: »

I'm a teacher (I teach Irish too as it happens) and no teacher goes into class wanting to nag at any individual student. They just want to teach. You're only one of probably about 100-150 students this teacher teaches so I seriously doubt she's overly occupied with annoying you specifically more than any other student.

This is absolute bunk. There are thousands of teachers in this country and no one person can speak for all of them. Teaching is a profession and there are just as many assh0les in it as any other. The vast majority of teachers are either there for the money or they genuinely help, but there ARE some who are just horrible and enjoy making the people in their power miserable.

There was one teacher in my school who took a deep sadistic pleasure on picking one kid per class and making their life an absolute hell. It happened that it was my best subject so I wasn't on his radar but the kid in my class he picked on was cut to ribbons by it and he was moved to tears on several occasions for absolutely no reason at all. He wasn't cheeky or chatty or rude, he was just near the bottom of the class and this guy enjoyed giving him a hard time while he struggled. It was sickening to watch.

I'm not saying the situation with the OP and his problem teacher is the same as that one but I do feel like there's an assumption that if there's a problem between a kid and a teacher it is always the fault of the student but the truth is that isn't always the case.

smcgiff

zcorpian88 wrote: »

What does the teacher do but gives me lines as a punishment and humiliated me in front of the class and my sister. All I could do is sit there just mind boggled that she is just picking on me for no good reason, couldn't believe she was serious, and all I wanted to do is call bull**** on her but I thought I shouldn't embarrass my sister. Then my sister being my sister, goes home and tells on me to my parents, I told them all I wasn't doing the lines because she picked on me because my sister was there and she wouldn't have done that to anyone else, essentially called her a cow for the whole night. Led to a massive argument between my folks and I because they wouldn't even hear me out or take my side. Sided with that bitch of a teacher. Hated her from that day forth. Even when I see her in public now raises my blood pressure.

For your own sake. Let... it... go.

OldNotWIse

thelad95 wrote: »

Teachers DO pick on students and a lot of them are too young and/or scared to stand up for themselves.

This last bit is completely irrelevant.

Yup, this. My family moved from Tallaght to Knocklyon when we were kids. I settled in ok because I was 5 and just starting school. Pretty much adapted my accent overnight :P My brother however was nine and went into 3rd class. It was harder for him to integrate. Cue absolute bítch of a teacher deciding she had an issue with him, blaming him for everything that went wrong (including graffitying the toilets when he wasn't even there) and informing the class he was "from dirty Tallaght" - I tell you if I saw that bítch now I wouldn't be responsible for what I'd do to her. Poor little nine year old kid. ffs.

shuffles88

sw33t_r3v3ng3 wrote: »

I will admit I do talk a bit in class but I do all homework assigned and am a good student in general (except her class)

What student doesn't talk in class now and again? You're a teenager after all. I had a teacher who took an instant dislike to me, if other people talked I got the blame she'd try to belittle me at any given chance. I just kept my head down and tried to get on with things, that is until the 1st day I was back in school after my Granddad died, two people either side of me were talking across me to each other and she tried to blame me. When I stood up for myself she decided to give me detention, I never made any trouble and had never once been given detention.

One of my friends told my year head teacher what had happened and she had a word with this teacher and told her off for giving me detention. I never had trouble again after she knew someone was aware of her behaviour.

Maybe if there is a teacher or guidance councellor in school that could act as a intermediary for you it would be a good idea to discuss it with them. If you approach the teacher yourself you might unintentionally get personal or say things you didn't intend.