"At school I was told I would amount to nothing"

veryangryman

I hear too many people saying this on tv

Can you, the reader assure me one way or the other whether this is a real thing? I mean we all had some bad teachers but really was this a normal thing. Never heard anyone knock me or anyone else in the school that way.

Maybe being recommended to do ordinary level but more in a realistic than discouraging way

boombang

Young people or old people saying that?

Would be really surprised/disappointed to hear anybody under 50 say that.

BoroMan32

Once had a PE teacher tell me I had 'no power in my legs'.


Hasn't unduly affected my adult life.

Rubberchikken

may not have been said to me but it was certainly implied.
aah well, what can you do. different time, i hope.

Realt Dearg Sec

boombang wrote: »

Young people or old people saying that?

Would be really surprised/disappointed to hear anybody under 50 say that.

I'm in my thirties and there was a teacher in our school who would routinely say that to lads when they'd committed the smallest of infractions. Thick cork accent on him shouting "you're nothing, and you'll never be anything". Must have made him feel better about his life or something.

But he never said that to me, and I would seriously doubt it's remotely as common as it seems from all the people who say it on TV etc. Seems more like part of the self aggrandizement and preening we've all come to expect from Irish "celebrities".

BDI

I was told by my poetry teachers in the boards creative writing section that my poems were terrible.

Can’t wait till I get on Jonathon Ross.

SEPT 23 1989

When the duster connected with your head it said more than words ever could

Stark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vis8Aaekpw

TheValeyard

And they were right!!

The_Honeybadger

I had a particularly obnoxious teacher that told one unfortunate student that he needn’t bother with books and studying because he could get a job shovelling s**t with his father when he is older. The students dad was a council roads worker.

That teacher really was a complete and utter ass***e

fatknacker

No it's just something spas say to make it seem like they struggled and have depth.

"You told me I ain't gonna succeed, Mrs Dunham, but now look at me...I'm eating spiders on television and I've made it..." etc

Sorry about that

My (pass) maths teacher guaranteed that I'd fail it in the LC if I took grinds without her influence/input. She wasn't involved and I was ignored in class from then on.
Got a B1.

gabe1977

I went to a rural National school until the late 1980's where 4th, 5th and 6th were taught by the one teacher.

He was nothing short of an animal.
I was told "the only place I would end up was Mountjoy" for the crime of not being the best at having my homework done. I nor any the rest of the kids were unruly, just stuff like not having homework done, forgetting things, maybe saying the odd word to your classmate etc. but we were all absolutely terrified of him.

His punishments included:

- Heavy role books smashed on top of your head.
- Slapped students across the face (once banging a classmates head of the door frame cutting his head)
- Sellotaping our mouths closed.
- Force feeding us mustard.
- Rulers broken across your knuckles
- Vicious insults (told one girl when i was in 6th class she'd need to lose weight or she'd bring the plane down when she answered a question on what she wanted to be when she grew up and she replied an air hostess)
- PE was sprinting around the school yard and the person who came last had to put the fatest girl in the school on his back piggy back style and do a lap around the yard - i **** you not!
- I believe after I left he would weigh the fat kids on a weekly basis and ridicule them.

I used to wet the bed and all sorts i was so afraid going in every day.
I'm actually still quite bitter that those were the times back then and doctors, priests and teachers authority wasn't questioned by the older generation.

BDI

gabe1977 wrote: »

I went to a rural National school in the until the late 1980's where 4th, 5th and 6th were taught by the one teacher.

He was nothing short of an animal.
I was told "the only place I would end up was Mountjoy" for the crime of not being the best at having my homework done. I nor any the rest of the kids were unruly, just stuff like not having homework done, forgetting things, maybe saying the odd word to your classmate etc. but we were all absolutely terrified of him.

His punishments included:

- Heavy role books smashed on top of your head.
- Slapped students across the face (once banging a classmates head of the door frame cutting his head)
- Sellotaping our mouths closed.
- Force feeding us mustard.
- Rulers broken across your knuckles
- Vicious insults (told one girl when i was in 6th class she'd need to lose weight or she'd bring the plane down when she answered a question on what she wanted to be when she grew up and she replied an air hostess)
- PE was sprinting around the school yard and the person who came last had to put the fatest girl in the school on his back piggy back style and do a lap around the yard - i **** you not!
- I believe after I left he would weigh the fat kids on a weekly basis and ridicule them.

I used to wet the bed and all sorts i was so afraid going in every day.
I'm actually still quite bitter that those were the times back then and doctors, priests and teachers authority wasn't questioned by the older generation.

Do you still wet the bed?

Strumms

You need to tell kids not to fear teachers. This bs that my generation and others were imparting to kids that teachers or anyone were above question or reproach is shît lazy parenting...teachers are there to facilitate the learning and education of children. Full stop. Not only is it their job it’s their obligation. Children don’t attend school to put up with lazy, incompetent, rude and aggressive teachers, public servants. Teach them when not comfortable with something said or that’s done, speak up.

If there is something kids are worried by that a teacher is doing or not either words, actions or attitudes... speak up.

gabe1977

BDI wrote: »

Do you still wet the bed?

Occasionally but that's a whole other issue:(

BDI

gabe1977 wrote: »

Occasionally but that's a whole other issue:(

So you are saying his methods had some success?

MidlanderMan

A career guidance teacher once told me I should be "more realistic" about the courses I was putting on my CAO form because I had courses from Trinity, UCD, NUIG, and Maynooth.

I now have two degrees, a few master's, a few higher diplomas, dozens of publications, and have worked in several international research institutes and worked on policy development for the EU, UNFAO, and a handful of individual countries in my field of work.

He's still the career guidance teacher at the school.

I win.

gabe1977

BDI wrote: »

So you are saying his methods had some success?

You could be onto something!! And I still hate mustard..

Ipso

gabe1977 wrote: »

I went to a rural National school until the late 1980's where 4th, 5th and 6th were taught by the one teacher.

He was nothing short of an animal.
I was told "the only place I would end up was Mountjoy" for the crime of not being the best at having my homework done. I nor any the rest of the kids were unruly, just stuff like not having homework done, forgetting things, maybe saying the odd word to your classmate etc. but we were all absolutely terrified of him.

His punishments included:

- Heavy role books smashed on top of your head.
- Slapped students across the face (once banging a classmates head of the door frame cutting his head)
- Sellotaping our mouths closed.
- Force feeding us mustard.
- Rulers broken across your knuckles
- Vicious insults (told one girl when i was in 6th class she'd need to lose weight or she'd bring the plane down when she answered a question on what she wanted to be when she grew up and she replied an air hostess)
- PE was sprinting around the school yard and the person who came last had to put the fatest girl in the school on his back piggy back style and do a lap around the yard - i **** you not!
- I believe after I left he would weigh the fat kids on a weekly basis and ridicule them.

I used to wet the bed and all sorts i was so afraid going in every day.
I'm actually still quite bitter that those were the times back then and doctors, priests and teachers authority wasn't questioned by the older generation.

And to top it all of, your hard work pays his pension.

Strumms

MidlanderMan wrote: »

A career guidance teacher once told me I should be "more realistic" about the courses I was putting on my CAO form because I had courses from Trinity, UCD, NUIG, and Maynooth.

I now have two degrees, a few master's, a few higher diplomas, dozens of publications, and have worked in several international national research institutes and worked on policy development for the EU, UNFAO, and a handful of individual countries in my field of work.

He's still the career guidance teacher at the school.

I win.

You had the confidence, foresight and determination to back yourself and did brilliantly, but ask yourself this... how many other kids went to him with similar aspirations or dreams, only to be told the same. Had their goals tempered by a similar incompetence ? Probably a good few... the clown is STILL being paid by you and me, job for life...

Huntergonzo

"At school I was told I would amount to nothing"

Great way to embellish a story for anyone who's willing to listen, especially if you're looking to peddle something, like a book or a movie etc

MidlanderMan

Strumms wrote: »

You had the confidence, foresight and determination to back yourself and did brilliantly, but ask yourself this... how many other kids went to him with similar aspirations or dreams, only to be told the same. Had their goals tempered by a similar incompetence ? Probably a good few... the clown is STILL being paid by you and me, job for life...

Yeah I dunno how much he might affected other kids.

Because of the talk I added other courses I hadn't considered in a few ITs as "back up" but to be honest, almost 20 years on having worked people who did those courses, they produce fantastically talented scientists too, so I'm just hopefully most people "downgraded" general science in UCD to something similar in GMIT instead of changing to a different field he might have considered more "apt" for them in his eyes.

Mrs OBumble

I've seen how After Hours usually speaks of Travellers.

Surely you're effectively doing the same thing to their kids.

SEPT 23 1989

Most of them were absolute failures stuck in a sh1te jobs until they died or retired and they took their anger out on kids

The good ones we remember for life

bitofabind

My Business teacher Mrs. Hennessy told my mam I was a C student during a parent-teacher meeting because she was bitter about me mitching her class coz she was useless, so I got an A1 in the Leaving just to spite her.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

corner of hells

A cousin of mine was told by various teachers in his school that he'd never amount to anything, school even suggested his parents take him out school after his inter cert exams hinting that he may have learning difficulties.

His holiday villa in Florida is cracking, his hobby is deep sea fishing off the coast of Florida and is now semi retired spending most ou f his time playing golf.

_Brian

When I started school I was repeated beaten for using my left hand and told it was the devils work.

I’m using my left hand now for nearly fifty years and to date the devil hasn’t made an appearance

joe40

Some of the stories posted here are totally unacceptable, and in no way could they be justified. As a teacher sometimes I have to advise on suitability for subjects and you have to make a judgement.
I'm very conscious that I can get it wrong, kids mature at different rates etc but you still have to make a judgement as best you can at times. Every dream is not always realistic.
At the same time arrogance and insensitivity is never acceptable.

Lefty Bicek

_Brian wrote: »

When I started school I was repeated beaten for using my left hand and told it was the devils work.

I’m using my left hand now for nearly fifty years and to date the devil hasn’t made an appearance

All that hand use... maybe you just can't see him ?

Ipso

_Brian wrote: »

When I started school I was repeated beaten for using my left hand and told it was the devils work.

I’m using my left hand now for nearly fifty years and to date the devil hasn’t made an appearance

You’ll see him in hell. But seriously, that kind of stuff is unbelievable and it wasn’t that long ago.
I remember a tv show about the abuse cases and one of the victims ended up in one of those schools because he was left handed.

Sleeper12

veryangryman wrote:

Can you, the reader assure me one way or the other whether this is a real thing? I mean we all had some bad teachers but really was this a normal thing. Never heard anyone knock me or anyone else in the school that way.

I think it depends on your age. I'm in my 50s and have had this feedback from teachers 40 years ago. My kids are in their 20s and they have had the complete opposite. I think in 20 years time there will be threads here by someone shocked that our children today have school sports days where everyone wins. Everyone does a great job.

Ubbquittious

I was told it and similar versions of it quite a few times. I was wondering is it something they tell everyone in the hope they'll knuckle down, but telling me that made coming into school seem all the more pointless to me.

LaFuton

u probably wont, its kinda their area of seeing these things play out, ans by the numbers they are usually right

but sure we all have lovely unique butterfly bottoms

andekwarhola

It's like something Damien Dempsey would include in a bio. Along with being brought up by feral greyhounds at the back of a boxing club in Donaghmede.

Strumms

Ubbquittious wrote: »

I was told it and similar versions of it quite a few times. I was wondering is it something they tell everyone in the hope they'll knuckle down, but telling me that made coming into school seem all the more pointless to me.

Yes, it’s going to demoralize you, either way...

I was told by my Physics teacher not to bother turning up for my Physics leaving cert exam, use the time to study for something I’ll pass....

I turned up and did pass, just as much to spite the bullying cûnt.

Man was known to be a Physics encyclopedia, a genius but couldn’t teach for shît. Ruled a class with an iron fist... fear and intimidation... his reputation in the years preceding was worse, violent and intimidatory but at least the violence had ended by my time...

thecowgoesmoo

My mother's favourite sentence.

pgj2015

it is a great thing to be told when you think about it, its a challenge to prove them wrong.

arybvtcw0eolkf

gabe1977 wrote: »

I went to a rural National school until the late 1980's where 4th, 5th and 6th were taught by the one teacher.

He was nothing short of an animal.
I was told "the only place I would end up was Mountjoy" for the crime of not being the best at having my homework done. I nor any the rest of the kids were unruly, just stuff like not having homework done, forgetting things, maybe saying the odd word to your classmate etc. but we were all absolutely terrified of him.

His punishments included:

- Heavy role books smashed on top of your head.
- Slapped students across the face (once banging a classmates head of the door frame cutting his head)
- Sellotaping our mouths closed.
- Force feeding us mustard.
- Rulers broken across your knuckles
- Vicious insults (told one girl when i was in 6th class she'd need to lose weight or she'd bring the plane down when she answered a question on what she wanted to be when she grew up and she replied an air hostess)
- PE was sprinting around the school yard and the person who came last had to put the fatest girl in the school on his back piggy back style and do a lap around the yard - i **** you not!
- I believe after I left he would weigh the fat kids on a weekly basis and ridicule them.

I used to wet the bed and all sorts i was so afraid going in every day.
I'm actually still quite bitter that those were the times back then and doctors, priests and teachers authority wasn't questioned by the older generation.

Have you ever returned to the school or spoken to someone about it?.

I won't say where I went to school here but shortly after it and some of the teachers who I knew very well were mentioned in the Ferns report the school was mostly demolished.

Although its less than a kilometer from where I work I avoided going near it for years (like you we'd some absolute monsters in the guise of Christian Brothers, cunts
.

Anyway, I sought permission to go into the school grounds (parts of the school was still being used but it wasn't a Christian Brothers school anymore). I explained my past connection with the school and the Ferns report.

It was well worth my while going back, walking around the old yards and sheds, remembering where those bastards dished out awful beatings.

I could go on, but I won't. I've wrote about it here before.

I'm glad I went back and put some ghosts to rest. Thankfully the shower of pricks are all dead now, I hope they died screaming.. Thankfully I wasn't a boarder, God only knows what those lads put up with.

RhubarbCrumble

gabe1977 wrote: »

I went to a rural National school until the late 1980's where 4th, 5th and 6th were taught by the one teacher.

He was nothing short of an animal.
I was told "the only place I would end up was Mountjoy" for the crime of not being the best at having my homework done. I nor any the rest of the kids were unruly, just stuff like not having homework done, forgetting things, maybe saying the odd word to your classmate etc. but we were all absolutely terrified of him.

His punishments included:

- Heavy role books smashed on top of your head.
- Slapped students across the face (once banging a classmates head of the door frame cutting his head)
- Sellotaping our mouths closed.
- Force feeding us mustard.
- Rulers broken across your knuckles
- Vicious insults (told one girl when i was in 6th class she'd need to lose weight or she'd bring the plane down when she answered a question on what she wanted to be when she grew up and she replied an air hostess)
- PE was sprinting around the school yard and the person who came last had to put the fatest girl in the school on his back piggy back style and do a lap around the yard - i **** you not!
- I believe after I left he would weigh the fat kids on a weekly basis and ridicule them.

I used to wet the bed and all sorts i was so afraid going in every day.
I'm actually still quite bitter that those were the times back then and doctors, priests and teachers authority wasn't questioned by the older generation.

I went to a rural primary school too and in 3rd and 4th class (1989/1990) had a teacher very very similar to what you've mentioned there.
An absolute and utter bullying b***h.
The way she treated me (and others) definitely had an impact on me and it stayed with me for a long time afterwards.
I saw her in a shopping centre two years ago and actually got so upset that I had to go out to my car where I ended up in tears.

I rarely use the word, but she was an absolute c**t. There's no other word to describe her.

Quantum Erasure

they were always saying that to me in school.
the kids were the worst... 'those that can, do. those who can't. teach' is what they used to say

wiggle16

My maths teacher once called me a "f#cking retard".

In fairness he was having a really, really bad day.

Charles Babbage

My music teacher said that I couldn't sing.

endacl

Pretty sure I was told stuff by teachers. I was there for years. Don’t remember a single thing though. I was pretty vacant during those years...

Oddly enough, I’m a teacher now.

Lefty Bicek

Charles Babbage wrote: »

My music teacher said that I couldn't sing.

No bother with your maths teacher, presumably ?

Ficheall

I was always one of the top students in the school and great things were expected. I sure showed them.

RayCon

Charles Babbage wrote: »

My music teacher said that I couldn't sing.

Same here .... and in fairness to him he was 100% correct.

sbsquarepants

My 1st year religion teacher, in my 2nd or 3rd religion class in my new school (A nun who's name I now can't remember, but who's face is etched in my memory) had me stand in the back of the class and told the class to laugh at the thought of me being refused entry at the pearly gates. Now laugh at the though of him burning for eternity.

My crime was asking the question, "if everything requires a maker, why doesn't god?"

That's very christian behaviour i opined. Irony alas was not her thing. She basically specialised in the auld sadism i think!:D

That was also my last ever religion class. So cheers for that Sr. Whatsyourname. I reckon if there is a lake of fire, you'll be doing the backstroke in the lane next to me!

boombang

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I've seen how After Hours usually speaks of Travellers.

Surely you're effectively doing the same thing to their kids.

Really don't see how calling people out on bad behaviour equals putting people down unnecessarily.

KevRossi

I did history up to the Inter Cert (old Junior Cert), despised the teacher, so dropped it for the Leaving initially. Used to read the history book for leaving cert in supervised study and i always had a deep interest in politics/history, especially 20th Century stuff. Anyway, I decided to do history for the leaving as an extra subject and I got a C in it. Showed it to the teacher the day we got the results and he actually went into a rage, threatening to call the Guards unless I left the school grounds.

A priest in the same school always despised me, when he saw my results and realised that I got what I wanted in Uni, he openly accused me of cheating and continued that for a few years afterwards. Total cnut and an utter shlt to a lot of other lads. He died in his 50's.

take everything

Well the principal in my school told me I should aim for Bs rather than As.

No sign of him when I got straight As.
Never liked him anyway. Prick.

Edit: actually that felt weirdly cathartic.