My recent experience at school has made me sympathetic towards children

Hi JenInTN Being a teacher for most of my past 16 working years, this "Made to feel embarrassed or stupid" is most horrible thing that I could think to do to any student. I always believe and hopefully lived this way as a teacher. My only aim in the teaching profession has been - make the students understand, boost them and excite them to learn - Anyway which will NEVER act as something that might induce an Inferiority complex in them. I also believe that teaching is an art, and a good teacher must always focus on the little slower students. The Teacher should have the capacity to judge students, handle them the way s/he would handle a kid - see that they are on the right track and always encourage them in doing what is right and better. Of course, I agree that there have been times when I wasnt ready with the answer the student wanted, but that never meant I would say anything that will make the student feel embarrassed. There are ways to handle such things and instead of getting into embarrassments only complicates the matters. You are grown up and so you understand, but the little ones... they may get confused or even get into depressions - unfair and unhealthy.

when i was in grade 4 at dominican school. my adviser always make me stay after class just to asked questions about my religion. when i answered, she makes fun of my answer and worst she invited few of my classmate to stay and laugh with her. in my adult life...i never embarrassed any child. why? they might remember me as a BAD....VERY BAD PERSON

Hi Jen, It does seem to me that she is coming on a bit strong! Is she into Zen or something? Seriously, it does sound more like an encounter with a Zen master. A Zen master would use such techniques with intuitive skill.. Well, it is expected in Zen, and would have been made clear that it was Zen art IMO. But in her words you have joined a "happy family"... Oh really? As a child, I would have hated such as class and not looked forward to future classes. I always did best with the teachers who acknowledged that I had potential and focused on my using that potential to strengthen my weaker points. In retrospect I can see that if I was called stupid, then I couldn't help but demonstrated stupidity. _Derek

I had a math college instructor who would call out names to take attendance and belittle people. I and everyone else disliked him. He never went after me. Not sure why. Maybe because I looked like I could kill him. Martial arts stare, visual intimidation, works lots of the time. Sounds like she has a negative comment about everything. I would have asked her how she can have a "happy family" if she belittles people and then requested a different instructor. The next math instructor I had at college was great! He was like the grandfather you wish you had. Quite adorable. My "children's arts and crafts" college instructor was great. He taught remedial art to everyone including veterans. He was very quiet. He would teach a technique for the first few minutes of class and then we would try it and we could all talk quietly while we did it and there was an area for people who wanted to concentrate and not talk. Do you talk a lot in class? Moving a student is often a sign that the instructor wishes ther student wouldn't do something. Strange that this class has people discussing things, but she's indicating like she doesn't want you talking or even asking questions. The teacher needs to look up the word inference. The proper sentence for an instructor is that using this clue and that clue or using the surrounding context, we can infer. Common sense indicates everyone has the same cultural life, upbringing, etc. Whereas teaching inference is an instructor thing to do. It would be nice if she acted like an instructor. She must have been absent during inference training. I'd stay after class and ask why we weren't a "happy family" with me where I was sitting. I'd also say that vagueness in a course syllabus can cause problems such as students handing in things late according to the instructor's interpretation, but not according to the students'. That's why there are usually dates on these things. Which I always hated because sometimes with some classes you get behind and some you get ahead. Like every Tuesday for 3 weeks you have a snow day. Or you find out that all the students in one class had this course in High School, but the college wouldn't accept it so they know most of what your'e teaching already. Lots of times I would have them take out their course outlines, have them cross out a date and change it to whenever. Then whoever missed class that day was usually out of the loop. So I would try to call them and get drunken uncles or their job and someone yelling at me that they're only to be called there in emergencies,etc. After being singled out by being moved, I wouldn't have volunteered for reading anything. I would have figured she heard me talking when she was talking last time or thought I was the one talking when she was talking and blamed me. If you can't even ask a question, I'd get a different instructor. At least one who knows how to teach inference. She's probably had to change the date on that assignment numerous times, so when everyone has been taught or has the skill,she'll tell people she wants it the next week or something. The children where I am, some of them are mean and sarcastic to the teachers. We try to talk to them privately. We try to tell them better ways to indicate their displeasure. But more and more, they don't seem to understand unless you give it right back to them. Not sure why that is taking place. Lots of children being told by their parents that they don't have to do what the teacher tells them to do. I can see if a teacher asks them to do something illegal, immoral, against their religion,etc, but some kids the parents are always there no at the school no matter what you do. I try to praise the students who are doing the right thing and I've had those kids "turn on me." Why? For singling them out. For making them look like "brown nosers", etc.Sometimes as a teacher, you can't win.

First - that's great you've started a new class! I am an artist too (though my art is limited to kids crafts these days - ha ha). I miss the "smell" of oils/turpentine - ha ha! What is up with that instructor?? Boy she must be real popular (rolling eyes). What was she doing trying to intimidate such an enthusiastic student - what kind of teaching tactic is that?? I think I'd be raging inside for the moment, but I wouldn't let her get the best of me. I'd see how it goes with the next few classes . . . maybe on this particular first day she ate something bad for breakfast - ha ha. As an adult, we can "reason" and deal with such people (well, most of us anyway). Children are still learning - how sad it would be for a child to have to endure a teacher like that. But it happens. Then there's that sticky situation where it's the child's words against the teacher's. There are definite benefits to being an adult and being able to speak up for ourselves. One mom that I know recently told us a story how she was singled out by one of her teachers in high school. She is Lebonese but looks Hispanic . . . and she claims that she was singled out because of her looks as she went to a ritzy primarily caucasian high school. Long story, but the teacher accused her of copying another girl's test answers (which happened a few times) - when in fact it was the other way around. Best of luck handling that tough bird! Hope you still enjoy the class!!

That was indeed a bad first day. Surely no way to welcome an ever smiling student. Or could it be that she could read your superiority over her by just looking at you. It is nothing but inferiority complex if there is such a thing at all. Relax Jen. I can see a great challenge ahead of you and you sure like challenges. Don't you?

This teacher would need some lessons in how to handle people - she will otherwise have problems with her students, maybe already has. I am not a very good teacher technically or pedagogical, but I´ve respected people and tried to show empathy and some have actually learned something as they could relax and not be afraid of being embarrassed.. I somehow feel sorry for teachers who don´t understand this simple psychology, treat others the way you want to be treated. I wonder how they were treated as they were young.. My first impression from one teacher I had as young, was that she really wanted to be respected, as she embarrassed one of my class mates, but later she showed some much better qualities.. So the first impression might be a wrong one. Let´s hope your teacher becomes better after some time.. Maybe she had a bad day..??

I see did tyhat to a kid I bet the kid would want the floor to swallow them up. Even with you she shouldnt have said or did what she did grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I pretty much keep my mouth shut, so if she had told me to sit someplace, I'd've said "Yes, ma'am" and sat. She wouldn't need to know if I liked to paint or if I were just getting an extra hours to graduate....

I don't think it's right for any person to have to go through that, especially a child. I've had this happen to me as well. It happened many, many years ago, back in my freshman year in high school. LOL School had pretty much just started...maybe a week or 2 into it. Anyway, my first period teacher had been jabbering on about something. I had not been looking at him at all. I had my hand on my head and was bored out of my mind. LOL All of a sudden the teacher asked "What does U.S.D.A. stand for?" Apparently he had noticed my "look" as he called on me to answer it. I guess he didn't expect me to know the answer. But I did. I answered "United States Department of Agriculture", without even glancing his way and still with that bored look on my face. LOL Boy, did that shock him! He left me alone after that. Then again, he didn't have much of a choice as I started skipping school (again) after that. LOL Happy mylotting!

I can't remember a teacher being that way with me, except one teacher in high school who called me a sweat hog because of grades......can't remember exactly what, but getting a B and dropping the A I had, or something like that. I remember feeling humiliated. I can think of a couple other times I was embarrassed, but not by the teacher, but for not knowing the answer. As a retired teacher, I can remember times when I would say something that was a put down or embarrassment and regretting it as soon as it came out of my mouth. Sometimes I would apologize right away or other times I would have them stay and make it a one on one. At other times, with certain children, it was fun and they liked being singled out. BUT it does not work for all children.

I absolutely dreaded things like that when I was in grade school. I had a couple of mean and heartless teachers that would single kids out and pick on them too. I remember one in particular that seemed to have it in for me. She knew I was having trouble in her class and she would constantly call on me. I hated her and the class. I also had a language teacher that would call anyone stupid that mispronounced anything in her class. It didn't make my school years very enjoyable to say the least. I have taken some college courses and adult classes for various things and I haven't encountered anyone at that level that treated adults with such disdain though. It really annoys me when I have to deal with someone that has an arrogant or haughty attitude that talks down to me. I just wonder what motivates people to treat others badly. Does it somehow make them feel superior? It makes them look small in my eyes. It sounds like you are taking this class mostly for enjoyment. I sure hope the instructor doesn't ruin the experience for you. I know you'll stay positive though.

For me, your teacher was intimidated by you. She wants to do the talking but you have spoken before her, so that irked her. I am glad that you didn't say a word about her rudeness. If i were you, i could have spoken to her about it, after the classes. She may be the teacher, but the more that she should now how to deal with people.

Yes, during High school days in a geometry class. My teacher there has a soft voice that really would brought me to sleep. I kept on staring my watch hoping that it would run faster so we could move on the next class. My teacher did noticed it and would finally asked me to go out of her class. She said, if you have an appointment somewhere else, you better go out of my class. Being a girl in my teenage years, I got embarrassed and felt my faced turned red but I just kept my silence and stay in the class. The next days, she met a different "me", well, I make it sure that I would excel in her class and she would remember me as one of her student who is good in her class.

You have provided one answer, to my forever question; "What the heck is happening with today's Education system?" Disrespect the students..malign and chagrin them, they lose all enthusiasm and gleening for knowledge, if just thru curiousity. Then the Teacher get's disrespected (in this case, a real challenge), and we are going nowhere FAST! In my day..your Teacher was respected and revered...he/she a paragon! The rhetoric with you..would have destroyed ANY child...and probably dampened a lot of spirits just by having THAT dismal exchange with you...they shared the environment where this happened! I am annoyed Jen...this is absurdity! Your good manners, and self-confidence helped you thru this melee...but pity the poor child..demoralized! UGH! Angry!

I know what kind you are talking about...I had a math teacher like that and I never learned a darn thing from him.....he made you feel dumb if you asked a question...my question is what was he doing teaching? And I have seen some like this in grade school classes.....its a shame. Hopefully you will win her over!

Oh great, now I feel much better..lol Sorry, but I really hope I don't get that kind of instructor for math. I am taking my second year of college and have done all of it online. But because my maths skills are horrible, I have to go to the campus to take my class and I am already going to be confused, the last thing I need is a arrogant instructor. But that isn't for another 3-4 years, at least, but it isn't good to see this can happen, even to an adult..

I would wonder if this could be where some of the bullying in school comes from. A teacher singles out a student and then the class follows suit. I think that is terrible. I also think that teachers should be sensitive to a student and not singling out any of them. I think this should be examined further.

sounds like another one of those teachers that really chose the wrong profession. i think almost everyone is subjected to one of these at some point in life. it does depent on how they handle it and their self esteem. i had one like that in 3rd grade. he is the one that made me feel i was not good at math. but then yrs. later i suddenly find its not so. i was quite good at math. he just didnt like me for some reason. my middle son also had it happen in 4th grade. he used to love school. then he got this weird teacher that seem to just pic at everything he did. i tried to get him moved but the school would not allow it and i think that in spite of all my encouragement to him, it caused him to eventually not do well and drop out in high school. teachers should have to be a certain standard and be reviewed from time to time since they are forming childrens/and our nations future.

its a good discussion you have started her may be it will turn into a lesson for some peoples who are reading this discussion. experiences play a vital role in our respective life and experiences sometimes becomes inspirations for the peoples. we do job for experience in that industry and that experience takes us into the new heights when we go in other companies. as you have discussed here experience can make you more sympathetic because during the course of life we become every aspects of life some good one and some bad one. in the school too you have realised thats how childrens demands attention and as you feel it for during school day you have developed a field of sympathy into the minds of yours...cheers