Humiliation By A Grade-School Teacher
Posted by: VegettoEX on 
Nov 7th, 2008 | 
Filed under: Nothing In Particular
Until we get around to really sorting through all of our wedding and honeymoon photos, you’ll just have to read more random thoughts. Here’s one that popped into my head for no particular reason.
Back in 2nd or 3rd grade (which would make this around 1990; I vaguely remember the layout of the classroom, but I am not sure exactly which grade it was) I participated in something I believe was called “S.T.A.R.S.” I have absolutely no recollection of what that stood for (Student Teachers Are Really Special? I dunno!), but the basic premise was that a group of talented (read: halfway smart) students would take an hour or so every week to head down to the kindergarten class and help the kids write. Maybe it was a journal, or even just a random writing exercise… it’s really not that important. I remember that I was always very harsh on the kids, because even at the age of 7 or 8, I simply could not understand how someone would not capitalize the letter “I” when referring to themselves.
Anyway…
This particular memory is about one Friday(?) afternoon, probably around 2 pm, which was the time that us “S.T.A.R.S.” would head down to help out. I raised my hand and asked the teacher if we were going to be going down there today, since it was nearing that time and we would need to get walking. I don’t remember the exact wording, but I certainly remember the attitude. There was a very loud “HMFPH!” and a sarcastic request for someone to “please explain to Mike” how they made an announcement in the morning that it was not going to take place today. There was lots of laughing.
I wasn’t one of those kids who messed around and didn’t listen (well, not yet anyway… high school was a different story), so I’m not quite sure how I missed that announcement. Regardless, I was entirely polite the whole time, and was quite taken aback by the response I received.
I wonder how (or if) this affected me…? I certainly remember it, so it at least had some type of lasting effect. I don’t feel particularly angry about it, or can say that I even remember it more than once every few years. It’s just something that popped up again in my mind, and I figured I should write it down.
Anyone else have any other similar memories or experiences?
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November 8th, 2008 at 2:24 am
Oh, sure. I remember in 2nd grade when our teacher was reading a story to us (she had done this for close to two weeks, I think…chapter a week deal), and I was drawing or something. Anyway, we were always told that if we want any extra paper to use to just ask her beforehand. So, quietly, I went up to her and waited for her to finish a sentence before asking politely for some more paper. Her response?
“You interrupted me for that?”
Funniest thing was that this was at Catholic school, and in that grade we had a big banner with the “golden rule” on it, which we were just learning about. Guess it didn’t apply to the teachers…*shrug*
November 8th, 2008 at 4:49 am
Special Tactics And Rescue Squad? Well not really.
Oh my gosh, this post brought so many unpleasent memories…
I remember one particular teacher, Mr. Murphy, my old math teacher. I was in the 5th grade and for some reason or other, I had not done my homework (I remember that there was a good reason I hadn’t done it, since I normally do my work, but my teacher was not merciful at all).
I remember walking into class that day with no homework, no excuse that would not get me a consequence, and no way to avoid not getting caught. I sat down, and began hyperventilating. When he came over to collecting my homework, he saw me having a panic attack. I recall telling him that I didn’t have the homework, and seeing that he took it with no visible reaction. I thought, “I just might get out of this”. Then, (I swear, he was smiling when he did this), he made me go up in front of the classroom, say why I hadn’t done my homework, and then he made an example of me by saying, “This is what happens when you don’t do your homework” I was embarresed in front of the class, and to make matters worse, I lost my reccess that day, which was a huge deal.
Needless to say, I always did my homework for that class.
I could normally get away with not doing it every once in a while with my other teachers, but never with him.
Good Times.
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