Teacher who bully

Bullying has become pretty common part of school time. Or university. Basically, bullying is everywhere. Classmates, co-worker, name it.

In my case at school, those bullies were not only classmates, but also teachers. Yes, those people, whom we were supposed to trust, go for help, who were supposed to show example….

Let’s take my history teacher, it was sixth grade (wow, that’s what when, 11 years ago?), I was the new kid in a new school, full of rich bully kids, and, apparently, teachers who just love to mock new, quiet kid. So, this teacher. Made me sit with class’ worst boys, who constantly picked on me. For no reason, I had to sit with them. It was a nightmare. One time, when I tried to “make friends” with them, I gave them my homework. She caught me. Who did she punish? Me. I felt so bad. I know, you shouldn’t allow classmates write down homeworks, but I really thought that they’d treat me better, at least in some way pay me some attention. But of course, there is never just one teacher.

Math teacher. Instead of helping me solve exercises, she made me cry. After lessons, I sat at the end of the class, other students came in, everyone saw me hunched over the copybook, tears streaming my face. She just made some comments, chuckled. Other students did the same.

Why I never stood up for myself? I couldn’t. I respected teachers, I never thought they can actually treat pupils like this.

Why my parents didn’t solve this? Let’s just say, wasn’t an easy time for anyone.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who went through that. I’m really shocked that teachers, professors do something like this.

Why? Because their pay-check is small? Because they hate their work? How it’s my fault? Why put it out on poor, little kid? Can teachers give any answers? Why?

 

Time filler – group work

Another group work. Yeey. Just like pretty much every lesson today.

As I sat there and thought, not really participating in the discussion, because I just don’t want to speak, a thought came to mind. Or cycled, I don’t know, but it appeared.

Teachers doesn’t need to put a lot of effort in the lesson. All they need to do, is to tell a bit about the topic and then just give students group work, either it’s discussion or find more info about the topic, brainstorm, etc. And that’s it. Teachers can wander around. It feels like teachers doesn’t want any responsibility, they want nothing to do with the lesson more than just find half of the info. And the work for them is done.

See, I have nothing against group works if they are productive, which in my case rarely are. They more feel like, let’s say, time killer. Discussion are usually two-sided, and if one person in the group is introvert, who would rather read a 500 page book during that ‘group work’, then that introvert never gets to say one’s opinion, thoughts. Group work – find more info about this topic – two persons does the work, others just pretend to work (yes, I do that a lot, because I simply can’t concentrate when I have people around). Ohh, not to mention, the silent person rarely gets to tell what they have found, because louder, active speakers has already planned what the group will tell. What made me really frustrated, was a biology lesson where the whole class was divided in groups and had to answer THE SAME QUESTIONS and the answers were in the SAME BOOK. What was the point of the group work? Why couldn’t we just sit alone with the book, find the answer and later see if we all got the same answers?

Sometimes it feels like group work could be used in any situation. Need to find two words, let’s make a group. Need to make grocery list for the weekend? Make it a group work. Need to correct an essay, group work. Need to solve an math exercise? Group work.

Who killed individualism? Modern extrovert society?

Why group works are so praised? Because they teach what? That the loudest speaker is always right and has the best ideas?

Please, stop using group works as time fillers, as a solution for everything. They aren’t botox. But both can do a lot of damage to a person.