Up Close and (un)Conventional #2
Welcome to this week’s Up Close and (un)Conventional. Today, I wanted to talk about something that is close to my heart in many ways. As I said last week, I want to be a teacher when I grow up… or should I rather say, when I finish studying. It was my dream to be a teacher when I was younger, but somehow, I never really got to it, started a family, and worked, and suddenly I had been an accountant for what felt like forever.
To me, being a teacher is one of the most important jobs there is. Educating our youth is what will make the world better, and in order to educate them, they need good teachers who can motivate them, help them, explain things in several different ways, and be there for them to discuss things that don’t necessarily have much to do with school. I think it is also one of the hardest professions there is, because the line between motivating and being respected, being strict but not too strict, to be fair and open minded dealing with a lot of different kids each day has to take a whole lot of patience.
I had a little Twitter conversation with Shelley of Gizmo’s Reviews last week, about teachers and how some of them really shouldn’t be teachers at all (at least right now – they may have been awesome one day). My youngest daughter, who is eight and a half, is dyslexic, so everything that has to do with letters is really hard for her. She has excellent memory, though, and she is slowly learning other ways of coping when it comes to the written word. In Switzerland, there are measures that teachers need to follow when they have a dyslexic kid in their class. Her teacher does not follow these measures. And it makes life so much harder for her. Some mornings, she has a horrible stomach ache, and is afraid to go to school. And this makes me both sad and frustrated! She used to love school, she is very intelligent, and she still has years and years of school left before her education is over.
This teacher is not always treating other kids right either, can you believe he is mocking some of them, calling them names and getting the whole class to laugh at one kid? Whereas his job should also really be to make sure nobody is being mocked or bullied in his classroom, he is the one doing the mocking, and that is totally unacceptable to me. Another thing that can happen here, and I have no idea if this is the case in other countries as well, is that a child who does not have passing grades in French, German and math at the end of the school-year can be forced to re-do the school-year in the same grade. As of now, half the kids in my daughter’s class, including my daughter, have been told they’re going to have to do the year over. Needless to say, many parents are very upset – because it seems that even if some children have problems, the teacher is really not doing his best to help them overcome these problems.
So, we are trying to get our children another teacher from now until the end of the school-year, to at least give them a chance to improve and get motivated once more. So yes, even if I want to be a teacher myself, and I am truly motivated to become one, I don’t think it’s the kind of job in which one should be settled for life. It is hard to ‘get rid of’ a teacher, whereas in the private sector, people lose their jobs if they are not up to par on their performance. It seems really ludicrous that teachers should be able to continue to keep their jobs no matter how their performance is. And also, trying to ‘format’ children to make them all the same is the worst idea any teacher could aver have, in my opinion.
About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.
When I was younger I always wanted to become a teacher when I grew up. I still think it’s would be an awesome profession, but I don’t think it’s for me. I agree with you that it’s a difficult profession, I remember some good teachers, but also some not so good ones or those we went a bit too far into the strict or not strict direction. It’s a delicate balance.
I even had a university teacher that got forced into the job. He wanted to do research (and he was really well known in his field), but the university had a policy that researchers also had to teach. He even admitted it to our whole class of around 500 students that he didn’t enjoy teaching and this policy was the only reason he did.
I am sorry to hear your daughter has a not so nice teacher. How a teacher teaches and handles the class it’s really important for how enjoyable school is. I hope you can get them a different teacher and your daughter can enjoy school again.
I remember both some great and some not-so-great teachers from when i was younger, too. And it’s sure that it has to be a delicate balance for the teacher.
I think a lot of universities have the same policy, and that often, it has to do with finances. My Uni need all their researchers to teach as well as do research, and it’s easy to see who embrace teaching and who doesn’t.
I’m hoping something will happen now so that my daughter can feel happy about going to school again, too. It’s so important, and I just want things to be good for her.
Thanks for stopping by, Lola.
Twitter: talksupeblog
I had a teacher my senior year of HS and she inspired me so much I told her I wanted to be a lit teacher myself. She looked at me hard and said that I wouldn’t be a fit instructor. Not that I can blame her because I was a rowdy kid then but at the same time I was crushed to hear that from someone who inspired me a lot.
There’s a bullying special that I saw a few months back and I was so horrified to hear students talking about their teachers bullying them in class. And it’s not done in a very sublime way too, they’d call the student names and other shitty stuff.
This teacher you speak of should be removed from teaching. I have a lot of aunts and uncles who are teachers and the profession is revered in my family similar to doctors and lawyers. This person isn’t deserving of that honor.
That must have been crushing, Braine! Do you still want to be a teacher now, or are you happy with what you are doing?
Calling students names is never OK, and I have actually been quite shocked to learn other stuff this one teacher has been saying and doing to the kids in my daughter’s class. You are absolutely right! It is an honor not everyone is deserving of.
Thanks for stopping by, Braine!
I really really really hope you get her out of that man’s classroom. It pisses me off to no end to know that an adult is doing this to children. Reading that he is turning children away from learning, and causing school to become a bully paradise. This is so sickening. On top of all of this, he’ll have a secure paycheck and keep his classroom until the end of time because the system doesn’t fucking work.
I don’t mean to be vulgar, but I hate to see this happening, all of the time, in countless countries.
I am dyslexic as well, and my second grade teacher called me stupid to my face and set out to make a fool out of me because she couldn’t stand a “stupid” kid in her class while she doted on the smarter kids and constantly gave them special treatment and praise in front of the “stupid” kids in her class. I hate to see this happening to your child, and I will be thinking about her.
Yeah, I really hope so too, Lyn! And I get so pissed off when I think about this whole situation, too. These kids are only eight years old! They’re supposed to think school is fun, not feel sick to their stomach and rather want to stay home.
I’m so sorry you had such an ignorant teacher! At least nowadays, it is recognized that dyslexic children are not ‘stupid’, but it’s still hard when a teacher doesn’t think it’s necessary to let my daughter have some extra time, or if they are not doing a spelling test, that he shouldn’t deduce points for spelling mistakes, but rather give her a grade based on how well she has understood what she read, and answers the questions according to the text.
I feel like sending a huge hug to little you, Lyn! And than you so much for commenting.
I toyed around with the idea myself. I really want to work with kids and I knew that for a while and that would be perfect for me. But for financial reasons I couldn’t finish school. I have thought of going for that when I do return, hopefully sometime soon.
I hope you’ll be able to go back to school at one point if you still want to, Lily 🙂
Thanks for stopping by.
Great points, teaching is something that takes a special person, you are building so much into other people.
By the way, would you mind if I did a spin off for my blog? Up close and something witty with my name? I would link you of course
Go ahead, Brandi, it’s not as if the Up Close thing is really something I invented 🙂 the more the merrier, right?
And yes, it does thake someone who really wants to teach – sadly, some people decide to become teachers to have a lot of vacation 🙁
Oh Lexxie, this saddens me to hear. But it’s not an uncommon problem over here either. I think it does take a special person to be a teacher and those people who choose the profession, and have the passion for it, are amazing. Sadly, there are too many people who go into teaching because they can’t figure out a better plan. Or those who’ve been in the profession too long and have lost that passion. And our poor children are the ones that suffer. YOU, my dear, will make a fine teacher. 🙂 I wish you luck in finding a new teacher for your daughter – and hopefully you can have the current teacher removed. He’s very unfit to be a teacher. Grrr!
*big hugs*
It actually makes me even more sad to know this is something that happens everywhere! Teachers are so important, and children really look up to them. Another thing that makes it difficult here is that there are a lot of parents who don’t speak French, and the teachers might not speak any other languages, so communication can be difficult even when things are going well.
I believe a meeting with the PTB has been held today, we will see very soon what will happen next.
Thanks for stopping by, my dear! *BIG HUGS*
I hope THAT teacher will get his comeuppance really soon! Sorry for sounding like a crazed, vindictive person but he’s just sooo evil… Is it possible to report him to the school management or something? I remembered a teacher in my elementary years who always bullied her students. As a result, she got reported to the school management and to the local radio station. Ever since that happened, bullying in that school was reduced since the teachers were all afraid at being lashed at by radio newscasters.
I am, however, sure that your daughter will recover fast from such ordeal, Lexxie. I know that you and your husband are doing all your best to give her the support that she needs. I hope that you will be successful to have that undeserving teacher be removed from the job.
I do agree with you about the teaching part. I am not sure about the teacher statistics there in Switzerland but here in the Philippines, it’s really large. Like it’s almost impossible to find a family that doesn’t have a teacher son/daughter/niece/nephew whatever. Our family is even full of teachers. Would you believe that even my parents are pushing us including their nephews and nieces to marry a teacher? And yep, they haven’t yet backed down in convincing me to become a teacher myself. Sigh.
For me, although teaching is the most common profession here in the Philippines, it’s also one of the hardest job there is. Yeah, for some people, it might be the go-to-profession if you don’t have definite plans but what they don’t realize is that it’s a commitment that is sometimes larger than the parents’…you know, your child spending more time in school than at home. And god, dealing with different students everybody is not something that is that is really fun to do. It is not only physically exhausting but emotionally draining as well. And me, being an emotional person would certainly die before I reach the 6 month period of teaching. What if I have to deal with handicapped or abused or broken students? I don’t think I am up to that kind of challenge because I would definitely spend my days crying in a corner because I will always think that what I’m teaching will always not be enough for them.
Thanks for sharing this personal story with us. I know that you will definitely make a good teacher if you ever decide to become one. 😀 Give my hugs to your daughter <3333
Yeah, going to news outlets would be the next step, but I hope we won’t have to do that. Having teaching be a ‘go-to’ kind of job isn’t all bad, but I hope that people who decide to get into teaching think about everything it entails, and that they also remember their own days as a school-child / student when they are at the other end of the classroom.
I hope to become a teacher for high-school kids, so they will be a little older, but still in need for guidance and motivation, for sure.
Thank you so much for stopping by, Charlotte! I’ve missed you so much <3
That’s so awful, Lexxie. As reprehensible as it is, it seems like teaching is one of those professions (like law enforcement) that attracts genuine, earnest people and power-tripping bullies equally. I hope you’re able to secure a new teacher for your children. Obviously you fall into the genuine and earnest category, so look forward to day when you are an educator yourself, and are in a better position to do something about the power-tripping bullies. I know you will 😉
True, I guess this happens in any profession where there is some kind of power involved. And it is really bad that it can happen at all, and even more to realize it actually happens quite often.
Yeah, I would definitely not stand by and let anyone hurt a student, and hopefully, there will be many other teachers who genuinely love teaching, too!
Thanks for stopping by, Jessica!
I have never wanted to be a teacher.. or be a parent for that matter (I have no kids). I applaud those though are are willing to work with children. I think it’s great you want to teach high schoolers. I think they would be the hardest to teach… but the most important to teach! Good luck in everything!
One of my favorite cousins is a teacher – along with several of my aunts on both sides of my family. You’re right: it takes someone very special to be able to teach to others. I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful teacher and I applaud you for going back to school and following your childhood dream!! I’m sorry your daughter daughter had such a hard time of it with one of her teachers. Some people should NOT be teachers at all…I’m sure we all have some horror stories of our own on that front. I hope everything resolves itself as best it can for you and your family xox Excellent post ^^
A teacher should never belittle. It’s such an easy rule. I’m sorry your family is going through this. A couple years ago, my oldest boy’s 4th grade teacher was terrible and had zero experience dealing with kids with autism. At his parent/teacher conference she asked me right in front of him and the principal if he had reached his academic peak. For the life of me I could not get him out of her class. When I told the principal I planned to remove him from the school, she held a meeting with so many people in attendance it was pointless, but in front of all of them I said straight up the teacher should not have any interaction with children with autism or special needs and that the principal failed my child and my family and I didn’t trust her to make it right. He has an amazing teacher now. I think we have struggles and then moments we soar like never before. Your daughter has a mama lion on her side, which means she’s unstoppable no matter the obstacle.
Oh, it might have taken me an hour to read a single chapter in college, but I got my degree. I think my dyslexia just gave me a richer imagination.
I’m very sad to hear your daughter is having a rough time in school. Especially that her teacher isn’t doing what he’s supposed to in order to help your daughter. I hate hearing she’s so upset it’s affecting her physically with stomach aches and fear. That must be very hard as a parent to see when all you want for your child is to be happy and healthy. You’re right – there are some people who really shouldn’t be teachers. I agree with you, too, that if teachers shouldn’t get to keep their jobs if they aren’t performing well. That has never made sense to me.
My mom wanted to be a kindergarten teacher and started community college but never finished. I kept her student I.D. in memory of her. She would have made a great teacher. If it wasn’t for her, my uncle wouldn’t have made it through college. She encouraged him to keep going, and he did. He teaches inner city kids now as does my aunt.
This year, for the first time ever, my daughter has a teacher who should not be a teacher. If one or two kids act up, maybe even four or five, she punishes the entire class because they’re “a team.” I don’t think it’s fair to punish everyone as a result of a few kids misbehaving.
When you wrote about your daughter’s teacher making fun of his students, it made me think of when I was in fifth grade and had a teacher like that. I wanted to be a teacher until I had her. She taught math and would send five of us up to the board to each put a problem from homework. If we got our problem wrong, then she allowed the entire class to laugh at us, and she joined in, too. I tried to get out of going to school all the time, and my mom knew why. That same year, my reading teacher accused me of stealing a copy of Island of the Blue Dolphins, and when I told her I didn’t do it, she called me a liar. I really didn’t steal the book. I came home in tears, and my mom went to the school and gave her a piece of her mind. The teacher found the book – it had been misplaced.
I’m so sorry you and your family are experiencing this teacher. He shouldn’t be able to get away with this!