What teachers liked/didnt like you in school? (football, classrooms, course)

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by mitsguy2001

I see your point. But why force a student to write a letter of apology when the student very obviously is not sorry? And, why was I singled out that time and given an additional assignment in punishment, when everybody else (including all other times that I had detention) was just allowed to do their homework and/or read.

It's hard to say. Maybe they thought you went above and beyond in whatever you did to get into trouble. I usually just sat and did homework or read in detention, but there were times I got additional punishments, like having to write out lines or do work details. Once, I had a solid week of detention and I got assigned to custodial work every day after school. I had a part time job on some days, so I had to juggle on those days school all day, a working detention that went until late in the afternoon, and then rushing off to work and figuring out how to get the school work done. Still, I was pleased that the school found it necessary to punish me like that and I considered it a badge of honor, and thought my ability to cope with it successfully was a plus overall.

Originally Posted by mitsguy2001

Was it clear that the rule was not enforced after hours? If the rule was still technically in effect, did you ever worry about getting a punishment that didn't fit the crime?

No, it wasn't clear that the rule wasn't enforced after hours. I knew I was risking another detention by using that door, but I did it anyway. If I'd been caught, the punishment would have fit the crime, since I deliberately broke the rule, just for the sake of breaking a rule.

Originally Posted by mitsguy2001

Interestingly, as a teenager, I felt the same way about making a legal right on red; it would make me feel good that I felt as if I was legally subverting the laws. But when I mentioned that to my drivers ed teacher, for the rest of the semester, out of spite, she made sure that I was never directed t make a right turn at a traffic light (unless it had No Turn on Red).

Haha, you were lucky the safety nazis didn't kick you out of driver's ed after you made that comment. I enjoy speeding a lot more than turning right on red. Good thing I didn't tell that to my driver's ed teacher!

[mitsguy2001]

Originally Posted by dazzleman

It's hard to say. Maybe they thought you went above and beyond in whatever you did to get into trouble.

I don't think so. That detention was for cursing at a student during homeroom (who said far worse things to me, but didn't get punished). I literally never heard of anybody else getting detention for cursing. The likely reason why I was given detention was because the student I cursed at happened to be the teachers' pet. His mother was the PTA president, and she hung out with many teachers outside of school. A few years earlier, in music class, he and I assigned as partners for an assignment. He wanted to completely control everything, and I refused to allow him to do so. The result was when report card time came, that teacher had me marked down as "not working well with others", and basically crucified me when parent teacher conference time came. Perhaps what I needed was to learn more about playing office politics.

In any case, even if for whatever reason the assistant principal wanted me to have to write a letter of apology to somebody, wouldn't it have made sense for me to have had to write it to the student I cursed at (even though he said far worse things to me, and I was not even remotely sorry about what I did), rather than to the teacher, who I did nothing wrong to? Wasn't that almost an admission that I was given detention only because the other kid's mother was friend's with the teacher, so I somehow hurt the teacher by cursing at her friend's son? In retrospect, I wonder what further punishment I would have been given (if anything) if I had refused to write the letter, making the argument that I can't ethically write a letter of apology for something I was not sorry about, or perhaps arguing that the other student owed me a letter of apology as much as he owed me one.

I usually just sat and did homework or read in detention,

And that was the case all other times that I got detention, and for everybody else that I ever heard of getting detention.

but there were times I got additional punishments, like having to write out lines or do work details. Once, I had a solid week of detention and I got assigned to custodial work every day after school. I had a part time job on some days, so I had to juggle on those days school all day, a working detention that went until late in the afternoon, and then rushing off to work and figuring out how to get the school work done. Still, I was pleased that the school found it necessary to punish me like that and I considered it a badge of honor, and thought my ability to cope with it successfully was a plus overall.

I never found it to be a badge of honor. I'm not the "hardship builds character" type. What really frustrates me is one of my colleagues who was bullied in school, claims that the bullying made him a better person, and he is frustrated that his kids' school has a strict anti-bullying program. I have to respectfully disagree; bullying does not turn anybody into a better person.

No, it wasn't clear that the rule wasn't enforced after hours. I knew I was risking another detention by using that door, but I did it anyway. If I'd been caught, the punishment would have fit the crime, since I deliberately broke the rule, just for the sake of breaking a rule.

You mentioned having a job after school, and detention could have caused you to miss work and get fired from your job. You were willing to risk losing your job just to prove a point and walk through that door?

Haha, you were lucky the safety nazis didn't kick you out of driver's ed after you made that comment. I enjoy speeding a lot more than turning right on red. Good thing I didn't tell that to my driver's ed teacher!

But the point that you missed is that speeding is illegal, while right on red after a stop is completely legal (except in NYC) unless there is a sign saying No Turn on Red. So there was absolutely no risk in getting a ticket for turning right on red, even when I was a teenager. Just like, as I said, in high school, walking through the courtyards between the towers carried no risk of punishment, since it was the legal way to get from one tower to another during lunch periods, even though it involved going outside the building, which underclassmen were otherwise not allowed to do. On the other hand, I was breaking the rules when I used my locker (which, as I said, was in the main lobby) during lunch periods, but given the route I used to get there (which would involve walking past exactly 1 classroom, but no hall aides), the hall aide would not catch me until after I would have used my locker, so when she asked me to leave the area, I would politely comply, having already accomplished what I had intended to do.

In retrospect, there were several classroom overlooking the two courtyards, so I am surprised that we were allowed to use those as the one legal way to get from one tower to another during lunch periods, given that any indoor routes that involved walking past any classrooms were strictly prohibited, and enforced. My theory is perhaps they wanted to show us that while we were no longer in middle school (so we no longer were assigned to a specific table in a specific cafeteria, and were not allowed out of our seats for any reason), we were also not yet adults, so there needed to be some restrictions on our freedom. Also, since that would involve going outside without a jacket (since your jacket would likely be in your locker, which you couldn't legally access), perhaps they wanted to make switching towers inconvenient in order to discourage the practice, without outright banning it. But, as I said, the courtyards tended to feel fairly warm even on cold days, perhaps because you were almost fully surrounded by building, and you'd have building directly above you.

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by mitsguy2001

I don't think so. That detention was for cursing at a student during homeroom (who said far worse things to me, but didn't get punished). I literally never heard of anybody else getting detention for cursing. The likely reason why I was given detention was because the student I cursed at happened to be the teachers' pet. His mother was the PTA president, and she hung out with many teachers outside of school. A few years earlier, in music class, he and I assigned as partners for an assignment. He wanted to completely control everything, and I refused to allow him to do so. The result was when report card time came, that teacher had me marked down as "not working well with others", and basically crucified me when parent teacher conference time came. Perhaps what I needed was to learn more about playing office politics.

In any case, even if for whatever reason the assistant principal wanted me to have to write a letter of apology to somebody, wouldn't it have made sense for me to have had to write it to the student I cursed at (even though he said far worse things to me, and I was not even remotely sorry about what I did), rather than to the teacher, who I did nothing wrong to? Wasn't that almost an admission that I was given detention only because the other kid's mother was friend's with the teacher, so I somehow hurt the teacher by cursing at her friend's son? In retrospect, I wonder what further punishment I would have been given (if anything) if I had refused to write the letter, making the argument that I can't ethically write a letter of apology for something I was not sorry about, or perhaps arguing that the other student owed me a letter of apology as much as he owed me one.



And that was the case all other times that I got detention, and for everybody else that I ever heard of getting detention.



I never found it to be a badge of honor. I'm not the "hardship builds character" type. What really frustrates me is one of my colleagues who was bullied in school, claims that the bullying made him a better person, and he is frustrated that his kids' school has a strict anti-bullying program. I have to respectfully disagree; bullying does not turn anybody into a better person.



You mentioned having a job after school, and detention could have caused you to miss work and get fired from your job. You were willing to risk losing your job just to prove a point and walk through that door?



But the point that you missed is that speeding is illegal, while right on red after a stop is completely legal (except in NYC) unless there is a sign saying No Turn on Red. So there was absolutely no risk in getting a ticket for turning right on red, even when I was a teenager. Just like, as I said, in high school, walking through the courtyards between the towers carried no risk of punishment, since it was the legal way to get from one tower to another during lunch periods, even though it involved going outside the building, which underclassmen were otherwise not allowed to do. On the other hand, I was breaking the rules when I used my locker (which, as I said, was in the main lobby) during lunch periods, but given the route I used to get there (which would involve walking past exactly 1 classroom, but no hall aides), the hall aide would not catch me until after I would have used my locker, so when she asked me to leave the area, I would politely comply, having already accomplished what I had intended to do.

In retrospect, there were several classroom overlooking the two courtyards, so I am surprised that we were allowed to use those as the one legal way to get from one tower to another during lunch periods, given that any indoor routes that involved walking past any classrooms were strictly prohibited, and enforced. My theory is perhaps they wanted to show us that while we were no longer in middle school (so we no longer were assigned to a specific table in a specific cafeteria, and were not allowed out of our seats for any reason), we were also not yet adults, so there needed to be some restrictions on our freedom. Also, since that would involve going outside without a jacket (since your jacket would likely be in your locker, which you couldn't legally access), perhaps they wanted to make switching towers inconvenient in order to discourage the practice, without outright banning it. But, as I said, the courtyards tended to feel fairly warm even on cold days, perhaps because you were almost fully surrounded by building, and you'd have building directly above you.

Your school had a lot of petty rules. That's surprising for a public school.

I never missed work because of detention, since detention didn't go late enough. And luckily I never got busted using the forbidden door. I only used it after detention, never at regular dismissal time. It would have been stupid for me to not even be able to get out of the building after serving detention without getting into trouble again.

Did you ever sleep in detention, or did you just do homework? How late into the afternoon did it go? I sometimes used to sleep in the latter part of detention, when I ran out of homework to do or just got bored of sitting there so long. It lasted 75 minutes, from 2:45 until 4:00. A few times, the dean had me serve 2 days in one, and stay until about 5:15 doing work details. Since I had to be at work at 6:00 on the days I did work, it didn't leave me much time but I always made it.

Once I got used to it, I really didn't consider detention a hardship. I considered it pretty much a joke and it didn't really bother me too much. It was mostly a minor inconvenience. During my time in high school, I discovered that I enjoyed breaking rules and that outweighed a minor punishment. You seemed to get into trouble for different reasons than I did, so I can see why you don't feel the same way.

[glass_of_merlot]

Everybody liked me in HS. I wasn't the perfect grade student but I was polite and respectful.

[mitsguy2001]

Originally Posted by dazzleman

Your school had a lot of petty rules. That's surprising for a public school.

And in looking at the current handbook, it seems to have become even stricter, and with more rules that make absolutely no sense.

I never missed work because of detention, since detention didn't go late enough. And luckily I never got busted using the forbidden door. I only used it after detention, never at regular dismissal time. It would have been stupid for me to not even be able to get out of the building after serving detention without getting into trouble again.

For some reason, I was under the impression that your detention caused you to be late to work. Glad that wasn't the case.

Did you ever sleep in detention, or did you just do homework?

I don't recall ever sleeping in detention. Although when I had that full day of in school suspension in 8th grade, I did at one point get dizzy and almost felt like I was going to pass out, but that didn't happen.

How late into the afternoon did it go? I sometimes used to sleep in the latter part of detention, when I ran out of homework to do or just got bored of sitting there so long. It lasted 75 minutes, from 2:45 until 4:00. A few times, the dean had me serve 2 days in one, and stay until about 5:15 doing work details. Since I had to be at work at 6:00 on the days I did work, it didn't leave me much time but I always made it.

I don't remember exactly. I just remember that the adjacent high school had a late bus at 3:10, which middle school students serving detention were not allowed to use. If anybody was caught using that bus (if the bus was running late, or if the detention teacher dismissed the students a few minutes early), then everybody who had detention that day had to serve an additional day (regardless of whether they used that bus or not). We were required to use the 4:10 late bus (or have our parents pick us up after detention), even though detention ended quite a while before 4:10. That was annoying, since it would be a de facto detention until 4:10, but with the later part unsupervised (not a good idea). Although, my mother always picked me up after detention so that I wouldn't have to wait for the 4:10 bus. Anyway, school ended at 2:38 PM, and buses left at 2:45 PM, but I remember when you had detention, you had to report to the main office at a time that was earlier than the buses would leave (so I guess 2:40), and you would be escorted to the detention room at a time later than the buses would leave (so I guess 2:50). Since it obviously ended after 3:10 but before 4:10, my guess is that detention was from 2:50 to around 3:30 or so (plus the 10 minutes in the main office waiting to be escorted). I honestly don't remember 100%.

Once I got used to it, I really didn't consider detention a hardship. I considered it pretty much a joke and it didn't really bother me too much. It was mostly a minor inconvenience. During my time in high school, I discovered that I enjoyed breaking rules and that outweighed a minor punishment. You seemed to get into trouble for different reasons than I did, so I can see why you don't feel the same way.

For me, it sucked, since my detentions were either for standing up to a bully, for things I was completely falsely accused of, or things that everybody would be guilty of but only I seemed to be given detention for (I am honestly the only person in my school that I ever heard of who got detention for cursing at another student. Even though many people feel that I deserved the detention for that offense, they completely miss the point that nobody else was ever given detention for cursing at another student, and punishments need to be applied consistently in order to have their desired effect.

By the way, even though I mentioned that the unions wouldn't allow students to do a "work detail", I do realize I was once assigned a work detail (although I never actually had to serve it, as you'll see in the story). It's a very long (but interesting story), so I'll post it in my next post in this thread. Be sure to check it out.

[mitsguy2001]

As for my work detail punishment (I honestly never heard of another student in my school given a similar punishment): in middle school, lunch would be a 40 minute period. During the first 20 minutes, you were allowed to go to the library or the computer room, but you had to be in the cafeteria for at least the last 20 minutes. Everybody was assigned a seat, and once you were in the cafeteria, you were not allowed out of your seat for any reason. The one exception were 6th graders (all of whom had lunch during the same period, one were nobody had gym class) were allowed to use the gym during the last 20 minutes (but obviously only if you didn't use the library or computer lab during the first 20 minutes, or else you'd have no time to eat your lunch).

During 6th grade, I would almost always use the computer room during the first 20 minutes of lunch. I was erroneously assigned to the same seat as another student; one who almost always went to the gym during the last 20 minutes of lunch. Since he and I were never in the cafeteria at the same time, we were never aware that we were assigned to the same seat (and in fact, I literally never met him until the day of the incident).

One day, when I went to the computer room as usual, it was closed. So, I had to go to the cafeteria. The kid who was assigned to the same seat at me was already there, and I met him for the first time. He was not willing to move from that seat, since it was rightfully his seat. So, the teacher on lunch duty (she was also my social studies teacher, and she and I did not get along) reported both of us to the assistant principal (who, as I said, did not like me).

The following Monday, I was told that my punishment would be having to clean the entire cafeteria after eating lunch for the entire week! The other student was given no punishment at all (since he was in that seat first, since I first went to the computer room, not yet realizing it was closed). That was so ridiculous since I did absolutely nothing wrong. On that Monday, I refused to comply with the punishment: I went to the computer room as usual during the first 20 minutes, then I went to the cafeteria to eat my lunch, and then I went to the guidance office to make an appointment with my guidance counselor to ask for advice.

Unfortunately, my guidance counselor offered no help at all, and said there is nothing he can do about a punishment assigned by the assistant principal. Yes, I do realize that the assistant principal is higher in authority than a guidance counselor. And yes, I do realize that a guidance counselor does not have the authority to override an assistant principal's punishment. But isn't it his job to help his students? Why couldn't he at least have attempted to arrange a meeting with all involved parties (myself, the other student, the teacher, and the assistant principal) so that we could have all discussed the situation, and come to realize that it was just a misunderstanding, and that I did nothing wrong at all.

The next day, Tuesday, during lunch, I went to the computer room as usual. The assistant principal found me there. He claimed that I went to the computer room just to avoid that teacher (completely untrue; I went to the computer room every day, even when that teacher wasn't on lunch duty). When I politely tried to explain that to him, he started screaming and yelling at me, accusing me of talking back to him. He also told me that as part of my punishment that week, I was not allowed to be using the computer room during my first 20 minutes of lunch (I guess since there was not enough time to use the computer room, eat lunch, and clean the cafeteria). I explained to him that nobody ever told me that I was not allowed to use the computer room that week.

I then was escorted by him to his office. He said that I was required to write a letter of apology to the teacher. Again, that was a total waste of time, since my letter was completely fake, since I did nothing wrong, so I was not even remotely sorry. Since my lunch period was now past, I was allowed to eat my lunch and write the letter of apology in the quiet room (a room next to the assistant principal's office). And for the rest of the week, I was not allowed to use the computer room, and I had to clean the cafeteria. And, failure to comply with any part of the punishment will result in a 5 day suspension from school. But if I do comply, I will be given a fresh start on Monday. At that point, I just decided to cut my losses and comply with the punishment. I was surprised that I was not given any additional punishment for refusing to clean the cafeteria on Monday. Also, my punishment was essentially reduced from 5 days to 3 days, since I did not comply on Monday, and on Tuesday, I missed my entire lunch period and didn't have to clean the cafeteria that day either. My feeling is that, in his heart, the assistant principal knew that I did absolutely wrong, but felt that as a student, I had to learn to respect a teacher's authority even if she was wrong.

The next day, Wednesday, the teacher was so touched by my apology letter that she asked the assistant principal to remove my punishment so that I would not have to clean the cafeteria! That was a real surprise, since my letter was so fake. I do wonder whether or not the teacher truly was touched by my letter, or if she perhaps came to her senses and realized that I did absolutely nothing wrong. So, I did not have to clean the cafeteria. But I was still not allowed to use the computer room for the rest of the week. I honestly do not understand what the point of that punishment was at that point, but I wasn't going to question it.

The situation with me and another kid being assigned to the same seat was never resolved. In an amazing coincidence, he was absent for the rest of that week. By the time he returned to school, I was allowed again to go to the computer lab.

[Soilworker1986]

I'm getting in late on this conversation, but I would like to think that, with a few exceptions, I got along well with most of the teachers in my life outside of the sixth circle of hell known as middle school, which was easily the worst time of my life.

Originally Posted by mitsguy2001

As for my work detail punishment (I honestly never heard of another student in my school given a similar punishment): in middle school, lunch would be a 40 minute period. During the first 20 minutes, you were allowed to go to the library or the computer room, but you had to be in the cafeteria for at least the last 20 minutes. Everybody was assigned a seat, and once you were in the cafeteria, you were not allowed out of your seat for any reason. The one exception were 6th graders (all of whom had lunch during the same period, one were nobody had gym class) were allowed to use the gym during the last 20 minutes (but obviously only if you didn't use the library or computer lab during the first 20 minutes, or else you'd have no time to eat your lunch).

During 6th grade, I would almost always use the computer room during the first 20 minutes of lunch. I was erroneously assigned to the same seat as another student; one who almost always went to the gym during the last 20 minutes of lunch. Since he and I were never in the cafeteria at the same time, we were never aware that we were assigned to the same seat (and in fact, I literally never met him until the day of the incident).

One day, when I went to the computer room as usual, it was closed. So, I had to go to the cafeteria. The kid who was assigned to the same seat at me was already there, and I met him for the first time. He was not willing to move from that seat, since it was rightfully his seat. So, the teacher on lunch duty (she was also my social studies teacher, and she and I did not get along) reported both of us to the assistant principal (who, as I said, did not like me).

The following Monday, I was told that my punishment would be having to clean the entire cafeteria after eating lunch for the entire week! The other student was given no punishment at all (since he was in that seat first, since I first went to the computer room, not yet realizing it was closed). That was so ridiculous since I did absolutely nothing wrong. On that Monday, I refused to comply with the punishment: I went to the computer room as usual during the first 20 minutes, then I went to the cafeteria to eat my lunch, and then I went to the guidance office to make an appointment with my guidance counselor to ask for advice.

Unfortunately, my guidance counselor offered no help at all, and said there is nothing he can do about a punishment assigned by the assistant principal. Yes, I do realize that the assistant principal is higher in authority than a guidance counselor. And yes, I do realize that a guidance counselor does not have the authority to override an assistant principal's punishment. But isn't it his job to help his students? Why couldn't he at least have attempted to arrange a meeting with all involved parties (myself, the other student, the teacher, and the assistant principal) so that we could have all discussed the situation, and come to realize that it was just a misunderstanding, and that I did nothing wrong at all.

The next day, Tuesday, during lunch, I went to the computer room as usual. The assistant principal found me there. He claimed that I went to the computer room just to avoid that teacher (completely untrue; I went to the computer room every day, even when that teacher wasn't on lunch duty). When I politely tried to explain that to him, he started screaming and yelling at me, accusing me of talking back to him. He also told me that as part of my punishment that week, I was not allowed to be using the computer room during my first 20 minutes of lunch (I guess since there was not enough time to use the computer room, eat lunch, and clean the cafeteria). I explained to him that nobody ever told me that I was not allowed to use the computer room that week.

I then was escorted by him to his office. He said that I was required to write a letter of apology to the teacher. Again, that was a total waste of time, since my letter was completely fake, since I did nothing wrong, so I was not even remotely sorry. Since my lunch period was now past, I was allowed to eat my lunch and write the letter of apology in the quiet room (a room next to the assistant principal's office). And for the rest of the week, I was not allowed to use the computer room, and I had to clean the cafeteria. And, failure to comply with any part of the punishment will result in a 5 day suspension from school. But if I do comply, I will be given a fresh start on Monday. At that point, I just decided to cut my losses and comply with the punishment. I was surprised that I was not given any additional punishment for refusing to clean the cafeteria on Monday. Also, my punishment was essentially reduced from 5 days to 3 days, since I did not comply on Monday, and on Tuesday, I missed my entire lunch period and didn't have to clean the cafeteria that day either. My feeling is that, in his heart, the assistant principal knew that I did absolutely wrong, but felt that as a student, I had to learn to respect a teacher's authority even if she was wrong.

The next day, Wednesday, the teacher was so touched by my apology letter that she asked the assistant principal to remove my punishment so that I would not have to clean the cafeteria! That was a real surprise, since my letter was so fake. I do wonder whether or not the teacher truly was touched by my letter, or if she perhaps came to her senses and realized that I did absolutely nothing wrong. So, I did not have to clean the cafeteria. But I was still not allowed to use the computer room for the rest of the week. I honestly do not understand what the point of that punishment was at that point, but I wasn't going to question it.

The situation with me and another kid being assigned to the same seat was never resolved. In an amazing coincidence, he was absent for the rest of that week. By the time he returned to school, I was allowed again to go to the computer lab.

Mitsguy2001, tell me where you grew up, because I want to be sure to never live and/or send children to school there. From all the other stories you've posted on here and this one, it's incredible that an assistant principal could get away with acting like this, short of someone starting a fight, damaging school property or something else of that nature. Things really must've been different when you were growing up, because if any of the teachers or principals pulled stunts like this when I was in elementary/middle school (the late 1990s), it wouldn't have been tolerated and the principal/teacher would've been disciplined or potentially fired.

[mitsguy2001]

Originally Posted by Soilworker1986

I'm getting in late on this conversation, but I would like to think that, with a few exceptions, I got along well with most of the teachers in my life outside of the sixth circle of hell known as middle school, which was easily the worst time of my life.

I agree; Middle school was definitely the worst. I wonder why it is that it seems middle school is the worst for nearly everybody.

Mitsguy2001, tell me where you grew up, because I want to be sure to never live and/or send children to school there. From all the other stories you've posted on here and this one, it's incredible that an assistant principal could get away with acting like this, short of someone starting a fight, damaging school property or something else of that nature. Things really must've been different when you were growing up, because if any of the teachers or principals pulled stunts like this when I was in elementary/middle school (the late 1990s), it wouldn't have been tolerated and the principal/teacher would've been disciplined or potentially fired.

Where I live, unfortunately, the teacher's union is extremely powerful, and basically controls local politics. Once a teacher gets tenure, it is almost literally impossible to fire them. Also, at least when I was in school, my district seemed to attract parents who respected authority to a fault, and were no help to their children. In that way, times may have changed.


As for when I was in K-12 school: I started kindergarten in September 1984 and graduated from 12th grade in June 1997. The incident that you responded to was in December 1990, when I was in 6th grade (first year of middle school).


Just out of curiosity, what part of that story was so outrageous that you think nowadays it would result in a tenured assistant principal who is in an extremely powerful union to get fired or even disciplined? And what other stories did I post that you find so outrageous?

[Zelpha]

I went through a rough time the last 2 years of high school when my single dad was on cocaine and I was emotionally & nutritionally neglected...I went through a huge depression and missed months of school laying in bed or hiding because I wanted to cease existence.

Most of my teachers gave me a chance to make up my work. But one teacher was disgusted with me. One classmate remarked that I was probably on drugs (I wasn't). Apparently depression was unheard of back in the early 90's. I had it bad.

[Soilworker1986]

Originally Posted by mitsguy2001

I agree; Middle school was definitely the worst. I wonder why it is that it seems middle school is the worst for nearly everybody.



Where I live, unfortunately, the teacher's union is extremely powerful, and basically controls local politics. Once a teacher gets tenure, it is almost literally impossible to fire them. Also, at least when I was in school, my district seemed to attract parents who respected authority to a fault, and were no help to their children. In that way, times may have changed.


As for when I was in K-12 school: I started kindergarten in September 1984 and graduated from 12th grade in June 1997. The incident that you responded to was in December 1990, when I was in 6th grade (first year of middle school).


Just out of curiosity, what part of that story was so outrageous that you think nowadays it would result in a tenured assistant principal who is in an extremely powerful union to get fired or even disciplined? And what other stories did I post that you find so outrageous?

It's just that I never had a teacher or principal who would open despise or yell at anyone just for simply asking questions above the material or calmly trying to explain what happened. Again, yelling at a student would never have happened unless he/she started a fight, damaged school property, got caught doing drugs, or showing serious disrespect toward authority. In fact, when I was in Middle School back in about 1999, we had a teacher that was a total nutjob and had many students and parents who didn't like her who ended up getting fired because she slapped a student across the face for telling a joke. Its just my personal opinion that someone would complain at a PTA meeting and eventually some sort of action would be taken, because something that extreme would really look bad on the school district.