General Musings

[Shuto Makino]

Neutral rep: pozzy for Simpsons reference, neggy for accuracy.

[shaun.lawson]

Hi Sir,

Just sending you a quick e-mail to apologize for not being here today. My bus never came and the next one would have been wayyyyyy to late for class. I've done my oral presentation (at least I wrote it down) and if you allow me so, I'd like to do it tomorrow. Also, I know it may be a lot to ask but, I'd like to know if you could not put me as missing today, as it is clearly not my fault and I will have troubles with administration as I have scholarship. Thank you and have a nice class!

(Student's name)

Envoyé de mon iPhone

Don't mark me absent because I missed my bus

3 years ago, I had a student who was way, way ahead of everyone else, and should really have been taking a higher level exam. She was a bit older than the others, and had tons of compulsory exams as well as the English one she was doing with me.

She missed plenty of classes because she had so much other work. On her report card, the teacher I shared the class with wrote that she'd had 12 absences - but the rules say if you miss more than 10, you have to resit the year. She showed me the card; I carefully changed the 12 to a 10. She looked at me in astonishment.

I know teachers aren't supposed to say this - but I hate rules and I hate petty officialdom. She hadn't skived off my classes; she'd had other important work. And I wasn't going to be responsible for messing up her life either: I hate teachers who do that.

She sailed through with an A, and all was well that ended well.

[Cheeky Gnando’s]

^^^^ Zero discipline ^^^^

[shaun.lawson]

^^^^ Zero discipline ^^^^

Nope.

I think you wrote on JKB that students have to respect teachers for something. Doesn't matter what it is; has to be something.

In my case, I clearly know a fair bit - but I get better results out of them by treating them like human beings than other, old fashioned teachers who act like little dictators. I remember the teachers we all hated at school; and I swore to myself I would never, ever be like them. What I think happens with others is it's like "well, I got treated terribly at school... so I'll do the same to you too". I know that's not the case with you or Mak, incidentally.

And if I have a rule in teaching, it's this: should students feel like they have something to look forward to? Something wherever possible, fun? Or should they be miserable and treated like workhorses to make them think that life is miserable too? The answer's obvious - though as you'll know yourself, it's all about balance anyway.

[Cheeky Gnando’s]

Miserable workhorses, pls

[Mr A]

3 years ago, I had a student who was way, way ahead of everyone else, and should really have been taking a higher level exam. She was a bit older than the others, and had tons of compulsory exams as well as the English one she was doing with me.

She missed plenty of classes because she had so much other work. On her report card, the teacher I shared the class with wrote that she'd had 12 absences - but the rules say if you miss more than 10, you have to resit the year. She showed me the card; I carefully changed the 12 to a 10. She looked at me in astonishment.

I know teachers aren't supposed to say this - but I hate rules and I hate petty officialdom. She hadn't skived off my classes; she'd had other important work. And I wasn't going to be responsible for messing up her life either: I hate teachers who do that.

She sailed through with an A, and all was well that ended well.

You're a bloody cheat, Lawson. One rule for teacher's pet and one for the rest.

What you've done is told an impressionable pupil that it's ok to break the rules. It's not.

You've basically ruined her life to satisfy your urge to be seen as the cool teacher.

[Shuto Makino]

What I think happens with others is it's like "well, I got treated terribly at school... so I'll do the same to you too". I know that's not the case with you or Mak, incidentally.

Spot on: I treat them terribly purely because of my own mean-spiritidness, which has nothing to do with my schooldays.

In all seriousness I've actually found that I've needed to be stricter than I intended or would've liked to be with some groups. I came in thinking that as I'm teaching at uni level I'd treat them more like adults and maintain a more relaxed atmosphere: that's worked fine for the most part, but a few in my first year classes have tried to take advantage of it ( :begbie: ) and that's forced me to be stricter.

[Zizou]

Destroyed with the cold man, can barely breathe

[CritchSmile]

Destroyed with the cold man, can barely breathe

Cycling in a storm does that to you

[PHOODLE-OUt]

[Big Physical Acey]

Added spring in my step this morning.

Looks like narrowly avoiding that flying wheelie bin was a Pyrrhic victory.

[Sterling Archer]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34803750

"Sir Terry Wogan pulls out of Children in Need"

:begbie:

[Walter Sobchak]

3 years ago, I had a student who was way, way ahead of everyone else, and should really have been taking a higher level exam. She was a bit older than the others, and had tons of compulsory exams as well as the English one she was doing with me.

She missed plenty of classes because she had so much other work. On her report card, the teacher I shared the class with wrote that she'd had 12 absences - but the rules say if you miss more than 10, you have to resit the year. She showed me the card; I carefully changed the 12 to a 10. She looked at me in astonishment.

I know teachers aren't supposed to say this - but I hate rules and I hate petty officialdom. She hadn't skived off my classes; she'd had other important work. And I wasn't going to be responsible for messing up her life either: I hate teachers who do that.

She sailed through with an A, and all was well that ended well.

I thought this was going to be another Mrs Robinson affair/nanny seductress story.

[2MatoFish]

Spot on: I treat them terribly purely because of my own mean-spiritidness, which has nothing to do with my schooldays.

In all seriousness I've actually found that I've needed to be stricter than I intended or would've liked to be with some groups. I came in thinking that as I'm teaching at uni level I'd treat them more like adults and maintain a more relaxed atmosphere: that's worked fine for the most part, but a few in my first year classes have tried to take advantage of it ( :begbie: ) and that's forced me to be stricter.

Neutral rep.

Possy for the correctly placed first begbie. Neggy for no begbie after "forced me to be stricter"

[PHOODLE-OUt]

How do you change a 2 to a 0

[Christian Benorchgrevink]

I love how Lawson views himself like Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society when in fact he's been mugged off by a lassie who knows she's smart enough to get the grades she needs with the minimal effort.

[Mikey]

I think we all know Lawson just wanted to chuck it up her.

[The Great Khali]

I think we all know Lawson just wanted to chuck it up her.

Think she was single so he probably wouldn't have been interested to be fair.

[Chrambo]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34803750

"Sir Terry Wogan pulls out of Children in Need"

:begbie:

Wonder if he still gets sick pay

[Floyd]

Wonder if he still gets sick pay

^^^This^^^

Is it not something like 9 grand that wiggy old cunt gets for doing that show??

Bollocks to charity as long as Tel can get his cash.