Monday, September 22, 2008
How Many Wins Have You Had Today? by Jeff Eban
Coach Bohan describes his teaching method like this: "Words trigger pictures, which trigger feelings, emotions, and establish our attitudes, which direct our choices and lead to a destiny of success or failure." Write about one experience you have had with either a teacher, parent or adult, where their words have triggered your emotions, formed your attitude and resulted in an important choice in your life.
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In high school I was involved in the school's modern choir. We practiced every day after school, held concerts and even went on tour. The choir's director, Mr. Thomas, was a respected teacher who had tremendous energy and enthusiasm, but he also was very strict and direct with his students. I respected him a great deal, so his words held great power.
One day after practice, I was joking around with some upper grade boys in choir, flirting probably, right outside Mr. Thomas' office. He came out and with a smile on his face, said, "You really like to be an airhead Annie, don't you? How's that working for you?" I was completely humiliated, and I immediately started to cry. I ran down the stairs away from all of them, and cried all the way home.
The impact these words had on me was tremendous, although looking back, I think Mr. Thomas had my best interests at heart. As an adult and a teacher, I can see that he might have meant to teach me that I needn't act stupid to attract attention, which I admit, I did a lot for some reason. Yet, as a fifteen year old, all I heard him saying was that I was an airhead, which to me meant he thought I was stupid. These words made me feel stupid and lowered my self-esteem. They also made me feel guilty about flirting with boys, as if it were shameful.
Although I realize now that I was too sensitive, and that in his own way Mr. Thomas meant to teach me that I should not act like a goof ball in front of boys I like. His delivery of those words had the opposite effect, and made me feel MORE embarrassed when talking to boys for a long time. His error did affect my destiny in one good way. As a teacher, I make sure that I do not use quick and thoughtless remarks with teenagers. There are some things teachers should stay out of. Students will learn social lessons from their peers over time, you just have to let them discover their mistakes on their own. Harsh words from an old fart teacher won't help them grow up any faster.
In my school in Clovis (Jefferson Elementary) I had a bad experience with my first grade teacher. I was walking into class when she said,"You are going to fail in school today". When she said that, I was very saddened and depressed. After school I became very destructive and broke all of my brother's Lego toys by throwing them at walls.
I believe that teachers have a huge impact on teenagers and children. If they are to say something good to them, It will have a good impact on the child. If they are to say something negative, it will negatively impact the child which would result in depression, failure in school etc.
In kindergarten my dad had to take me out of school early because he had to go somewhere and wouldn't be able to pick me up at the bus stop, but i didn't want to so he said that we would go out to ice cream after. I obviously said o.k. when he finally picked me up my teacher asked where I was going and, I told her that I was going out to ice cream, because as a five year old thats all I could remember. All she said was have fun ditching class, like it was my fault I as leaving class early. That made me feel really guilty, and I started crying. I realize now I may have over reacted, but she shouldn't shouldn't say things like that to a five year old. Now I try to never leave school early again.
your story reminds me of my mom because she was teased. And it ruined her life. until she got older.
when we were at the minarets school planting trees. I was standing listening to the guy talking and I reached down to pickup a flower so i could demolish a flower. Mr.Rothchild turned and for no reason at all said that I was being an embarrassment to the school. That made me so mad it made me so made that if said something mean to me again I would of literally snapped beat him senseless
In fifth grade I had been having a very good day as usual, but we had a math quiz which I forgot to study for!! I still remember the day like it was yesterday I took the test in class and thought I had done well as it seemed sort of simple. I walked up to the front of the class and handed him the test with a smile on my face. As the bell rung (which we had all been waiting for!) I walked at a great speed to the door, just as I heard my name being called by my teacher not in the usual happy voice he has and he said he had to talk to me about my test scores and I could tell by the way he was looking at me that it was not good. He told me I had gotten a c- which was very bad for me as I usually got a's and sometimes b's. He had called my mom and told her how I hadn't tried hard enough and I needed to do better. he told me that if i get other bad test scores that all I would be doing when I grew up the only job I could get was flipping burgers at Macdonalds.
He proberly didn't mean it as harsh as it came across to me. I learned to study and become a better student. Also I learned to think about things before I say them as I can hurt others feelings.
My person is the school principal Mr. Nehoff
My reason is that normally every school that I go to the principal ends up hating me because of what my background is and that was getting to me over the years and making me sad.
But this year was diffrent I came to this school
Mr. Nehoff did not pay attention to my past he just saw who i was and he doesn't hate me ( but the other principal does)
In eighth grade Ms.Fain was being mean one day called me and Alonnah lazy. That made me so mad that I didn't go to detention for the work that I didn't do. The next day i got on school suspension that mad me even more madder. The rest of the week i didn't talk to her. The next week Ms.Fain made me cry in front of the whole class because once again called me lazy an irresponsible. I got really really mad i was mad for the rest of the year and then I graduated and am here and happy cause I'm not being called lazy. So I don't like Ms. Fain
I had to walk home from school everyday and have to be bored for hours until my mom got off work.My mom couldn't afford after school. One day when class ended my teacher Mrs.May called me up to her desk. After all the kids had left she gave me a letter. I read the letter and looked up. Before she could respond I gave her a big hug. My teacher had made it so that I could be in after school and not have to pay for it. Mrs. May was the best teacher I have ever had not only because of that letter but because of her kindness and caring.
it kind of reminds me of the time that my eighth grade english teacher, Mrs. Fain, told me i would never make it in the real world because i was too lazy. I had just asked her what the homework assignment was because i had come in late. She said that she had already said it 5 times. There was a lot of noise in the room at the time & i could imagine how she could of been annoyed, but she didn't need to take it out on me. It stuck with me for about six months, until i started coming to school at minarets. I now have awesome teachers who believe in my abilities and are always encouraging. I no longer believe what she said, and greatly enjoy my schooling.
I had the same thing happen to me when i was in 8th grade. I had a math teacher name Mrs. Anderson she told me that i was going to be a group out in high school so like i am going to try to get my work in and do my best in the four years in high school to prove her wrong and have fun with life.
when i was in third grade leaving in chico i was going through different homes. there was this one teacher at pines elementary who was always giving me good advice on how to make it through my third grade
year. one time when i was getting ready to go to the next foster home that i was assigned to go to he told me to "keep my head help high always looking to the sky and when i fall he would be there to pick me back up on my feet to keep going. all i had to do was keep looking forward to my dreams." he was a great teacher. he always helped my back up onto my feet. what he was saying when he said falling he meant when someone or something let me down then he would be there to keep me going.
ever since then i've kept my head high looking forward. and i've fell on my off of my feet a few times, but then i got back up and kept going.
Mr.Mccartin was a great teacher but had a problem with organization. He was constantly losing my papers which made me so mad. I was nearly failing class because of him. One day he said that I was missing an assignment, big surprise. I then told him it was his fault that I was failing, he just looked at me and said it was my own fault. I was so mad I just left the classroom. When I got home I looked in my backpack and there it was the assignment I was missing. At school the next day I apologized and turned in the paper. After that I was very careful about where I kept my papers.
It was the 5th grade, I was dreading the homework my teacher had assigned me. My teacher, Mr. Madrid, new I was suffering, I didn't ask a ton of questions like I should have, I was also flunking math. One time while I was moping about getting the regretted F in math, Mr. Madrid saw me and, not giving up the chance to cheer up a student, stopped to talk to me, he said one simple phrase, "Don't, under any circumstance, never ask a question!" at first I didn't understand what he said, then he rephrased it and said "Basically, don't be afraid to ask the teacher a question, even if it seems stupid! you might get teased for it, but keep your head up, don't let the other kids intimidate you, you are a great student, the other kids shouldn't wear you down", I could hardly believe my ears, no teacher ever told me that! it made my insides swell with joy and determination, I knew now that I could succeed at anything academic, all's I had to do was put my mine to it. This quote helped me all through middle school, it even helps me in high school, I will never forget what he said, and I will always ask questions
My best experience with a teacher was in first grade and her name was Mrs. Lemmon. She had a good personality about her and I think that if I could go back to first grade I would tell her what good teacher she was and also some of the good life lessons she taught me. I remember one day I think it was St. Patricks day we were talking about lepercons and the lepercon traps we had just finished building and how we sat down to watch a video and after the video was finished Mrs. lemmon was talking to us about St. Patricks day and the t.v. kept turning on and we kept turning it off and eventually we just unplugged it. but in the end we were all laughing about it because we thought somebody had caught a lepercon. But in the end she was the best teacher I ever because she was understanding to all and not just one.
The one person who affected my life the most, I would have to say is my dad. For everything that have happened in my life. He has taught me the most, from never to give up on your dreams, too music will save your life. He was always the one to put on an album and play a song to make everyone feel better. Or just play the song myself. He's the kind of person who if you ask him one question about an artist, CD, or song. He'll give a whole two hours worth of information. He has also been there for me now matter what, and he's not afraid to call me dumb when I am.
I had a math teacher when I was in 5th grade who was the worst . Every time that I was sick id try to get my missed work , she would tell me to "go sit down" and I would not get any of my work for that day . So I was failing the teacher would not have a meeting with my mom she just kept failing me. So I asked her why she was not trying to help me . She yelled at me so I went to the preinceable he said that she had every right to do that . He said that I was just a low life kid that wont make it any were in life you should stop fooling yourself "just give it up" . I left that school after that . The affect it had on me is I am always skittish around new teachers and I am scared of going though that again.
One day when I was in 4th grade I was doing my work and I raised my hand to ask if I could go to the bathroom. Then my teacher out of the blue said Ezra be quiet, so I said I wasn't talking. He ignored me for a little bit and then said you will never make it to 7th grade. When I got to 7th grade I went to my old school to tell my 4th grade teacher that I made it to middle school. When I got there he said" I suppose that your in 7th grade" the only thing I said was "yup". When I was about to leave he said" do you know why I said that to you in 4th grade" and then he told me "I said that to make you work harder and succeed". When I got home I finally understood what he said. Even though it made me feel bad at the time it really did make me work harder.
One person in my life who has influenced me was my second grade teacher, Mrs. Prescott. She was my favorite teacher because she always made learning fun. Everyday, she would teach us things and make it exciting. She always encouraged me to do my best. At the end of the school year she surprised me by giving me our class pet, a turtle name Tuga. Tuga was one of my favorite gifts. It was such a simple thing she did, but I will always remember her for that.
In the quote he really seems to understand that kids do take things a certain way. Like I remember one time when I was in about 4th grade I was taking a class for my dyslexia and I really didn't want to go because i didn't want everyone to know about it, but after i started my teacher was so nice and great and always said how good I was doing and always tried to keep me going. After two years in the program she helped me so much and never once did I feel discouraged or anything!
When I was in 6th grade my math teacher told me that I didn't know what I was talking about, when I tried to show her a short cut that I use in math. After that I was so upset and pissed off. I knew that it was easier and shorter, but to have her tell me that bothered me. After that for a while I never tried to answer any more questions. Know I don't like it when I have to explain how I do some problems faster than the teacher.
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