Because teaching isn’t about having the smart kid demonstrate that they know the answer, it’s about getting the kid who doesn’t understand the question to engage and learn.
Any of you who may one day have children would do well to understand the above.
i can't think of a better way to get shy kids to engage and learn than to figuratively put them on a pedestal in front of the whole class and have them demonstrate that they don't know the answer.
I understand that but one teacher completely killed my joy in a subject. He at some point never took me to answer a question even when I was the only one raising a hand. So I stopped contributing.
Yeah, nah. There is nothing "getting to engage and learn" about calling you to the front of the class to solve an equation knowing full well that you won't be able to then proceed to berate you while never explaining dick. Literally only made me skip class.
I had a French teacher who targeted me like this. She would call on me multiple times per lesson when I didn't know the answer and she would give me a detention if I didn't put my hand up at least twice per lesson and correctly answer.
She claimed that she was doing this because she liked me and that I had a French last name but the other dumb kid with a French last name didn't get the same treatment. I went from getting 50% in exams to 90% by the end of the year and I dropped French straight after that. Which sucked because I liked French but I couldn't risk getting stuck with her for another year. In total she must have caused me to spend at least 150 hours in detention
Your French teacher was better than mine. She'd roll her cart into the classroom speaking gibberish (My friend spoke fluent French. He couldn't understand a word she said) and then she'd throw Telefrancais on as if that's acceptable for teaching 8th grade French. Then give us worksheets in French with no explanation or teaching of the material, and sending us to the office if we tried to use a phone to translate them.
Her nonsense put my French learning behind, and made it all the more difficult in high school. Thanks Ms. Benaquista.
Do any full adults bitter about incidents of their childhood really think it was out of spite? I just want a simple yes or no. Like the teacher gets paid either way, and it must be awkward as fuck to drag a shy kid out a bit who is going to be wrong. I just wonder if people really really believe this was out of malice.
Johnny knows the answer, Johnny always knows the answer, Johnny shouldn't even be in that class, and yes Johnny puts his hand up each and every time. Tim might know the answer, might not. Tim never talks. Tim is in big trouble grade-wise if he doesn't know the answer on the next exam. So give him a nudge, make sure he knows that he doesn't know, and maybe he will study. Cause if you let Tim just sit and space out they are going to get an F.
Anyway back to your bitterness. I am sure it is perfectly reasonable to be a 32 years old upset about being called on by teacher when you were 11.
Bitter? I wouldn't say anyone I know is bitter. It's just one of those tropes we all lived through, it's not somehow a commentary about you or me. I just post this stuff from storage based on what I haven't posted yet. But you seem to be picking some oddly specific ages and typing up an oddly specific rant so it feels strangely hella personal here.
I think it's done to help quiet kids on more fronts than just ensuring that they know. It helps the quiet ones engage with their peers, and encourages them to perform under pressure.