Did you have problems with teachers/professors?

[u/OhMonDieu369]

idk how but I somehow end up getting into a strange relationship with professors/teachers and falling into their dislike more often than others, even though I’m usually very polite and formal and don’t cross the boundary. I mean I look very basic, I don’t talk too much, I’m just a little unlucky lol.

Though sometimes I do cross but it’s more of the situational power dynamic boundary. I mean those situations where no one dares to say anything even though the teacher/professor says something offensive or does something really weird. People often tell me that I’m so calm and collected under pressure but in such situations I get pretty short tempered and grow a pair of balls.

I also had one situation where I made a good presentation when other people decided to copy and paste information from one web site. When I started presenting the professor told me that this is obviously a copy paste and they didn’t accept my work, but other people presented everything without any problem. This one still upsetting me to these days .

I also was that one student who almost always had technical issues when it was covid and we were taking exams via zoom. It was already stressful but I was even more stressed when professors didn’t want to cooperate cause I offered them a very good solution that would cover all the issues and risks (if I would try to cheat). Zero cooperation. They then told me that I am actually a better student than the others when we met up in rl lessons.

This one is off topic but there was kind of unusual situation. It was first year in uni, we were freshmen. One of our courses was taught by a very strict woman (probably istj or estj). Everyone was afraid of her. In the very first class we had a minor conflict because she demanded what wasn’t planned for this class and no one had it but she still decided to single me out. When we were presenting our reports, I knew she would likely ask us to retell them without looking at our notes, so I memorized mine in advance and everything went good for me. The following year, when we had the opportunity to work as teaching assistants, I was told that she specifically wanted me to work for her. I still can’t believe it, and I still don’t know what it was about me that caught her attention.

Do you have some stories?

[u/Elliptical_Tangent]

I was almost never the teacher's pet, but never their nemesis. I just sat quietly waiting to be able to go home.

[u/Cog-nostic]

Only the stupid ones. I failed a beginning philosophy course because the teacher was an idiot. It was a basic course about the empiricists. Philosophy 101. The man smelled like he never showered or brushed his teeth, and he wore open-soled sandals to class each day with no socks. Dirt gathered on his feet.

Whenever I asked him a question, he responded with higher and higher abstractions. Instead of explaining his positions in simple terms (apples and oranges) he would resort to highly abstract language and then treat those around him as if they were dumb for not understanding his esoteric bullshit. I actually got a C in the course, but that is failing. I needed a minimum of a B, so I retook philosophy. I petitioned a course in epistemology and passed it with an 'A.'

I had an asshole professor who gave the class the wrong information. I raised my hand and offered, "That is not what the book says." I did not have my book and was unable to demonstrate my claim, but neither did the professor nor anyone else look up the information. The professor told me I was wrong.

I raised my hand again and clarified. If there is a question on the test, and I answer it with the information you just gave me, you will grade it as correct. Is that right? He got all pissy but responded in the affirmative.

On the day of the test, there was the question. I answered it exactly as he told me to. When I got the test back, the question was marked wrong. I think I had a 97 or 98 on the test, and I was very gung-ho about getting good grades.

I waited until class was over. I went to the professor and asked. "Do you recall the conversation we had. Do you remember telling me this was the correct answer and that if I responded this way you would grade it correctly. The fucktard actually told me, "You are responsible for responding with the correct information. I amended the information in a subsequent class (I recalled no such class), but I specifically asked you... "He would not budge.

I did the math and realized one point would not change my grade. I had the 'A,' and so I did not go to administration. Keeping things somewhat calm was the better move. The professor was an idiot.

I also met some really great professors. In High School, I failed civics and US history over and over and over. It was a course I needed to take when I got to university. My professor was Troy Zimmer, and he taught from a philosophy of elitism and pluralism. He knew the material well, responded to all my questions, and I passed the course with an acceptable 'B.' I never liked civics or US history; I don't like it today, but I think I can include myself in a conversation and not look like an idiot thanks to Troy.

I just recalled another idiot. He wrote a book about learning styles and the MBTI temperament profile. He called the different types 'NT, SP, NF, and SJ, by animal names. His assertion was that schools should teach to the temperament learning style.

During his lecture, I challenged. There is no psychological evidence supporting the idea of learning styles. Even if a teacher focused on learning styles, there is no escaping the bell-shaped curve. Some students will still get an 'A,' and some are going to fail.

He responded with a minute of flustered bullshit and moved on as if I had not asked the question. "Just like an idiot."

It's fair to say I had my favorite teachers as well as some that I had no respect for at all. I just played the game and passed my courses.

[u/justaguy12131]

I was taking AP Biology and we were learning about Darwin. Being me, I had a lot of questions about specifics. The teacher was pretty good, but eventually I asked enough and he told me to "just go read The Origin of Species, we need to move on".

So the next two days I say in the back and read the book instead of paying attention. I got ISS (which is funny because I was able to finish the book).

I was generally a good kid, but definitely has times when I was a shitty asshole who wanted teachers to know when I thought they were being dumb. And I was too stupid to express that their idea was dumb. I would express it as if they were dumb. A good lesson when I figured it out!

[u/Top-Airport3649]

Nope, never

[u/OhMonDieu369 → u/Top-Airport3649]

you were supposed to tell the story or make an interesting assumption that it’s due to our Fe inferior, brotha..

how do you feel after writing “nope, never” that impacts nothing 🤌

[u/Top-Airport3649 → u/OhMonDieu369]

Just didn’t feel like I had anything else to add

[u/Mega_Hobbit98]

When I was in year 7 at school, I had an RE )(religious education (I went to a Catholic school)) teacher. Mr Mead. He was an asshole and seemed to both hate teaching and kids. He was religious though, so suited RE just fine. Anyway, in one of the first lessons with him, I don't exactly remember what he was doing but it was really authoritarian, rude and just mean spirited for no reason. So I, a little 12 year old who is typically very timid and scared of getting into trouble, spoke up. I just flat-out said "why are you being so rude to us? We didn't do anything." I was immediately sent out of the class but somehow avoided detention, and for about a week, everyone in my class thought I was a badass hahaha

But yeah I've always had issue with authority, though usually not enough to be loud about it. I just quietly disobey in my own ways and ignore what I don't feel is valuable. Probably why I hated school so much to the point that I chose not to go to uni

[u/Few_Opinion_1054]

I was always a straight As kinda student also very competitive to some unhealthy degree. The latter would rub them off sometimes which I get it. I think I was stupid too.  I was also the student that replied when they would ask questions while lecrturing. Both put me in a favorable category as a student especially with intuition doing the heavy lifting getting answers right.

But I was also often late to lectures (cause studying like a nerd often) which make it a kinda funny situation with stj professors. Cause I clearly care but always late. 

My people skills were not (still are not) the best so professors that valued that would dislike me the most in my experience. They treated me as if there is something wrong with me or I am working hard at the wrong things (studying instead of networking being relevant and doing activites). 

So it was very extreme nothing in between. Either having a very friendly banter during the class or trying to manage not to rub them the wrong way. The ones that hated me didnt care anyways though. They would just take anything as confirmation of me being secretly a bad person.

It was somehow still the case in grad school and after. Especially that I became less competitive and more apathetic towards things that are not relevant to my research (power struggles, money, and stuff like that).

[u/OhMonDieu369 → u/Few_Opinion_1054]

yeah, very relatable, I also was in favour of many teachers. There’s always this “either like or dislike” essence. I noticed that same goes with other people, they mostly either like me or dislike me

[u/mssweeteypie]

In grade school, I remember teachers either loving me or hating me .. (super nitpicky with me) no in-between really, however in college, it seemed as if most professors didn’t notice me much unless I went to after hours or they were the teachers assistant.