Lesson Learned
If you ever thought teachers had no influence on your life, read on....
In Grade 8, I was in a program in school called enrichment. It basically for students to challenge themselves to get more out of their studies. It took place during regular classes so I would often miss class to go to this special class. So anyway, one day my homeroom was going to go swimming to celebrate school coming to an end, or some reason, I can't remember anymore. I went to tell my enrichment teacher that I wouldn't be going the next day because I would be swimming with my homeroom. I basically said, "Mrs. Blank, I won't be coming to enrichment because my homeroom is going swimming tomorrow." She looked up at me and said, "Oh no. This is not how you ask permission to leave a class. Think about how to properly ask me and try again later." and then walked off. I was so shocked. and terrified. I'd never been criticized for sounding impolite or disrespectful. I told another girl in my class who was in the same situation as me. She was a lot more open and blunt than I was or ever will be. That afternoon in enrichment she asked the teacher,"Excuse me, Mrs. Blank, but Emily and I are in Mr. Blank's homeroom and we planned on going to go swimming tomorrow. Would it be alright if we missed enrichment tomorrow?" The teacher smiled at her and said "Yes, of course," then looked at me and said, "See? That's how you ask permission."
Since then, if I have any bad news or a question to ask someone that is going to be potentially bad I obsess for at least twenty minutes over just the right words. Today when I phoned the jewellery store to say that I was quitting, it took until after 10:00am to get the courage up and even then, I had to write down what I was going to say.
Whether or not I needed to be taught how to properly pose a question, I don't believe that tearing down a child in the right way to do it. You never know just how those words will affect them. I'm an adult now and have never forgotten what she said or how I felt when she shook her head at me and told me how wrong I was to ask her in that manner.
In Grade 8, I was in a program in school called enrichment. It basically for students to challenge themselves to get more out of their studies. It took place during regular classes so I would often miss class to go to this special class. So anyway, one day my homeroom was going to go swimming to celebrate school coming to an end, or some reason, I can't remember anymore. I went to tell my enrichment teacher that I wouldn't be going the next day because I would be swimming with my homeroom. I basically said, "Mrs. Blank, I won't be coming to enrichment because my homeroom is going swimming tomorrow." She looked up at me and said, "Oh no. This is not how you ask permission to leave a class. Think about how to properly ask me and try again later." and then walked off. I was so shocked. and terrified. I'd never been criticized for sounding impolite or disrespectful. I told another girl in my class who was in the same situation as me. She was a lot more open and blunt than I was or ever will be. That afternoon in enrichment she asked the teacher,"Excuse me, Mrs. Blank, but Emily and I are in Mr. Blank's homeroom and we planned on going to go swimming tomorrow. Would it be alright if we missed enrichment tomorrow?" The teacher smiled at her and said "Yes, of course," then looked at me and said, "See? That's how you ask permission."
Since then, if I have any bad news or a question to ask someone that is going to be potentially bad I obsess for at least twenty minutes over just the right words. Today when I phoned the jewellery store to say that I was quitting, it took until after 10:00am to get the courage up and even then, I had to write down what I was going to say.
Whether or not I needed to be taught how to properly pose a question, I don't believe that tearing down a child in the right way to do it. You never know just how those words will affect them. I'm an adult now and have never forgotten what she said or how I felt when she shook her head at me and told me how wrong I was to ask her in that manner.
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