<p>I'm taking an honors course and the teacher is HORRIBLE. Even that is an understatement. He doesn't really teach--he just writes stuff on the board and randomly does the steps without quite explaining WHY. If you raise your hand to ask a question, he retorts with comments that can harm your self-esteem and make you feel so stupid in front of everyone. If you answer the question right, he may try and make you doubt yourself.
When we do important assignments, he hardly explains it and expects us to know how to do it. He doesn't really specify when assignments are due either, and apparently the majority of the kids like fail his exams.
He's stern, strict, and just plain mean to his students. Doesn't seem to care about them nor whether or not they get the material. I think he's quite sadistic.
The only kids who get As in that class are kids who took a supplementary summer course for it over the summer and/or study off of last year's tests (cheating, yes).
Ok, so I have a freaking B in the class. A B amongst my As. A B in an honors course and yet I have an A in another course that's AP. Honors are weighted at our school. So that means my UW GPA is going to go down... all because my teacher sucks and not because I'm dull. And I know this because all of the other highly intelligent kids don't have As either (except for the cheaters).
I've broken down in his class three times already. He basically makes his students feel like complete morons.
Hmmm what do you propose I do? Suggestions, please? Thanks.
I contemplate getting a tutor. Oh and I will have a 3.86 UW for sophomore year if I continue this B and a 4.14 W. Is that acceptable for highly competitive colleges? And when people post their UWs, is it an average of all 3 or 4 years of high school?</p>
<p>First I want to commend you on your B, because even though you don't think it's good, from what I can tell about your teacher a B is respectable.</p>
<p>However, since you know your teacher is bad, you should do something about it! Get a tutor, study with a friend, find a teacher at school who teaches the same subject, buy a prep book since they usually cover all the material, look online, ask parents (sometimes they know more than you think), just do something proactive. If you're getting a B without much help, I'm sure you could get an A with extra work.</p>
<p>Also don't worry solely about your GPA. Yes, sophomore year is important and so is GPA, but it seems to me you're mostly worried about your B because it will bring down your GPA, and not because you don't feel as though you're getting the most out of your class.</p>
<p>Thank you so much! I just bought Barrons and I'm going to dissect it soon.
Yeah, sadly I tend to be more critical of the numbers and stats than the concepts acquired, because for me I think that people will the numbers before anything else--before they even get to know me. So I want those impressions solid. And yes, a B is above average in that class, considering that most get C's.
A tutor charges $40/hour. He/she specifies in tutoring students who has this horrible teacher. Hmmm time to start emptying my pockets...
Thanks again for the advice/reassurance though! Everything you say is greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>I suggest getting a tutor, I am getting a tutor for math because I know without one I will not get A's. Change the situation, get a tutor, show your teacher how smart you really are. Believe me, I understand your situation. I have had a HANDFUL of teachers who were horrible ones and it's like you know you deserve the A but the teacher is making it difficult for you.</p>
<p>I am assuming this is in PreCal?</p>
<p>Nope, Chemistry. Honors Chemistry. Normally I don't struggle with ANY subject. It just so happens that this teacher doesn't teach well.</p>
<p>Ah, I see. Thats tough; I haven't taken Chem. For me, it doesn't matter if the teacher teaches or not; I'm asleep either way.
It looks like you are doing the correct thing; study well from Barrons, and perhaps (if you haven't done so already) get some supplementary Chemistry workbooks.
(I know that was completely useless). :D</p>
<p>Nothing you say is useless. :)</p>
<p>Psycho_Paroxysm</p>
<p>You can figure out chemistry. Do not worry about that.</p>
<p>However...</p>
<p>After you earn your grade, you write a nice anon. letter to the principal as well as the head of the school board where you live about the Teacher.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'm taking an honors course and the teacher is HORRIBLE. Even that is an understatement. He doesn't really teach--he just writes stuff on the board and randomly does the steps without quite explaining WHY. If you raise your hand to ask a question, he retorts with comments that can harm your self-esteem and make you feel so stupid in front of everyone. If you answer the question right, he may try and make you doubt yourself.
When we do important assignments, he hardly explains it and expects us to know how to do it.
[/quote]
sounds just like my honors chem teacher... He never gives us practice problems, never explains anything so people can understand, and also kind of stupid</p>
<p>merlinjones: Good idea. I've actually joked out of frustration before about writing a petition and getting everyone to sign it so he'd be fired.
Ha, I made that "cruel" joke to a lot of the people who have him and very predictably, they all agreed. :)
I bet 99% of the people would sign it if there was such a petition.</p>
<p>Reminds me of my math teacher last year, aurgh I dislike him so much! He knew I was not the best student in the class and every question he picked on me expecting me to do bad and then he would make me feel stupid in front of the whole entire class! This teacher harmed my self-esteem for my potential in math. He would write problems on the board and would answer it without even explaining how he got the answer. When I ask him for help he tells me how I wasn't paying attention in class and that I should drop the course because it was too difficult for me, well TEACH better. We would have a test for each unit and each time he would look at me expecting me to fail already. He also embarrased me in front of the math class and others as well.</p>
<p>YES! It's so annoying when they act like you're friggin' stupid just because you don't understand the concepts when really it's THEIR faults they didn't explain well.
It's like they're ignorant towards their own errors and just like to blame it on others. They say good students come from good teachers, and if the majority of the class doesn't understand, then obviously something is wrong with the teacher.
Chemistry shouldn't be difficult, but you need a good teacher to explain the concepts, because unlike math, I don't think you can all of a sudden come up with Avodagro's number and other things off the spot without prior chem experience.</p>