<p>There are bad teachers. There are great teachers. You need to learn from them all, only in different ways. At our school the best teachers teach the ap classes. If you are in regular classes you will likely get a ‘bad’ teacher or two. And by bad most of them are just through dealing with the kids who don’t do homework, don’t care, but complain all the time. Not saying this is you at all but what are your classmates like? And as for complaining, unless there is a group of you I wouldn’t bother. It could come back on you. Teachers have friends too.</p>
<p>Much of what you’ve said doesn’t make a lot of sense. You have a 2300 SAT and 100+% in geometry, you say you’re good in math, but you’re only in regular algebra2 as a junior? But you took algebra1 3 times? And you hate this teacher–why haven’t you tried to transfer out? The teacher is cursing at you–why haven’t you already recorded what’s going on? I agree with those who said if you think you’re material for a top college, you shouldn’t be struggling with regular algebra2. You should be able to teach it to yourself. Some of the kids you’ll be competing with for admission are teaching themselves calculus right now.</p>
<p>This experience will prepare you for dealing with that awful boss in your future, whom you will find to be less smart and less talented than you, and whom you will envy for his/her higher salary (undeserved in your eyes, of course.) Welcome to real life :)</p>
<p>Now, back to the math class, in this day and age, if an anticipated salutatorian cannot utilize all of the math education resources available for free on the internet, and succeed in that math class (not to mention the possibility of tutors and study books easily ordered from Amazon), then there is no hope for the average student, is there? Except that the average student has a few advantages - humility, realistic worldview, and necessary ambition. There is a reason why most successful CEOs these days were not the salutatorians of their high school classes.</p>
<p>Learn from this situation, take control over your life, and don’t waste another minute complaining about this teacher. Best of luck :)</p>
<p>MrMom,
We all listen. Yes, occasionally someone pulls out their phones, but we do all listen. We’re not a rowdy bunch, at all. Heck, I don’t even know most of my peer’s names, as nobody talks. This man has a one star rating on rate my teacher, and was fired as a baseball coach because of his “aggressive” coaching ways.</p>
<p>I honestly think I have a solid shot at UPenn and Cornell.
My SAT is up there (I’m hitting 2300 now in the blue book, and possibly National Merrit), my GPA is up there, my classes are rigorous enough, tons of CC hours, and again, salutatorian (I’m literally second out of 380 kids with my weighted GPA). </p>
<p>Well, in 7th grade, I went to a very small charter middle school (30 kids in whole class, 90 kids enrolled in middle school). I took Algebra I there (everyone did, it was a science/math oriented school). I got an A in the class, but most people were not prepared for the class so they got C’s and scored fairly low on the STAR exam. My school gave me (and 3 or so other students) the option of self-learning/studying Geometry in 8th grade. My mom chose for me (as I had practically no say in middle school) that I’d repeat the class to get an even stronger foundation (obviously, aced it once again). In ninth grade, I went to a high school virtually the same size as my middle school. It was required that all Freshman take Integrated Math 1.</p>
<p>At my first high school, integrated math 1 is a semester of Alg1, and then a semester of Geometry in one year. </p>
<p>First semester, I finished Integrated I with an A+, but then I moved to my current city. My counselor didn’t know where to place me (Alg 1, or Geometry), but chose the safe path for me which was Alg 1, so I wouldn’t be missing proofs. My parents and I, not knowing the consequences of this, let it happen.</p>
<p>Anyway, now I’m a Junior in Alg 2.</p>
<p>Again, we’re great kids. If that weren’t the case, then every group of 20 kids would be terrible and therefore, have a poor teacher.</p>
<p>I’m not asking him to “hand out A’s and B’s.” Just to hand out the grades that we deserve. For example, I got a 99% on the last test, but he arbitrarily subtracted 20% because I used decimals (ex, 0.33 bar instead of 1/3). He doesn’t write the tests, he gets them online (so god-forbid the tests will cover something taught). And by the way, my GPA is higher than I thought it’d be now that the semester is over. He’s the hardest teacher I have, and I’m in AP Chemistry, AP USH, and AP English. He’s the hardest teacher I have because he tests on material not taught.</p>
<p>Mathyone,</p>
<p>Well, I have recorded him. That’s what I’ve been saying?</p>
<p>I’m also switching teachers, my counselor is letting me switch out to a different teacher; one who teaches. And yes, this teacher is still my problem. He’s my problem because I’m making him my problem. I write for my school’s newspaper about positives as well as contra positives in our school, and education system. Not to sound like a two-year-old, but when I grow up, I want to work for the Government in education. A school’s only as good as their weakest link, and he’s the kind of link that is not only weak, but whips out at the other links.</p>
<p>And good point, you’re right. I should take matters into my own hands and self-study, that’s a great idea.</p>
<p>But, what’s the point if the school hires him anyway? That’s a waste of tax money, time, and many other valuable resources. It’s like having a bad dishwasher. With a bad dishwasher, you manually clean your dishes. But still, you’re not supposed to keep the bad dishwasher, you’re supposed to replace it, or throw it out as it wastes space and you can do it yourself.</p>
<p>Ucschool
I’m glad you will get a transfer. And I do understand how changing schools can mess up your schedule. Especially if you are out of state, the guidelines are not uniform. I moved in 8th grade and my new school needed placements tests by April. Well my old school didn’t take them until April with scores reported in August. I was placed in regular math and then surprise, the next year we petitioned to move me to advanced. A wasted year. My parents did try but without those tests they would not budge.
Good luck with your article.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The point is for you to further your own education. If you don’t like the system, work around it. If you can, change it. As far as I can tell, you’re doing your best to make changes. Keep trying, but don’t sacrifice your own education. Sadly, school system’s are typically negligent when it comes to their duty to let smart kids get smarter. Go around them and learn on your own. It is a waste of tax money, of time, and of resources; but they don’t care and they won’t care, so don’t rely on the system. You talked about revolt in the original post? Do well in his class. It’ll upset him. You said that two kids got A’s, six got B’s–find out how they got A’s, and do whatever they’re doing.</p>
<p>And I know what it’s like to have difficult teachers like this. My Sophomore Chem teacher was exactly like it (he praised my research report as the best paper he’s seen in the past ten years of his teaching; he gave me an 88/100). I found out how to earn an A, and transferred out after the semester.</p>
<p>Vctory,
You have great points. Yeah, my word choice was overly dramatic, " revolt." Lol</p>
<p>I’m gonna do what you’re suggesting, it sounds great. Thank you so much for all of your advice!</p>
<p>One last question, should I explain my math level on college apps? I’m gonna be in Calc ab next year, but still?</p>
<p>Bumping, bumping it up.</p>
<p>But seriously, should I explain my math level on college apps? I’m gonna be in Calc a/b next year, but still?</p>
<p>Bump. C’mon, guys.</p>
<p>Get him on tape and then have your parents take it to administration if they will. If not, take it in yourself.</p>
<p>“revolting” and “trying to get him fired” are juvenile things to say/do. Guess what happens when you’re in college and the class for your major is taught by a guy you don’t like/understand - spoiler, nothing happens. You have to take what you’ve got and try your best to stay afloat. Study outside of class, get extra help, etc. Even if hes not teaching in class, you’ve got to take the initiative to study what he should be teaching to be prepared. Youtube/the internet is your friend, theres plenty of math examples out there that are very useful. </p>
<p>On another note a teacher is not a boss and students are not employs. Teachers are employs of the school system. And they have bosses themselves.
And if you think about it in a real job situation if you do not do your job the way you suppose to do it you have consequences and you get fired.</p>
<p>Oh, I think a recording of a teacher cursing at students could very well have consequences for the teacher, especially if other problems have also been documented. Many complaints about the quality of teaching and 1/3 of the class transferring out would qualify along those lines. I don’t think it’s juvenile to pursue this. But, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to learn the material. If his teaching isn’t sufficient, you have books and online instruction available. </p>
<p>I sent him a very wordy email about bullying, and how bullying is not only done by students, but may also be done by teachers. I included an anti-bullying Disney Channel Youtube link in it. He gave me a 100% on the last test… yay. Thank you, guys!!</p>