Teacher Appreciation - See You in Hell, Mrs. "W"

Thursday Thoughts
Teacher Appreciation week and Why I wanted to become a teacher.


Teacher appreciation week is here and I've been fortunate to learn from the best, but it's also important to reflect upon what I learned from the worst. Whenever I'm asked the reasoning for becoming a teacher, I always think about my 7th grade English teacher. She was an angry, red-haired Irish woman. Is it redundant to be described as red-haired and Irish? Probably. She was a big fan of red. I know this because my class writings were always handed back to me covered in red ink.


Until the 7th grade I always received high marks and praises for creative writing. But that was in the Texas school system and this was the Oklahoma school system which apparently places a higher emphasis on grammar rules than creativity. It's not a bad thing to emphasize mechanics but something about the way she reviewed the errors with me as if in disgust at my very existence. 

A familiar sight...

"This doesn't explain ANYTHING?" she would say.


"What are you TRYING to say here?" she'd say.


or my favorite,


"Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no."


Then she'd extend her arm out, paper in hand with her evil sneer turned away and nose in the air. I'd take the paper and return to my desk to start over. From my desk I'd look up as she gave praise to the brilliance of every white girl in class. 


'That's odd.' I thought to myself 'every girl in this class is really that brilliant?'


Then I watched as my (African-American) friend  went up to review his work with the teacher. It was as if I was getting a play-by-play reenactment of my teacher-student meeting. 


'Hmmmm...' I thought to myself. Then I watch my other (Caucasian) friend go up and was shocked when he received the same praises as the rich, white girls.


'Huh?' I thought to myself.


After spending the 7th and 8th grade with this teacher I finally came to the conclusion that I could do her job better than her and make it fun! But whatever happened to my favorite worst teacher?


She's dead. 


You're writing is safe because her red pen cannot reach it from the depths of the inferno which she is no doubt spending eternity.


Happy teacher appreciation day, Mrs. "W". I'll see you in Hell.