O' Captain My Captain

    We all want to believe teachers are like John Keating in Dead Poet's Society (an absolutely amazing movie in case you haven't seen it). That all teachers are inspiring and patient and completely dedicated to their students. Unfortunately my youngest son has reminded me how painfully untrue that is. I find it sad that in this day and age (yes I sound like a grandpa saying that) that teachers can pick out favorites, and single out kids to pick on, to publicly humiliate and to verbally abuse.
     I am very sensitive to the subject I spent three years of grammar school going through hell with no recourse and no where to turn. Back in the 70's and well prior, people turned a blind eye to student complaints and assumed you were just a whiny kid. The teacher was the authority and that was that. My Mother suffered horrible abuses at the hands of bitter, vicious nuns in catholic school and her pleas for help fell on deaf ears. Similarly this is how battered woman and victims of children abuse were treated not all that long ago as well.
    In first grade I had the unfortunate luck to be put in Ms Mandeville's class, an aged, horrible woman with an unending hatred for me, and still to this day I have no idea why. I was an adorable little kid, I had no attitude problems, behavior problems or learning disabilities, in fact I was way ahead of the rest of the class in reading skills.
    My cuteness be damned she treated me like Al Sharpton at a West Texas Klan rally. I was called names, screamed at, and humiliated daily. One day David Rodriguez and I finally worked up the courage to kiss the the girls we liked during lunch. Unfortunately Ms Mandeville found out, I was singled out while David got a pass. I was forced to stand in front of the whole class and repeat the kiss, which by the way had landed on the girls ear. After that Ms Mandeville directed the girl in question to "Go wash his disgusting germs off you." and told the class that I was a pig .
    After an entire week of her torture I couldn't wait to leave for the weekend, unfortunately Friday at dismissal time was now designated "Dump Paul's messy desk time." so every Friday while the rest of the class was leaving I was frantically putting my "pigsty of a desk" back together.
    On the very last day of school I was so happy I was in tears, I'd never have to see this woman again, my hell was over. I tore open the envelope containing my report card and classroom assignment for the following year and then fell to the floor in uncontrollable sobs, I'd have Ms. Mandeville for second grade as well. She later told me she was just as unhappy about having me in her class again as I was at being there.
    Ms. Mandeville's favorite song was "It's a Small World" and everyday when we were lining up and filing out we were forced to sing it. To this day hearing that song actually causes me to become ill.
     In Fifth grade I was assigned to Ms. Irene Roberts class, her reputation proceeded her, and it was not good. To make it even worse it was a sixth grade class, and me and a few other "exceptional" fifth graders  were mixed in as an experiment. Needless to say when there was already a target on me Ms Roberts' choice to single me out as this years example made life impossible. This was a woman so mean I later found out even the other teachers were scared to confront her about her actions.
    When my sister found out she'd have her five years later she refused to go to school and needed to be transferred to make sure she did.
     My fifth grade was true hell, Ms Roberts found new degrading names for me on a weekly basis which she freely used during class time to call on me instead of using my name and she ENCOURAGED my class mates to pick on me and even beat me up I swear to god I'm not joking, she said, "Paul needs to be toughened up, it will be good for him." When I'd come in with cuts, bruises and ripped clothes she'd laugh when Id tell her about being ganged up on.
     So needless to say I'm sympathetic and attentive when my children come home and tell me that they are being singled out and abused by a teacher, and in my second piece of advice for parents, when your child comes home upset about treatment by teachers, coaches, scout masters or whoever please pay attention, there really may be a legitimate problem.
   

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