acdemic:
urgh. bad teachers are the WORST. because as much as someone may love learning, a teacher you don’t get along with can totally ruin a class. in this third addition to the #studyingwithacdemic series, i’ll be talking about different types of bad teachers and how to make their class good anyways!
first things first: why is this important? you should NEVER (i repeat never) underestimate the importance of your teachers. not only are they usually great resources if you want to ask them for help or additional info on the subjects they teach, they are in control of your grades, your rec. letters, and your education. it is crucial that you form a positive relationship with your teacher, whether or not you really get along with each other.
without further ado, here are the different types of bad teachers and ways to make your experience in their class more bearable!! (also, i’m making each bad teacher a species of its own. you’ll see what i mean ;D)
01. actually a softy
this is the teacher who might not seem like a bad teacher, because lots of people probably like them. and it’s probably the worst kind of bad teacher to have, because your education hangs on the line here. introducing: the softy, the teacher who is super nice but… doesn’t actually teach you?!?
what to know about softies: just because a teacher is nice or popular does NOT mean they are a good teacher.
the softy’s distinctive traits are: easy good grades, no real punishments or discipline enforced, teacher cannot take control over the class, students don’t put effort into the class since it doesn’t require any effort, if someone misses an assignment they are let off the hook very easily, grades suspiciously slowly, probably talks a lot about their personal life and non-class related things during class
softies are: pretty rare, so you probably won’t need to worry about them too much!
you’ve been warned: if you put a lot of effort into a softy class, there’s a chance you won’t get as much recognition or appreciation as you actually deserve. instead of sulking about this, give yourself a pat on the back because you have taken leadership over your own education and you are great!!
because your grades are not the issue here, focus on effort.
the reason softies make the “bad teacher” list is because after spending a lot of time in a course, you may not have actually learned much from it. it’s important that YOU take control of your own education if that is what you think will happen!
i repeat: if your teacher isn’t teaching you anything, you’re going to have to do it yourself.
definitely do all of your homework!!! go over readings and whatnot VERY carefully so that you don’t miss anything your teacher missed.
ask yourself questions as you go, highlight key terms and dates, etc. think of everything very critically. if any facts stand out to you as possible test questions, make sure you note that!
if you don’t understand material you’re given because you haven’t been taught properly, there are lots of great resources online that can help you depending on the subject! some ideas are khan academy and quizlet. (if all else fails, google is your friend) you could even ask a classmate from another class to help you out!
if the softy doesn’t give enough homework, or gives unhelpful and easy homework that you breeze through in minutes, that is no excuse to slack off! instead, you should look ahead so that you are more prepared for the next class and can look super smart to your peers :)
this can actually be a super great chance to shine!! i had a softy teacher in 7th grade, and i always went 110% on assignments and projects. we ended up becoming friends because she could count on me to be an example for the class! (sorry, that sounded braggy. not trying to brag.)
it can be hard work to stay on top of a class where you’re pretty much teaching yourself and may not necessarily care, but if you do it, your classmates will look up to you AND the teacher will like you!
02. everyone’s heartless dreamslayer
ever had a teacher who seems to just be plain mean? they’re grumpy, don’t give you enough credit for anything, pick on people, play blatantly obvious favorites, get you in trouble for no reason… they’re absolutely awful. even if it’s a class that you LOVED, they completely ruin it. that’s the heartless dreamslayer for you.
what to know about heartless dreamslayers: they probably don’t mean to be mean, and most likely do have your educational best interests at heart (wait.. i thought they didn’t have hearts. surprise!!)
the heartless dreamslayer’s distinctive traits are: nobody likes them, everybody’s scared of being in their class, people get nervous around them, the kind of teacher that seems to really hate one specific troublemaker or one group of troublemakers, usually really adores one student and makes their favoritism obvious, strict strict strict, might get you in trouble over the TINIEST things, the kind of teacher people talk about behind their back, stereotypical mean teacher
heartless dreamslayers are: pretty common. you may not actually bump into a severely heartless dreamslayer, though. i think this is the general strict teacher, but there are different levels of heartlessness (does that even make sense??? what am i sayingg)
you’ve been warned: if you’re not already their favorite, it can be pretty hard to squeeze your way in, and it can be pretty scary or emotionally intense attempting to (way to be dramatic, hannah)
this is the kind of teacher who gives bad grades to everyone just because. so, you’re going to have to work your butt off in their class to prevent that from happening!!
it’ll be a little easier on you if you’re a favorite student of theirs. however, don’t let that get to your head - if you make any silly mistakes, i can assure you the heartless dreamslayer will be drastically disappointed and make you feel like a guilty little puddle.
heartless dreamslayers seem to act emotionally rather than logically. so, they’ll be really awful on a particularly bad day for them, and they may be bearable on a spectacular day.
this also means they are iNconSisTeNT: there is no way to guarantee that they’ll like you or give you good grades.
the best way to ensure that you have a good shot at getting good grades is to be consistent. consistently answer questions and participate during class, consistently do well on tests and homework, consistently be well prepared for pop quizzes, etc.
it might help to stay after class or during office hours (just spend more time with them) so that you can show that you’re a motivated, dedicated, and interested student.
if you’re a student the heartless dreamslayer particularly dislikes, try and think about what study habits and in-class habits you exhibit that might be the cause of their dislike.
observe what their favorites do differently from you. try and apply that to yourself. sometimes, the problem might not actually be the teacher, but yourself! (not always, though - there’s no need to use dumb methods to gain a dreamslayer’s positive attention. only make changes to your behavior if you think it’s a good idea.)
the key is to remember that the heartless dreamslayer is probably not trying to slay your hopes and dreams!! teachers teach because they want to help you become a better person.
if you get to know a heartless dreamslayer, i have no doubt that they’re actually a super interesting and wonderful person!
also, whether or not you end up a favorite: don’t let them get to you! you must survive the dream slaying!!
here’s a story from my personal dreamslayer experience - except this isn’t your typical dreamslayer, this is from dance class!
i had a jazz teacher who was new to our studio, and most of the students weren’t very happy in her class because she taught very differently from our other teachers and also used more risque choreography than we were comfortable with. she was used to working with professional dancers, and since we kids were, um, not so professional. it was difficult for us students and also hard on her. i got to the point where i asked to quit the class every single time i came home (obviously, i was stuck with it until the end. urgh.)
it was hard for me because this teacher favored the skinny girls in the class. she would say things like “you’re skinny, so it’s okay” or “you lost weight!! good!!” now, i’m well aware that dancers are typically on the leaner side and such, but as a fatter person, i was never on the receiving end of compliments from her. one class, when we had to do across-the-floor individually, she said i couldn’t do a step because i “had too much fat” and pointed to my thighs and said that “this isn’t necessary”. in reality, i wasn’t clear with what the step was supposed to look like and was just doing what i thought she had done. but ouch.
i went home, cried a lot, mourned to my mom, and begged to quit the class. that was a no. so i went to class each week, losing self confidence and interest in dance with every hour i spent there.
in the end, i gave up on trying to be a favorite and just focused on learning our routine as best as i could. i tried to see the best in my teacher. i wasn’t really happy in the class, but i did my job as a dancer in that group dance, and the teacher wasn’t as terrible after i stopped seeing her that way.
bUT YEAH PERSONAL SOB STORY OVER: moral of the story is you are not alone, and dreamslayers are usually not intentionally slaying dreams!!
03. just not ur friend
sometimes there’s a teacher that’s not exceptional but not bad either, and other students seem to think they’re okay. but you. guys. cannot. get. along. it’s as if you two are natural enemies, and you’re just destined to receive bad grades in this one class. pity. i guess that teacher’s just not ur friend. (nuf)
what to know about nufs: sometimes you can’t get along with every teacher, and that’s okay!
the nuf’s distinctive traits are: some people actually love them or at least don’t loathe them like you do, just your average teacher, picks on you a lot, you don’t get as high grades as you deserve, most likely other people can tell that you and the teacher don’t get along
nufs are: most common “bad teacher”. they’re the bad teacher that only feels bad for a specific person.
you’ve been warned: you’re going to have to set your own annoyance and anger towards the teacher aside to move forward. it’s not like you can ask the teacher to “pls not hate me for a bit so i can make this class bearable” (man, wouldn’t that be nice?!)
some people just don’t click, so if you happen to bump into a teacher you can’t seem to get along with, that’s okay!
as ridiculous as this is going to sound, you should think about why you don’t get along. is it because they assign too much homework? do they never seem to call on you when you raise your hand?
for problems like these, you can definitely go to your teacher and tell them about it. teachers are people too and they’ll understand if you feel like if you have too much to do, or if you’re being ignored, and will try to help make adjustments.
talking to your teacher about your issues with the class will give them valuable feedback, and give you a better school year / semester / term / quarter! truly a win-win situation!
while sometimes you may not struggle in a class with a teacher you dislike, you just dislike the teacher, a lot of people do have trouble with the actual material.
in that case, you should definitely see if your teacher offers office hours, or try to arrange a private meeting with them to go over the class material. this is a time where you can get help on specific areas you are unsure about, and maybe you’ll discover they aren’t so bad after all (:
but i hate to say it: even if you try your best to like your teacher, sometimes it’s not going to work.
if you really just dislike your teacher and they still seem to be tough on you, use it as motivation to prove that you can rise above it and still be an excellent student. on days where your teacher makes you want to scream and cry and jump around the house saying “wHYYYY” – those are the days where you should bury your nose in the textbook, know all the answers the next day, etc.
you may never like your teacher. but that doesn’t mean you can’t shine in your class!!
and since we’re talking about shining in class: if you study really hard in a class with a teacher that is not ur friend, your classmates are probably going to go to you for help or look at you when the teacher asks questions. your teacher will probably notice this in class, and in your assignment+test performance. nufs are a bit more bearable when they’re constantly showcasing your work and telling people what a great example you are ;)
04. honestly not that bad- but old and scary
the teacher that’s a senior, with years and years of experience, numerous awards and diplomas and whatever, who should be incredibly wise and wonderful. except, to you, they seem like an old scary genius who’s out to get you. rawr.
what to know about old scary geniuses: don’t be afraid of them!! teachers are never as scary as you think!!
the old scary genius’ distinctive traits are: old, the teacher that actually knows a lot but you cannot get past how terrifying they are, gives lots of homework, calls on people at random especially if they don’t think you’re paying attention, high expectations, parents probably like them a lot, sometimes you actually admire them (when you’re not hiding behind a shield and barricade and a thousand booby traps, of course), has taught for a long time, you probably want to get a rec. letter from them but are worried they don’t like you enough to write a good one
old scary geniuses are: medium rare?? i personally don’t bump into them all that often.
you’ve been warned: as with most cases of dealing with bad teachers.. you gotta gather up your own courage, instead of waiting for things to magically change one day.
old scary geniuses are not bad teachers, they’re usually just the teachers you don’t appreciate enough.
i hear y’all protesting: but they really are just so scary!! and they give low grades on homework!! and when they call on people in class i just want to pee my pants because what if it’s me!! okay, well,
a) i doubt they’re as scary as you think! get to know them and i assure you they are great.
b) if you’re consistently getting low grades on homework.. that’s probably not out of strictness. teachers usually don’t purposely jeopardize students’ grades. if it’s every now and then, that’s normal! just learn from your mistakes and move on.
c) just make sure you’re well prepared for their class so that you don’t have to pee your pants. pls don’t pee your pants.
just get to know them! i swear this is how you solve almost all issues with other people. old scary geniuses are usually just old geniuses (or if you want to be more respectful, just geniuses).
prime opportunity to get to know teachers: office hours!!!! i repeat!! office!! hoursss!!!
if you can overcome your fear of the class, you have a LOT to gain. your teacher has years and years of experience not only teaching, but in the world. and i promise, they’re happy to share their wisdom with you.
this applies to all teachers, of course, but be extra polite to them. you can ask them if they need help with anything, or if you can do anything for extra credit, and they’ll probably think you’re absolutely charming ;)
honestly, all of the old not-so-scary geniuses i’ve met are some of my favorite teachers ever. i admire them so much. as long as you set aside your worries, things will go well!
05. a bucketful of snooze
they’re just boring. so, so boring. you - and probably a lot of other people - don’t enjoy the class. you aren’t interested in the subject. it’s just not worth your time. you’d do anything rather than enduring one of the snooze’s classes.
what to know about snoozes: although they may teach in a boring way, the class they’re teaching isn’t necessarily a boring one and there are many ways to make a snoozeworthy class exciting for yourself!
the snooze’s distinctive traits are: boring, doesn’t show passion for their subject, long long lectures with no room to ask questions, probably a bit of a nervous person, monotone voice, unproductive classes, homework isn’t engaging or helpful, classes people fall asleep in and the snooze most likely doesn’t notice
snoozes are: more common than most bad teachers, unfortunately. like the heartless dreamslayer, there may be different levels of snoozeworthy-ness. one snooze might make you roll your eyes in class, another snooze’s class is the one you bring a pillow to. *shrugs*
you’ve been warned: it’s very easy to slack off in these classes because there’s no real consequence, and even if there is a consequence, the class itself isn’t motivating enough. you need to maintain your self discipline even when it’s difficult.
do not succumb to the temptation of not paying attention or sleeping during class!! instead, be the bright student you are.
if you’re a role model to the rest of the class, it can make a difference. if everybody is busy hating the class, and the teacher isn’t doing anything to help that, it’ll result in a very negative classroom environment. the teacher will most likely be frustrated, and so will the students.
if possible, see if you can get lectures recorded or download presentations so that if you miss something the first time, you can still have a copy. if your teacher has a monotone voice or they move through material too quickly, you’ll struggle to keep up and enjoy class.
talk to the teacher! ask them if they are able to make adjustments for you to make the class more interesting (i mean, don’t outright say that they bore you, but suggest things that you believe will help). teachers appreciate suggestions and will be happy to help you if only you ask!
usually you’ll lose interest in a snooze’s class. instead of giving up on the subject, try studying more in-depth on your own! maybe you’ll become more interested in the subject and be able to ask questions during class. your teacher will be thrilled to see you so engaged!
get enough sleep each night so that you aren’t tempted to catch up on missed hours during class!!!!!
take lots and lots of notes with bright colors. use more fun and interactive notetaking methods that keep you interested - draw little characters with speech bubbles discussing the topic, or record yourself talking about it. or, you can teach the material to your friends or a parent. the most important thing is to make sure you’re still engaged with the material, rather than passively memorizing facts and disposing them after a test.
conclusion: it’s not always possible to make the teacher more interesting for you, but you can make the material more interesting. both would be a plus, though!
alright, tHAT IS IT FOR THIS POST!! i’ve only included some of the most common “bad teachers” so if you’re having problems with another teacher entirely, feel free to send me an ask describing your situation and i’ll see if i can give you more specific tips!
i really hope this helps because i’ve had several encounters with not-so-great teachers and i know it can seriously ruin a class!
if you have any questions, want to talk, want to yell at me for a bad masterpost, want to chat about your day, have any suggestions for future #studyingwithacdemic masterposts, want to request a future masterpost etc. etc. just drop me an ask and i’ll answer asap to the best of my abilities!
thanks for reading and have a spectacular day, xoxo hannah