Mean or cruel things your teacher said or did...

amother

Turquoise

Thu, Sep 14 2017, 1:45 pm

I had a teacher in elementary/middle who ruled the school. Everyone was afraid of her. The administrators, other teachers, and all of the students. But I didn't realize this until I was older. She moved around and taught 3rd, 5th, and 8th grades, so it was rare to graduate without having her for at least one year. I had her twice.

In 3rd grade, I thought she was funny. She made jokes when she taught us chumash. She talked about her wonderful children, who were older than us and were in law school and medical school. Yes, she would call you out if you got a bad grade, but I was a good student, and that didn't affect me at that age.

Enter 8th grade and I suddenly realized how cruel and dehumanizing she was. She returned tests in grade order, from the top down. She became lazy. She had us grade our classmates tests right after we took those tests, and we started cheating for our friends who would beg us to change wrong answers for them so their names wouldn't be the last called when the tests were finally returned to us.

She called girls stupid.

Those girls who chose to attend the same high school that her children had attended years earlier became the stars of the class and her pets. Others, like myself, were told what a huge life mistake we were making by choosing inferior schools, never considering that some families couldn't afford the tuition for her favorite, extremely expensive institution.

I was a top student, so as long as I got good grades, this woman didn't bother me. But years later, when I joined a Facebook group for my old school, I discovered how many girls and boys, who are now parents and grandparents, were scarred by her cruel treatment. Some even go so far as to say that they're glad she's dead, and that she's likely getting the same treatment in the afterlife as some of the cruelest people you can think of.

I won't name names, but I have a feeling this person is familiar to some of you older folks from NYC. She taught for years and years before finally retiring. And in those days, even if parents complained, little was done about it. I doubt anyone ever called her out on her behavior. I don't know what sort of spell she cast over everyone, but she was untouchable. And it breaks my heart to know how much she hurt so many people over so many years.

hotzenplotz

Thu, Sep 14 2017, 1:59 pm

I was an extremely frightened, insecure child who half the time was spacy and unfocused.
I remember one very kind seventh grade teacher who passed away years later leaving 5 young children. Since then I cannot help thinking that kind people die young.
Also, to this day I can spot a genuine kind person a mile away. They are few and far between. And the same goes with teachers. A kind teacher is a commodity.
Let no one fool you otherwise.

Did you ever hear how some people describe other people as "she is sooo nice!! she is sooo nice!"
oh, sure.

amother

Seagreen

Thu, Sep 14 2017, 3:46 pm

marina wrote:

Did you report this?

My parents dealt with reporting it. She was out of the school system for a few years but I think she's back there, in another school that doesn't know...

She has two kids that live with her, and girls that come and sleep by her. I wouldn't know how to report it, and although I nudge my parents to make sure it gets taken care of- my sister is getting help and she has moved on. She is still angry at the teacher who did so much to her, but she is happy and healthy, attracted to boys, thinking of shidduchim etc...

Can't so so for the other tens of students she hurt. This took place in Beitar, and yet many people who live there haven't even heard of the story. How a homeroom teacher grommed girls for over 5 years.....

amother

Beige

Thu, Sep 14 2017, 3:49 pm

amother wrote:

Easiest way is to call 311 and tell them that you want to report suspected abuse.
ETA: embarrassed

My bad, I only read the top part of your post and missed the part that it was in israel

amother

Maroon

Thu, Sep 14 2017, 8:00 pm

My teacher when I was 8 emotionally abused me throughout the year. She would tell the class at lunchtime that "Rivki (me) eats like an animal" or make fun of the food I brought.
She would pull me over in the playground and tell me to tell my mother to cut my hair because I looked neglected.
She loved to pick on me and humiliate me in class while clearly favoring her chosen pets.
I was petrified of her and dreaded going to school all year.
I've never forgiven her and would be glad to hear that she's dead (preferably a painful death).
Oh and I've always been extremely bright and well behaved in school but she just had it in for me. The scars have never healed.

Mothers, please advocate for your children in school. You don't need to coddle them but some behaviors cross the line. My mother told me to ignore the teachers remarks, and later "oh it's not a big deal, it makes one resilient."
Except I was 8 and the teacher was about 35.

octopus

Thu, Sep 14 2017, 8:35 pm

amother wrote:

My DH went to a chassidish school where hitting was accepted. BH he didn't have this teacher but his older brothers did. From the stories I've heard , this man was sadistic and will receive his due punishment one day.

One story he told me was: there was a chubby kid in the class that loved candy. The teacher went to the boy and told him that if he allows him to give the boy 10 potches, then he'll give him a bag of candy. The boy agreed because he wanted the candy. The teacher started hitting the boy really hard.. 1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9.. after the 9th hard slap, he told the boy, I'm not going to give you the 10th slap, so you can't have the bag of candy.

Pure evil.

I think I'm traumatized from this reading story. I am hurting for this child who probably is an adult now. Sometimes there are humiliations that do not lessen with age. This is one of them. This is so horrifying on so, so many levels.

ally

Thu, Sep 14 2017, 8:47 pm

amother wrote:

You should try contacting JCW - they do have contacts in Israel. There was a very similar story in Australia, but when it was finally reported, the perpetrator was given advance notice by members of the community and fled to Israel. She is living in Immanuel and was found "too sick" to extradite.

amother

Coral

Fri, Sep 15 2017, 12:48 am

When I was in the 5th grade my teacher told me to come to the board and work a math example. She had a few kids come up to the black board and she had each of us solve a division problem.
I had a terrible reaction to chalk on a black board. Oh, the chills!
I came to the front of the classroom and hesitated to take the chalk into my hand. The teacher snapped at me for not obeying her on command and she immediately ordered me to "Leave the classroom!!!"
I was an obedient kid, no behavior issues. I promptly left the classroom.
I stood outside the classroom, in the hallway. One day after another after another.....for about a week and a half or two.
It was winter tine. I was freezing cold. I had no way to warm myself. The hallway radiator did not sufficiently warm the cold hallway, and I was standing on my feet all those hours. My feet were aching, my back was breaking.
To this day I suffer terribly from the cold. The slightest breeze makes my nervous system brace. I can not keep my body warm in the winter months when I'm outdoors. Indoors, I set my heat to 90. The past few weeks, when the weather dropped to the 60's and 70's during the night hours, I had my heat on :-(
Somatic Experiencing is said to help cure thus cold sensitivity, but I do not have that kind of money.
To this day when I see this teacher on the street, I feel a very very deep pain in my heart.
No compassion was alive in her heart when I was ten or eleven years old.

amother

Coral

Fri, Sep 15 2017, 1:35 am

I'm having a hard time reading your stories, our stories :-(
So much pain done to young impressionable innocent children.

It tears at my heart :-(

I used to think I was the rare unlucky sensitive girl who suffered at the hands of insensitive teachers. But then my children got to have some of those insensitive power-tripping teachers, and it hurts so much more when our kids are the innocent victims and we are the helpless bystanders, hearing about their experiences only after the fact.

MrsDash

Fri, Sep 15 2017, 3:20 am

Made me feel bad about not going to shul on rosh hashana. She didn't let me explain myself. She was so angry at me! She couldn't stop scolding and lecturing, and putting me down. Why didn't I go? I was in the hospital with sepsis! On IV. Eating awful frozen, water-logged generic kosher meals while everyone was enjoying their feasts, and challah dipped in honey. I remember crying and feeling like such an awful person. 7th grade...

amother

Peach

Fri, Sep 15 2017, 8:54 am

amother wrote:

So so cruel. Omg!!!!! She should pay for your somatic experiencing treatment!!!!!

Chloe

Fri, Sep 15 2017, 9:29 am

When I read these awful stories, plus think of my own horrible ones I imagine the classified ads looking for a teacher went somehow like this:
Looking for a wicked witch for 3rd grade secular studies, should be experienced in torturing innocent 9 year olds.

How else can you explain principals and school administrations hiring these creatures that pose as "teachers".

I'm not kidding. This thread is so difficult to read. So much pain and suffering. Crying

amother

Tan

Fri, Sep 15 2017, 1:27 pm

When I was in first grade we had this teacher that was really scary and mean. One day she came into the class room and heard a girl saying something not nice about another girl. The teacher promptly made the whole class sing this song about her "____ is a nut, she has a rubber butt, she picks her nose and peels her toes and thats the way my story goes" she made us sing it a few times and who ever didnt sing along got punished. She is still teaching and has been for at least 20 years.

rgr

Fri, Sep 15 2017, 1:39 pm

amother wrote:

Way to teach being nice tho others Rolling Eyes