Travis Said:

is it normal to feel bitterness toward incompetent teachers one had when one was younger?

We Answered:

Hi Me,
Yes, it is normal to feel bitterness toward former teachers, however, you should try and chalk-it-up-to-experience. Why? Because the more you dwell on it (the experience) the more you punish yourself or worse, allow them to continue to punish you.

I was very encouraged reading your letter because clearly, you are focused and realize that you need to improve and learn new skills so that you may be a great teacher. My own experience mirrors your in many ways. My personal view is that many of the teachers I met on my journey were totally unsuited to their profession. I knew that one day I would become a teacher and I would not operate as they did.

Example: If you ask a student, 'Do you understand, s/he will say - Yes. Happily today, we ask a student can you demonstrate that you understand and very quickly we know the level s/he is at. In my school days the norm for teaching was the Mug and Jug method; meaning the teacher was the Jug and we were the Mugs that the teacher poured the information into, irrespective of our ability to absorb it! When I look back on my education I realize that it began when I left school.

This is what happens when a teacher reads or works from a prepared lesson plan and fails to ask himself this question: Is there a more effective way to deliver this information so that my students do not have to engage in Mental Gymnastics to understand it?

I realized that knowledge was power and so devoted my time to reading material that interested me. I noted how sentences were constructed; noted punctuation and sentence lay-out. I found that I learned a great deal from reading copies of Reader's Digest and similar publications.

Today, literacy levels are appalling. Witness the many letters written to YA and you will wince at the spelling, grammar and sentence construction.

Try not to feel cheated because in the scheme of things, you have learned how, not to be one of 'those' teachers and motivated yourself to be better. So, what do you do? You continue to build on your 'love of learning' and ensure that any your students will remember you as one of their better teachers.

Here is something from Hopson and Scally about teachers and learners:

We Are All Learners and Teachers


There is no individual who knows everything; there is no individual who cannot offer others learning from his / her experience.

Teacher and learner are not permanent roles and unless they are interchanged frequently then it is good for neither teacher nor learner.

Arrogance for one and depowering for the other could result.

Teaching gives status and esteem and the possibility of teaching should be available to every individual at various stages.

Students should have frequent opportunities to see teachers as learners and to teach other students and teachers.

Do your best and be at peace with yourself.