8 Things You Shouldn't Tolerate About Learning
Miscellaneous / / April 21, 2023
Discomfort will definitely not help to learn knowledge.
Twitter user @simmery_ wrote threadhow she dropped out of an online English school. The girl admitted that in general she was satisfied with the institution. However, she had to travel, which forced her to cancel the class. In response, they said that this is only allowed once a month. And although in fact the case took place already in another month, the reporting period was shifted due to the teacher's vacation. Accordingly, failure to appear at the lesson was fraught with penalty points: after three, the student was kicked out.
The case ended with the founder of the school writing to the heroine and demanding comments on the current situation. This student completed her studies.
The thread sparked a lot of discussion on Twitter. People, among other things, recalled their negative experience. And for many it was quite long. The reason for this patience often lies in the fact that the teacher-student relationship is hierarchical. Schoolchildren are told, for example, that teachers should be respected by default. Although one another is different, and
not all of them deserve it. As a result, often a person continues learning, even if he feels discomfort: the teacher knows better. But some things are clearly not worth it. For example, these.1. Violation of personal boundaries
It can be expressed in different ways. It can be shouting and insults, which teachers sometimes give out. Although in no universe or hierarchy is this unacceptable. But also this passive aggression in the style of "What a great guy! There is not a single mistake in this task, not like you!” or “Didn’t do your homework? What were you so busy with that you didn't find time for? This also includes comments about appearance or actions.
When a school representative demands an ultimatum to explain or justify himself, this is also a violation of personal boundaries. If a student systematically misses classes or does not complete assignments, the teacher may refuse to work with him. And the student can, in turn, voluntarily talk about what prevented him from following the curriculum. But forcing a person to report as if he is obliged to do this is not normal.
Of course, everyone has different personal boundaries. Someone has a low tolerance for trying to break through them, so they immediately wonder if everything is in order. Other people do not immediately understand that Is there something wrong. But at the same time they feel discomfort, they simply take the blame for it: “The teacher was just joking, and I didn’t understand”, “I’m just not very smart and I’m not a good student”, “So what if I was in the emergency room with a broken foot? My hands were free, I could have done my homework.”
Discomfort in communication in any case is not the norm. Guilt, shame uncertainty in their power hinder progress and make them feel anxious. This is a reason to change teachers.
2. Non-compliance with the student's request
It is worth mentioning that this rule applies only to individual lessons. Any group activity follows a certain general plan, and it would be strange to demand a personalized approach here. But if you are one-on-one with the teacher, then it is strange to ignore your request, because it is not known whether the lessons will bring you closer to the goal or simply draw out strength and money.
For example, when learning a foreign language, the tasks may be different. Someone has moved and wants to quickly overcome the language barrier, someone wants to pass an international exam, someone wants to move from level to level. Accordingly, what you train is what develops. And if a person who needs to speak a language practically does not communicate in it during classes, but only does tests, it looks doubtful.
Naturally, it happens that the student has gaps in knowledge that need to be closed before moving on with his request. Let's say you practice taking an exam early if you have problems with basic grammar. But in this case, a good teacher, based on the results of the diagnosis, can explain what and why they will do with the student. If, however, it seems that the teacher is simply working according to the average methodology, it may be worth looking for someone else.
3. Inflexibility in case of force majeure
It is clear that progress requires discipline. But both the student and the teacher are not robots. Unforeseen circumstances happen and flexibility is important here. Position "The only a respectful reason not showing up for class is death” is not the healthiest. Everyone should be able to occasionally skip a lesson or reschedule it without too much trouble. For example, if a student went on vacation, it is obvious that he will not be able to study for some time. While it's generally okay to warn about absences for a certain period, otherwise the lesson will still have to be paid. After all, the teacher also plans his time.
However, if the teacher is completely indifferent to the discipline of the ward, this can also be an alarming bell. In any training, regularity is important. It can be suspected that the teacher is not very interested in progress, only in money.
4. Whip motivation
Some are really driven to discipline by demerit points, insults, and other negative influences. But this is an unhealthy motivation that will lead to anxiety and guilt. You can do it under duress, but will there be a result? (Spoiler: in the long run - No.) Usually, if a student understands what and why he is studying, he does not have problems with self-control.
There is one more point that may not be evident as whip motivation, but is related to it. We are talking about cases when the community of school students or a particular teacher is presented as a group of the elite, where not everyone gets in, but where it is easy to fly out for mistakes. The flair of elitism, inaccessibility makes you try harder to remain that very “chosen one”, and be nervous because you can stop being one. But man needs progress comparison with yesterday’s self, and not at all a competition with the “unworthy”.
5. Prejudice
There is indeed a hierarchy in the “student-teacher” pair, which is based on the fact that one knows the subject better than the other. And that's it, the superiority ends there. Therefore, relationships should not be built on the thesis “The teacher is always right”, especially if it is not about the subject, but about some other aspects of communication. In controversial moments, both the student and the teacher should discuss the points of disagreement and agree. If communication happens otherwise, it is not very healthy.
However, it also works the other way around. The formula "The customer is always right" does not apply here. Yes, a person can pay money. But the teacher cannot learn for him. So constructive dialogue is everything Problems.
6. Waste of time
Perhaps many have a story about a school teacher who could talk about his personal life or other abstract things for half a lesson and only then return to the subject. Pupils are usually only happy about this, as there is an opportunity to relax. But when you pay for classes in which you are interested, you want to get the most out of them. So, if the lesson time is wasted, this is a reason to change the teacher.
7. Inappropriate reaction to criticism
Often Internet scandals related to learning begin with the post “I liked everything, but there was one thing that could be improved. I told the teacher about it, and they started me poison and throw mud at it." To call such a reaction inadequate is to say nothing. Nobody is perfect, and criticism (if these are rational remarks, and not a stream of insults) is a good reason to discuss the situation, to understand it. Perhaps the theses voiced by the student will help strengthen the curriculum. And if not, you can always talk to a person and explain to him why his proposals will not get better. But if a teacher or school immediately breaks into hysterics and announces a witch hunt, this is a reason to say goodbye to them, because it will only get worse. And it is worth considering, even if another student got into an unpleasant situation.
8. Harassment
With this point, everything is clear without further ado. Harassment, hints, sexual harassment are clear reasons to stop training instantly.
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