Just like the teachers here at HBA, high school students were also asked to express any pet peeves they have when it comes to teachers. This is what they had to say:
1. I dislike when teachers favor certain students just because they do better in that class. It doesn’t give the other students who aren’t as ‘book smart’ a chance.
2. When they don’t teach.
3. When they teach you something entirely new for a test the day before the test.
4. Teachers who talk down to students or in a condescending way.
5. I hate when teachers don’t let you go to the bathroom. I get that they don’t want us missing the lesson or that they think we’re just trying to ditch class, but I think that should be our own thing to deal with. If we’re going to miss part of class, then that’s our own problem to figure out. And don’t tell us to regulate it, because, well, you gotta go when you gotta go.
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6. When they get sassy when you have to use the bathroom.
7. When they make you feel stupid for having a question. If you’re a teacher you should have the patience to answer questions rather than belittling the student for not understanding.
8. When they don’t know the subject themselves.
9. When teachers stop the entire class and silently stare at people for talking. It just wastes your own time and sometimes takes even longer to get the people’s attention, which is really annoying to students who weren’t doing anything in the first place. Move on.
10. When they don’t give you rubrics for a big paper.
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11. Giving rubrics AFTER essays are turned in.
12. Homework on Thursday instead of Friday during no homework weekends. Or just making it due on Tuesday instead of Monday.
13. When they tell you to ask for help and when you ask and they just tell you to look at your notes.
[/one_half_last]14. When they go over time and won’t write you a pass for your next class.
15. Grading papers based on favoritism.
16. When we have a problem or confusion with the work and the teacher doesn’t even know the answer or how to help you.
17. When the whole class is stuck on a problem and the teacher just moves on instead of taking a moment to help us understand.
18. I don’t like when teachers act passive aggressive or childish. Just be direct. If we’re making too much noise, tell us directly rather than acting like a juvenile.
19. I think lesson plans should be coherent. We shouldn’t have tests the same day we’re taught a new part of that lesson.
20. Punishing the whole class for something one student did.
21. When they mumble and don’t speak clearly during a lecture… Or when they make weird noises.
