My algebra II teacher wasn't mean, but his version of teaching was just reading what the textbook said and working a problem on the board. He was just marking off time before retirement and he really didn't care that he wasn't teaching us anything. He would spend 5-10 minutes with the book and then let us work on our own. If I understood the assignment, the class would split into two groups with me explaining to one group and the guy who became our valedictorian (Doug) leading the other group. If I didn't get it, Doug would teach all of us. And the teacher just watched us.

I was just bored and I thought she was stupid.

This got me in serious trouble in fourth grade. Although I figure the real punishment is coming to me now, when I face students who are bored and think I'm stupid.

I've always thought I could have done better in college if I'd ever had to stretch before. Having to actually work was a terrible shock to me.

Man, I keep telling my students that (the ones who can easily do the assigned work but don't see why they should have to do anything more challenging). They don't believe me.

It got to the point where if it didn't come easily, I didn't bother.

Wordowordoword. I had this problem, and I see it in A LOT of my kids -- very smart, used to things being easy, turn off as soon as it gets hard.

It's been three years and I'm still all "Teaching likes carrots!" Thank god I'm not dating, huh?

Good news -- I brought in a whole bunch of books, to give students something to do if they finish early, and they've started getting into them (after a few days of circling warily). One student borrowed How to Slice a Cake and a couple have dipped into A Framework for Understanding Poverty, and I might be able to talk one into taking home Godel, Escher, Bach. Mind you, he may very well fail my class, but whatever!

Egad, Corwood. Best wishes for your family.

in second grade I hadn't fully developed my skills at hiding the book I was reading

In the 5th grade, by some miraculous fluke, they put the troublesome kids up front and the quiet, ie like me, in back. I was put in the back corner--next to the class book case. I remember one class when I was devouring one of the encyclopedia volumes and the teacher called on me for something. I looked up, answered the question correctly, and went back to my book. There were a few muffled snickers.

Just because I was reading didn't mean I wasn't listening as well.

Cor, so sorry. What a terrible thing.

Our valedictorian in high schools was controversial (at least with the kids I knew in honors and AP classes) because they didn't use weighted GPA for valedictorian. Hence our valedictorian was never in a honors or AP class and was not regarded as being all that smart. At the time I remember it being a topic of bitter discussion amongst the AP and honors crowd.

Man, I keep telling my students that (the ones who can easily do the assigned work but don't see why they should have to do anything more challenging). They don't believe me.

I remember my AP English teacher really drilled the idea of "you think this is hard, just wait till you get to college" into our class. College wasn't nearly as tough as she made it sound, but she did a good job of motivating the class to step it up a notch.

Corwood - how terrible.

The woman who sits next door to my cubicle is the admin for a group upstairs, and she spoils her department! Today, she brought in a bunch of homemade treats for someone's b-day, and had a lot left over for those of us in the vicinity. I've had a chocolate-dipped rice krispie treat and a chocolate-dipped strawberry--yummmmm!

And the teacher just watched us.

Bet you and Doug learned your algebra real well, though.