Scolded by the teacher!

AM326 · May 24, 2013

I'm 30 and taking a prereq at the local community college. Yesterday was the second day of class and I had worked ahead in the computer module because we have company this weekend.
My teacher, in front of the whole class, basically scolded me for working ahead! I apologized and said I would not work further, but she said I didn't listen on the first day of class when she said "Don't work ahead." Now, we did not get our syllabus the first day and she did tell us a lot of things, but I don't remember her saying "Don't work ahead."
There's only a few of us in the class so I was pretty embarassed but decided to just not do anymore homework ahead of time. Then she said she didn't like it when students work ahead bc then they don't come to class. But I haven't missed any class!
Finally, a few minutes later, I was copying what she was doing on the board in my notes. Then she said "Why aren't you watching me? You think you're so smart, because you already did this?" I was copying down what she was doing on the board!
I was almost in tears. I'm 30 years old! THEN she says, "I'm just messing with you!" THEN she said at the end of class we could work ahead over the weekend if we wanted to!
I feel totally embarassed, confused, and miserable about the rest of this class! I'm already stressed about getting my prereqs done in time (I got into nursing school but it is contingent on finishing this class over the summer).

That's horrible! I would try to talk to somebody about that... :/

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · May 24, 2013

passive aggressive ^&%$$%^%$&$%& ...........I'd report her.

donk · May 24, 2013

Wow... That's brutal!! Definitely speak to someone about her conduct.

lauraline · May 24, 2013

Geez, so sorry to hear you had to go through that. Just take a deep breath, be strong, don't get emotional, and just do what you need to do. This teacher is probably a little off her rocker, having a bad day, or just has a the personality of an evil witch. But I wouldn't take it to heart.

I have also been yelled at by my teachers, also for no good reasons. I'm 29 and I have also almost been in tears. I think it's all the stress from school work on top of everything.

Once, my Microbiology teacher yelled at me in front of the whole class for talking to my classmate while she was lecturing. I couldn't help it because my classmate was asking me something important and I just responded quickly with a whisper! But I got caught and was told to "leave the class"! I just said sorry and was allowed to stay, but it was the worst feeling ever. Well the next day was a new day, and the teacher turned out to really like me, she even gave me letters of recommendation in the end.

I have also been directly called an "idiot" by a my cranky old Statistics professor, in front of the whole class, just because I showed up late one day! My bus was late!

I wouldn't report it (unless it becomes a habitual problem), you don't want to dwell over this issue. it will just make you angry. Teachers are just jerks sometimes. Just move on, toughen up, you'll be fine. Tomorrow will be a new day.

chacha82, ADN, BSN · May 24, 2013

thanks everybody for the good answers! It really ruined my day yesterday. I think I'm already stressed because it's science and that's not my strongest subject, but I just felt humiliated! I would understand if I were texting in class or on my laptop or blatantly being disrespectful, but I was stunned

queserasera, RN · May 24, 2013

This is totally just my opinion, don't take offense to it, just wanted to give another perspective.

I think you should toughen up a bit and be a bit more perceptive as to when a professor is just messing with you. We live in a country that now anyways, that education seems to be too "make everybody feel good." That's not what the real world is like, and my nursing friends, when I had a complaint about a professor all said, "wait until you meet a cranky doctor." I understand you're stressed about finishing your pre reqs, I know how that feels, when 2013 is over, I will have taken 13 classes, 42 credits to finish in time for this application period of a BSN program.

just try not to take things personally.

lauraline · May 24, 2013

This is totally just my opinion, don't take offense to it, just wanted to give another perspective.
I think you should toughen up a bit and be a bit more perceptive as to when a professor is just messing with you. We live in a country that now anyways, that education seems to be too "make everybody feel good." That's not what the real world is like, and my nursing friends, when I had a complaint about a professor all said, "wait until you meet a cranky doctor." I understand you're stressed about finishing your pre reqs, I know how that feels, when 2013 is over, I will have taken 13 classes, 42 credits to finish in time for this application period of a BSN program.
just try not to take things personally.

I totally agree. I actually feel that some teachers almost do it on purpose, because they want to toughen up their students. They don't care to play nice, because that's often not the real world. Just think positively, and it's just like the old saying goes "What doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger."

i♥words · May 24, 2013

This "toughen up" stuff is, I must admit, a little ridiculous to me. I can't see that this is about judging when and if someone is just joking. Anyone who says something rude and then follows it with "I'm just joking" or "I'm just playing with you" actually means what was initially said. Frankly, some people are really odd, and it is hard to tell what their motives are in any given situation. And this isn't about not taking things personally, because sensitive qualities are extremely important, and some of us are just more inclined to express them. For a teacher to call out one student for being ahead of the game and completing assignments is just...weird.

When I took my chemistry class a couple of semesters ago I worked ahead in the online homework because the material to me was not too difficult to comprehend. When I had some free time, I would work a chapter or two in advance so I wouldn't have to worry about it later on. My teacher did say in class that "some" of us had been working ahead and she/he didn't want us to do that because it was important that we heard her/his lectures. I read the book, and my teacher's lectures were mainly copied sentences.

I stopped working ahead, but I still to this day think that was the oddest statement because I have heard so many teachers complain that studentsaren't doing their homework, and some of us (who knows, it might have just been me) were getting our assignments done early. Maybe she/he felt like working ahead and doing well made her/his job obsolete, which was not my intention. Basically, I had a lot of hours to tackle and I just didn't want to get behind by mid-semester.

The only thing you can do is move on from here, finish your assignments on time but not overly early, and try to stay under the teacher's radar for the rest of the semester. I hope things will be better from here on out!

chacha82, ADN, BSN · May 24, 2013

This "toughen up" stuff is, I must admit, a little ridiculous to me. I can't see that this is about judging when and if someone is just joking. Anyone who says something rude and then follows it with "I'm just joking" or "I'm just playing with you" actually means what was initially said. Frankly, some people are really odd, and it is hard to tell what their motives are in any given situation. And this isn't about not taking things personally, because sensitive qualities are extremely important, and some of us are just more inclined to express them. For a teacher to call out one student for being ahead of the game and completing assignments is just...weird.
When I took my chemistry class a couple of semesters ago I worked ahead in the online homework because the material to me was not too difficult to comprehend. When I had some free time, I would work a chapter or two in advance so I wouldn't have to worry about it later on. My teacher did say in class that "some" of us had been working ahead and she/he didn't want us to do that because it was important that we heard her/his lectures. I read the book, and my teacher's lectures were mainly copied sentences.
I stopped working ahead, but I still to this day think that was the oddest statement because I have heard so many teachers complain that studentsaren't doing their homework, and some of us (who knows, it might have just been me) were getting our assignments done early. Maybe she/he felt like working ahead and doing well made her/his job obsolete, which was not my intention. Basically, I had a lot of hours to tackle and I just didn't want to get behind by mid-semester.
The only thing you can do is move on from here, finish your assignments on time but not overly early, and try to stay under the teacher's radar for the rest of the semester. I hope things will be better from here on out!

Thanks! I agree, I was surprised she didn't want us to work ahead but that would have been fine if she just told me not to. I just don't know why she had to go and say "You think you're so smart!" It's an adult class, and I don't think she needed to scold me like I was 10! I wouldn't ever speak to someone that way, especially after I apologized to her for working ahead.

StayHumble11 · May 24, 2013

Sounds like she was just kidding to me. Toughen up a bit and try to come up with funny comebacks when u feel bullied over reasons like that. Why would a teacher get mad about a student working ahead? An older student at that. She had to be trolling.

friendlyjane · May 24, 2013

Put your head down and bite your tongue and just survive this class so you can move on to bigger and better things. Congrats on nursing school. Your almost there.