My kid got busted for smiling in math class.
Twice. Once, the teacher called her out in front of everyone else. Once again, she and two of her friends were hauled into the hallway by the math teacher, who said the three (high-achieving, mild-mannered) girls' smiling made her uncomfortable.
***
The above has left me dumbfounded for the past day or two. "Lady, I wish I had your problems," was my first thought when I heard this tale of gross insubordination.
My curiosity got to me and I thought I'd give this lady a call and hear it from her perspective and maybe even find out how hard it is to deal with smiling students.
I suggested to my daughter that I do this. She was good with it at bed time. When I awoke her the next day, her first words were, "Mom. What are you going to do?"
"You don't want me to do anything."
"No. I don't."
"OK, then. Just look as sour as humanly possible in school today. Live the joyless life."
***
But the math teacher was out. I guess the happy people got to her.
***
Moral of the story: smile anyway.
Twice. Once, the teacher called her out in front of everyone else. Once again, she and two of her friends were hauled into the hallway by the math teacher, who said the three (high-achieving, mild-mannered) girls' smiling made her uncomfortable.
***
The above has left me dumbfounded for the past day or two. "Lady, I wish I had your problems," was my first thought when I heard this tale of gross insubordination.
My curiosity got to me and I thought I'd give this lady a call and hear it from her perspective and maybe even find out how hard it is to deal with smiling students.
I suggested to my daughter that I do this. She was good with it at bed time. When I awoke her the next day, her first words were, "Mom. What are you going to do?"
"You don't want me to do anything."
"No. I don't."
"OK, then. Just look as sour as humanly possible in school today. Live the joyless life."
***
But the math teacher was out. I guess the happy people got to her.
***
Moral of the story: smile anyway.
35 Comments
I can't believe this, Sandy! But you taught your daughter how to take it - in a sincere, funny sorta way, just like you... Ha!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry but that teacher needs to reread the constitution...something about the right to pursue happiness. She must be having a breakdown. Gee the year isn't even half over. She will never make it.
ReplyDeleteThat simply sounds deranged - indeed what is the teacher's problem? I guess that teacher had a really, really bad week. "Wipe that smile off your face; if I am having a crummy time then so will you...."
ReplyDeleteI don't know.
Wow, who ever heard of such a thing!
ReplyDeleteThree girls all smiling in math class and a teacher who is uncomforable? I'm not sure I'd give those girls a free pass so quickly. But, that's just me.
ReplyDeleteCute post. I like your attitude. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSandy: How do you train your daughter through these situations, She should smile about it.
ReplyDeleteThis could be the craziest thing, from school I've heard. I guess teachers are under a lot of stress, but what kind of person doesn't like a smile ? Unless of course the teacher took it as a sign of joking or playing ? That's the only logic that I can find here. Who knows ??
ReplyDeletethat's the dilemma of our kids in school, teachers getting irritated with personal problems then bring it inside their classes...
ReplyDeletethat should not be...but you gave a nice advise...SMILE...this will make her teacher get more frustrated...:)
sad frustrated teachers...
ReplyDeleteLOL! Misery does love company!
ReplyDeleteSome really hate joy - they need our love and understanding...and yes, our smiles!
Aloha, Friend!
Comfort Spiral
A post that makes me smile.:)
ReplyDeleteseriously? Grouch for sure!
ReplyDeletesheesh... remindes me of my son being told he would be kicked out of school if he brought his bible again... he was trying to find something to keep him occupied as he was always finished and in trouble for distracting others... so he figured reading the bible would keep him busy...
ReplyDeletewow...strange teacher!
ReplyDeletei love your attitude towards life..
Smiling is just great!
ReplyDeleteHowever........ smirking is a different matter! Was it smirking? LOL!
Nuts in May
This cannot be Sandy - In this day and age, I have been a teacher 44 plus years and never ever would I make a student feel uncomfortable in front of others- I need more on the preposterous event. I'm sorry for your daughter and friend and hope you have given her much to smile about and laugh about since then...stymied Sandy
ReplyDeleteParanoid much? Geesh!
ReplyDeleteI so would have loved to have heard that telephone conversation but understand your daughter's reluctance to allow it. Personally, I'd want to discuss it with her face to face.. and smile through the conversation. ;)
I think the teacher has a big problem and needs some serious counseling. I hope your daughter realizes that her teacher is only human and must be suffering in some way to be so unreasonable with her good students.
ReplyDeletethatis the first time i heard kids being told because they smiled....must be a miserable soul!
ReplyDeleteanyway, smiling is good for your heart and soul, so indeed...smile anyway!
have a smiley weekend!
eng
BIG sigh. . .
ReplyDeletea relult of an old chinese saying 'keep smiling - it makes people wonder what you are upto'! :)
ReplyDeleteI sure hope you are making this up! Smiling in class, what kind of child are you raising anyway? ;-)
ReplyDeleteNext day the math teach was out? Maybe she got zapped back to the 1800s where she belongs!
ReplyDeleteAck! Oh, I think the teacher's smile costs so much too... :)
ReplyDeleteActually, I CAN believe this. I taught for 22 years, and in that time, I saw firsthand that teachers bring their dysfunctions to class. There are millions of great teachers--don't get me wrong--but too many are there who don't belong, mostly because they didn't know what to do with their degrees. Keep smiling -:)
ReplyDeleteI'll go as far as saying there are some smiles that kinda creep me out too. But those are those creepy pod-people smiles, not the genuine kind that I'd imagine are worn by high-achieving, mild-mannered almost-11-year-old girls.
ReplyDeletePerhaps she should consider a private school job.
I think this math teacher needs to stop imposing her issues on the students .. I wonder what they thought in the office when these smiler were removed from class.... amazing ... I never liked math or math teachers had I known smiling would have gotten me out of class, I'd have been a grinning fool
ReplyDeleteNice post !! Loved this one !! Thanks for sharing..Unseen Rajasthan
ReplyDeleteMy property joins a schools property on two sides. Behind my house is the football practise field and beside it is the actual field. The other day I was in the backyard loading up fire wood on my wagon to pull it back to the house and heard the coach yelling profanities at the players. This isn't the first time this has happened, but my kids were outside with me. One is seven one is five. God has calmed me down a lot over the years, because if this had been a few years ago, I would have been over the fence and having a talk with that coach. I let it go, but it has been going on for a while now. I don't see the point in it.
ReplyDeleteAmazing.
ReplyDeleteSilly Saturday #4 - Purdie Pyrate's Halloween
smile at them all...makes them wonder!
ReplyDeleteIf only we all had this problem, lol.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the no smiling teacher should substitute for you one day : )
ReplyDeleteI don't know... as a former middle-school teacher I would reserve judgment till I heard the other side of the story.
ReplyDeleteI know your daughter isn't that way, but my experience with girls that age has been quite unpleasant. Maybe there was a misunderstanding, or maybe the teacher thought they were having a joke at somebody else's expense. Now that my own daughter is that age I can totally see why a parent would be angry, but there's usually an explanation.
On the other hand, a lot of teachers aren't as well adjusted as you are...
Thanks for being here.