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Explanation of what to do when the teacher is unpleasant, mean or a jerk - Tricks for Good Grades: Strategies to Succeed in School. Also refer to good grades, personality, negative attitude, anger, coping, self-interest, respect, Ron Kurtus, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions

When the Teacher is a Jerk

by Ron Kurtus (revised 15 October 2004)

Sometimes you can get a teacher who is unpleasant, real mean or just a complete jerk. Ideally, you would like to avoid having such a teacher, but often you don't have a choice. It may be too late to change, and you are stuck with the person for the rest of the semester. In such a situation, you have a choice of either giving the teacher a rough time or trying to cope with the situation. Since the teacher has power over whether you pass or fail, it is in your interest to try some positive strategy.

Questions you may have include:

• Why do some teachers act that way?
• What about giving the teacher a rough time?
• How can you cope with the situation?

This lesson will answer those questions. There is a mini-quiz near the end of the lesson.

Why they act that way

There are numerous reasons why some teachers seem so unpleasant. The teacher may hate his or her job and thus takes it out on the students. There may be a personality conflict between you and the teacher. Or perhaps the teacher is just plain mean.

Hates job

Some teachers love children and love what they do. But there are a few teachers--for one reason or another--simply hate what they are doing. They act grumpy in class and can be unpleasant. Some may even take it out on their students.

May have wrong way of motivating

Sometimes teachers want their students to do well, but they express themselves in a negative manner that can turn students off to them. Sometimes students think the teacher is mean, stupid or too strict, so they look for negative things in the teacher.

Bosses may be jerks

Note that often your parents have had the same problem with a boss at work. In fact, sometimes in your life you will probably run into a boss who is a jerk. There are people who are that way, thus it is good to find out how to deal with it.

Your view may be a cause

If you look for the worst in any person, you will find it. If you look for good characteristics, you will also find them. Also, people act to you the way you act to them.

Giving a rough time

Some students will give a teacher that they don't like a rough time. They will act rude or cause trouble. Perhaps the student will refuse to do homework or cut class just to avoid the teacher or to get the teacher angry.

Not a good idea

Is this a good approach for solving the problem? It probably is not. Remember that your goal is to get through school with good grades and the minimum of hassles.

The teacher has power over what grade you get. Giving the teacher a rough time, because you think he or she is a jerk can be suicide for your grades. It isn't worth getting poor grades for the sake of showing someone up--unless you are a glutton for punishment.

It is better to use a different strategy to handle a problem teacher.

Making the best of the situation

If you get into a class where you don't like or don't get along with a teacher, you need to develop a strategy to handle the situation. You could try to get on the good side of the teacher, you could just cope and keep a low profile in this class, or you could try to understand the reasons for the teacher being unpleasant.

Be cordial

It is always worthwhile to be on the good side of the teacher, even if you don't like him or her. This is not being hypocritical. Rather it is being practical and cordial. But sometimes trying to get on the good side of a teacher who has an attitude toward you can backfire.

Sometimes it doesn't work

When I was a senior in high school, I took a class in Physics. In the first semester, my grade was an A. But then in the second semester, with the same teacher, I somehow got on the bad side of him. Maybe I talked out of turn in class or something.

So, I thought I would do an extra credit experiment in order to get back on the good side of him. Obviously, I wanted to get the best grade I could in this class. After school, I set up an electricity experiment, but then I accidentally touched two wires together and BOOM! There was a big flash. I shorted the wires, which blew out the fuses in the school!

The Physics teacher's face got real red, his eyes bugged out, and a vein on his forehead showed. He was extremely angry with me. My effort to get on the good side of him had backfired.

For the rest of the semester, I kept a low profile. When I took the final exam, he gave me a failing grade. I actually had an A on the final, but the teacher crossed it out and gave me an F to lower my final grade to a C. That was dishonest of him, and I could have contested the grade, but I was just glad to get out of that class.

The lesson it taught me was that no matter how hard you try, sometimes you just can't please certain small-minded people. I also learned to take the setback and move on with my life.

Cope or low profile

If you have a jerk for a teacher, it is probably the best to simply try to cope with the situation to last out the semester. Perhaps in the next term you will get a better teacher.

Another thing is that sometimes it is good to keep a low profile in a class where you think the teacher does not like you.

Summary

Personality problems or differences may be why some teachers don't seem very nice. Although you can give such a teacher a rough time, it usually is self-destruction, because your grades can suffer for the sake of slightly irritating the teacher. It is better to cope with the situation and make the best of it until you can get a different teacher. Also, the teacher may turn around and not be as bad as you originally thought.

Answers to Readers' Questions

People rise to your expectations

Resources

The following are resources on this subject.

Websites

Good Grades Resources

Books

Top-rated books on Good Grades

Miscellaneous

Mini-quiz to check your understanding

1. Why would one teacher give much more homework than other teachers?

2. What would probably happen if you were disruptive in a lousy teacher's class?

3. Why should you act cordial to a mean teacher?

If you got all three correct, you are on your way to becoming a Champion in School studies. If you had problems, look over the material again.

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