I probably shouldn't be – but I'm reading a lot of annoyances on your sight today – I probably shouldn't be because I'm trying hard these days to stay calm and not be annoyed/negative. But it was a little like listening to Blues music – I found it more cleansing than a giant depressor. Sometimes it's nice to hear that other people are annoyed with stuff – in a brotherhood/sisterhood sort of way.

I especially liked some of the kid's annoyances - “TEZZLE” (http://www.oddtodd.com/annoy23.html) complained about his crummy field trips and his school's lack of funds to pay for things while the more private middle school he just graduated from was renting out a theater for everyone to go watch “Narnia.” Was pretty funny.

I hope it doesn't come off snobby – but now that I'm all grown up – I really can look back on my education and realize what an enormous suck-fest it was. Especially elementary school – and Jr. High – the teachers – were all so disinterested in what they were teaching (not that I am being down on teachers – underpaid and overworked – but to be fare the low salary wasn't attracting the most quality people in my case – this is generalizing I know but the good ones were really the exception where I went) – and regarding field trips - the students had to pay for all of those – and they were usually to these incredibly dull places no one ever visits – places that probably make all of their money on school field trips – and then sigh, loathing when another bus rolls in – places where you were so bored you couldn't concentrate/see straight – let alone absorb anything. I remember some teachers forcing their students to write down at least 20 things they learned during the trip – just to keep them awake – not to reach anyone – it's like saying – teach yourself and write down what you've taught yourself – hand it in at the end of the day and I will judge whether or not you learned enough. It was a really lazy assignment – and basically busy work. Don't get me wrong there's nothing bad about keeping kids busy – but this is a school – and you're a teacher – why not try to get the kids to actually learn something – show some heart? I know the world's brought you down, you're all lazy and burnt out – but that's not their fault – they're just kids – they're going to learn – you've got biology on your side – they just need your assistance learning in the right direction.

Ok – who I'm realizing I'm really mad at is Mr. Weatheral – my 4^th grade teacher. I swear – every ^%#^% History, Science and Reading assignment he gave us was a crossword puzzle. Some people may like them – but to this day – I can't touch them – just looking at them can sort of piss me off – he ruined them for me – bastard. I'm 30 years old now – and it still annoys me. How is that possible? Anyway – I guess it's because of a lot of things – that happened that year – that I'll try not to get into in an annoying way – (I'm already a little self-conscious about the length of this. Please indulge me though – because I think it's doing me a little bit of good to go over this and write it – maybe I'll be able to do a crossword puzzle afterward or somp'ing). The dude would give out these “warm fuzzies” at the end of the day – they were these little 2 by 2 inch cut outs – on white construction paper – of this little creature with a long curved nose, sneakers and body of hair whipped all around – I actually thought it was the one cool things he did – the kids liked them – I used to stay after school and color them in with a couple of my friends – we'd sort of make them like G.I. Joe figures – give them all bullet sashes, specialties and code names – and even sort of make them fight (as much as you could with pieces of paper – one thing we would do is toss a few in the air – the ones that flipped over died and the ones still facing up survived – if you had more facing up than your friend you won that battle.) Some days were “double warm-fuzzy” days – those were great. (Here's another mistake he made – these were just for good behavior – but the all of the kids liked them so much – they totally could've been used as a sort of class currency – to teach us about money - proof of good behavior for extra privileges at recess and such – but he was lazy like I said – and really the fuzzies weren't given as an effort to educate anyone or reach anyone). What I learned later in life – my parents being teachers themselves in the same school district – was that it was sort of a collaborative thing – they would get together in meetings and talk about metaphorical warm fuzzies – it was part of the dialog they used to talk about student needs – and reaching children. Mr. Weatheral was basically the most uncaring teachers I ever had – which leads me to suspect the paper warm fuzzies he gave out were sort of him thumbing his nose at the dialog the other teachers used – and spitefully taking it literally – instead of offering the kids any kind of caring more personal attention – or showing some real heart (which he really didn't – guy never smiled or joked around) – he pretended to take the concept literally and hand out his kind of “warm fuzzies.” With him, even these fonder memories I have of his class were more likely a reflection of how much he just didn't care about his job.

I have to come out a little in this next riff – and let you know that I did horribly in his class. I never did my homework. I got acquainted with it all – but didn't really finish it – I was honestly bored and frustrated out of my mind the assignments – and stuff was going on at home that didn't really provide a quite environment to work in – it was pretty much a stressful place. Not that I'm making excuses – but I was a 4^th grader – a little kid looking for guidance – and not finding it anywhere – I was a really well behaved kid – never got in any trouble – well mannered - wasn't loud – I pretty much kept to myself - and probably – because my parents were both teachers – and I showed it in class – I think teachers could've been able to see I was a pretty bright kid – with plenty of potential (and it turns out – I was – I went on to be a pretty successful student and gots me a college education and everything!). It was pretty obvious to anyone who cared that the reason I was doing so poorly was because I wasn't handing in my work. (Of course he didn't care.)

The worst thing he did – and the worst thing I think any teacher can do – was try to used humiliation to motivate their students to hand in their work. He put their names on the board – (I don't have anything against that by itself) – for ever assignment that wasn't completed – he'd write it down next to your name and wouldn't take it down until it was turned in (again not a terrible thing in itself – I can see how this method could actually work with some kids) – on top of this – every time he started a new assignment he'd go over to the board and talk able all the assignments you haven't turned in – in front of the whole class – and if he ever could be thought of as ever making a joke – it was here – where he'd chortle about how these things were never going to get finished. Guess what – this humiliation didn't actually motivate me – at the end of the quarter I had a ton of work on the board that was never turned in – and instead of being motivated to complete anything further – I just felt totally overwhelmed/humiliated and never did any new assignments. Think what you will about that. Did he ever take me aside – and as a forth grader – explain things to me – and ask me what was going on? Never. Was it because I was a little trouble maker? No. Was it because I wouldn't have understood – that I was just dull witted or somehow unreachable? No. My best guess is that he probably disliked my parents as coworkers and got some weird pleasure out of failing me every day – or he just really didn't care that much.

When it came down to it at the end of the school year – when he suggested I be held back – my parents opted to move me forward. (Not because I was able to explain the situation to them – granted they were thoroughly confused and pissed at me for doing so badly – but they were too ashamed to hold me back – what would that have said about them as teachers – if they couldn't help me pass the 4^th grade?)

Sorry for the length – and the bleakness – I hope it was at least a little entertaining – purging. Thanks a lot – good work on the site!

Maybe I'll be able to try a crossword puzzle now.