What We See
Viewing comments for Chapter 25 "What We See - Chapter 22"A wrongly accused teacher reinvents his life
16 total reviews
Comment from Pearl Edwards
I hated my Year 10 English teacher, she was always telling me how hopeless I was.
I think it's good that the dyslexia problem that Alan and Tommy share is being brought out in this second part of the story. A good chapter, Jim.
cheers
valda
reply by the author on 21-Mar-2024
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I hated my Year 10 English teacher, she was always telling me how hopeless I was.
I think it's good that the dyslexia problem that Alan and Tommy share is being brought out in this second part of the story. A good chapter, Jim.
cheers
valda
Comment Written 21-Mar-2024
reply by the author on 21-Mar-2024
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Thanks, Valda. It's a shame you had a teacher like that too. Just hard to fathom in a teacher.
Comment from lancellot
Very odd for a teacher, and an English teacher too. One would think by the 7th grade Tommy's issues would be well known to the faculty and a part of his file, or he would have demonstrated it since the start of school year in August. It is mid-October here. Also, wouldn't the other students know by now too?
reply by the author on 20-Mar-2024
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Very odd for a teacher, and an English teacher too. One would think by the 7th grade Tommy's issues would be well known to the faculty and a part of his file, or he would have demonstrated it since the start of school year in August. It is mid-October here. Also, wouldn't the other students know by now too?
Comment Written 19-Mar-2024
reply by the author on 20-Mar-2024
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You made me realize that I should have been calling it junior high instead of middle school all along, because I've modeled this after my own experience in which 7th - 9th grade was junior high, and kids from many elementary schools came together in 7th grade. Thus he was with many kids who didn't know him, and he wouldn't have had a reputation among the teachers there either. This was never in his school record, because he did well enough to fly under the radar. That was fairly common with mildly or moderately dyslexic kids during that era.
Comment from LJbutterfly
Many people DO see what they want to see as they look through eyes of ignorance. I was a preschool teacher for thirteen years, during these modern times, and school regulations prohibit a teacher from scorning or embarrassing a child based on their learning abilities. Mrs. Dunbar would have been dismissed. Her comments to Tommy almost brought a tear to my eyes, especially when she announced he had failed the test.
It will be interesting to see Mrs. Dunbar's reaction when she is confronted by Tommy's mother, and an unrelated school teacher.
reply by the author on 19-Mar-2024
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Many people DO see what they want to see as they look through eyes of ignorance. I was a preschool teacher for thirteen years, during these modern times, and school regulations prohibit a teacher from scorning or embarrassing a child based on their learning abilities. Mrs. Dunbar would have been dismissed. Her comments to Tommy almost brought a tear to my eyes, especially when she announced he had failed the test.
It will be interesting to see Mrs. Dunbar's reaction when she is confronted by Tommy's mother, and an unrelated school teacher.
Comment Written 19-Mar-2024
reply by the author on 19-Mar-2024
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That sort of attitude wouldn't be tolerated today. Mrs. Dunbar will certainly be facing some worthy opponents in Ginnie and Alan.
Comment from T B Botts
Hello Jim,
I liked this chapter. Like the others, the dialogue seems real. Some people get so used to doing their jobs the same old way, they fail to see new challenges that show up, or attempt to improve the way they do things. I think that teaching is one of those jobs that give so much power to an individual that they don't want to be challenged, even if they're proven wrong. Unfortunately, tenure allows really lousy teachers to remain in the profession until they retire, and by then, countless lives have been tainted. This teacher sounds like she's unfamiliar with dyslexia and is used to dealing with smart aleck boys and assumes that Tommy is being a jerk. I've had teachers who in a classroom around students might seem wise, but around people outside the academic world are anything but. I think she has a mean streak. I'm glad Ginny and Alan are going to speak to her. Well done.
Have a blessed evening.
Tom
reply by the author on 19-Mar-2024
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Hello Jim,
I liked this chapter. Like the others, the dialogue seems real. Some people get so used to doing their jobs the same old way, they fail to see new challenges that show up, or attempt to improve the way they do things. I think that teaching is one of those jobs that give so much power to an individual that they don't want to be challenged, even if they're proven wrong. Unfortunately, tenure allows really lousy teachers to remain in the profession until they retire, and by then, countless lives have been tainted. This teacher sounds like she's unfamiliar with dyslexia and is used to dealing with smart aleck boys and assumes that Tommy is being a jerk. I've had teachers who in a classroom around students might seem wise, but around people outside the academic world are anything but. I think she has a mean streak. I'm glad Ginny and Alan are going to speak to her. Well done.
Have a blessed evening.
Tom
Comment Written 18-Mar-2024
reply by the author on 19-Mar-2024
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I really appreciate your review, Tom, and for the 6 stars you've granted me. Your perceptions are really accurate. My wife was a first grade teacher for many years, and she had her share of stinkpots come through, but she would often treat these kids (usually boys) as a special challenge to try to get through to them and win them over. She was often very successful at this because she took the extra time that was needed with these kids to try to get through to them and understand them rather than just dismiss them as stinkpots. A genuinely caring teacher will make that effort.
Not too many fields (if any others?) have tenure. I've always wondered why teachers have it and what's so important about having it. Something the powerful unions negotiated, I guess. But, you're right, it does allow lousy teachers to remain in an important position they may be unsuited for.
As in all professions, teachers should be open to change because that's the nature of the world. However, it seems as though some of them, especially administrators go overboard and change things that don't need changing, based on half-assed, new, poorly thought out ideas. What was wrong with the old math, and using phonics to teach reading? Sometimes it seems like they think up and institute new things just to justify their jobs. All this new emphasis on DEI and the number of administrators it takes to implement these ill-defined and misbegotten policies is one of the reasons why the cost of education is so high these days.
Aw-oh, now I'm getting off on a tangent, so I'll agree that Mrs. Dunbar has a definite mean streak in her, but hopefully she will see the light when Ginnie and Alan pay her a visit.
Comment from Karen Cherry Threadgill
Do you have dyslexia, or know someone who does? You seem to understand it so well. After I was tested for a month when I was 12, I scored 160. So, I didn't get to skip any grades, but all the teachers were told that I could read a book of my own in class. And that I could skip tests as they made me freeze up. I could go in early or stay after and they could ask me out loud as I didn't freeze up while talking. Most teachers didn't bother, they knew I knew my stuff. Kids that are different can get ostracized. Not me so much, or maybe I just didn't notice. :-) Karen
reply by the author on 18-Mar-2024
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Do you have dyslexia, or know someone who does? You seem to understand it so well. After I was tested for a month when I was 12, I scored 160. So, I didn't get to skip any grades, but all the teachers were told that I could read a book of my own in class. And that I could skip tests as they made me freeze up. I could go in early or stay after and they could ask me out loud as I didn't freeze up while talking. Most teachers didn't bother, they knew I knew my stuff. Kids that are different can get ostracized. Not me so much, or maybe I just didn't notice. :-) Karen
Comment Written 18-Mar-2024
reply by the author on 18-Mar-2024
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No, I've never had it, but I've always been fascinated by it because my wife, who was a learning disabilities teacher for a few years before going to kindergarten and then first grade, told me a lot of stories about kids who just had a very difficult time with reading.
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Well, you tell the story well. Karen
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Thanks very much!
Comment from tfawcus
It'll be interesting to see where this leads. I have a feeling the school won't very much like Alan attending the meeting as he's unrelated to Tommy, just a next-door neighbour. Mrs Dunbar will be on the defensive. You've set up an interesting situation here.
reply by the author on 18-Mar-2024
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It'll be interesting to see where this leads. I have a feeling the school won't very much like Alan attending the meeting as he's unrelated to Tommy, just a next-door neighbour. Mrs Dunbar will be on the defensive. You've set up an interesting situation here.
Comment Written 18-Mar-2024
reply by the author on 18-Mar-2024
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You've got it, Tony. Mrs. Dunbar is an example of the kind of thinking that was prevalent during that era concerning dyslexia, especially among the old prunes like her. It took a massive effort at education to begin to change the thinking about it.
Comment from royowen
Yes, I'm not too sure there are teachers like that today, the pendulum has swung against them. but I do know they were like that in my day. I think I got ribbed more by teachers than classmates, mind you I was a good athlete too, well done, Jim,
Blessings Roy
reply by the author on 18-Mar-2024
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Yes, I'm not too sure there are teachers like that today, the pendulum has swung against them. but I do know they were like that in my day. I think I got ribbed more by teachers than classmates, mind you I was a good athlete too, well done, Jim,
Blessings Roy
Comment Written 18-Mar-2024
reply by the author on 18-Mar-2024
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Parents wouldn't put up with that today, and I doubt many teachers could get away with that sort of behavior today. Ginnie understands the condition, though, and is preparing to read her the riot act.
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Yes my mum wasn't like that, good on her character
Comment from Wendy G
That woman should never have become a teacher. How very insensitive and hurtful. I am glad A and G will go to see her and explain - and I hope they mention her cruel attitude as well. Excellent writing, I will be looking forward to the rest of part 2.
Wendy
reply by the author on 18-Mar-2024
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That woman should never have become a teacher. How very insensitive and hurtful. I am glad A and G will go to see her and explain - and I hope they mention her cruel attitude as well. Excellent writing, I will be looking forward to the rest of part 2.
Wendy
Comment Written 18-Mar-2024
reply by the author on 18-Mar-2024
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I'm not Catholic, but this is the mental image I have of many of the nuns who were teachers, with their rulers about to smash down on hands. We'll see if there's any hope in getting her to change her thinking on this.
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I went to a public school and our year 1 teacher used to do that - with the edge of the ruler. She was very frightening.
Comment from Carol Hillebrenner
This is great example of how dyslexia works. There are sure to be teachers who don't understand this problem even now and there are many reasons for it. One of the brightest kids in the senior class came out of a car wreck with it and it didn't improve all year. My teacher in 1-3 grade in country school wouldn't teach me to read because I couldn't tell up from do. The fact that my left hand was tied to my desk every time I picked up something left-handed probably had much to do with it. Very good writing to show rather than just tell your reader how it works.
reply by the author on 18-Mar-2024
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This is great example of how dyslexia works. There are sure to be teachers who don't understand this problem even now and there are many reasons for it. One of the brightest kids in the senior class came out of a car wreck with it and it didn't improve all year. My teacher in 1-3 grade in country school wouldn't teach me to read because I couldn't tell up from do. The fact that my left hand was tied to my desk every time I picked up something left-handed probably had much to do with it. Very good writing to show rather than just tell your reader how it works.
Comment Written 17-Mar-2024
reply by the author on 18-Mar-2024
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Thanks, Carol. Those are some interesting stories you've provided of the types of thinking back then. The teachers just didn't know that much about things like dyslexia and left-handedness and sometimes did a lot more harm than good.
Comment from Tom Horonzy
Ho-hum
Other than the review and how they ended up in the bedroom (did I miss a chapter?), this was drywall slow ... for me, though you teased me with his going together to see the teacher. That should be a good one.
reply by the author on 18-Mar-2024
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Ho-hum
Other than the review and how they ended up in the bedroom (did I miss a chapter?), this was drywall slow ... for me, though you teased me with his going together to see the teacher. That should be a good one.
Comment Written 17-Mar-2024
reply by the author on 18-Mar-2024
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Except for a real action scene toward the end, I'm afraid you're going to find the rest of this story rather ho-hum. This is unlike my golf stories and doesn't feature the kind of action you are used to from me and may not be of much interest to you going forward. I won't be offended if you give up on it. Read the two reviews surrounding yours, and you'll see where I'm going with Part 2.
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Give up? Not a chance.
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Okay then. You've been warned! :)