Focus Point Unit 6, Day 2: Preposition Clusters

First Exposure: Think of a problematic relationship you’ve had with a boss or teacher. Tell the class.

My sophomore year of high school, my old French teacher left to work at a different school. Her replacement was a lawyer without any teaching experience who focused solely on grammar and vocabulary without giving us any real experience in the language. Under her guidance, French class became a tedious series of rote memorizations. I didn’t agree with her teaching style at all, and wanted more of a chance to actually speak the French we were learning. I also missed the more creative activities the old teacher had given us, and recalled times when she would joke with our class all in French.

Even more frustrating was that the new teacher treated us like children, with assigned seating and excessive rules. My opinion differed from hers in that I believe that students perform best when given appropriate amounts of freedom, which teaches them more responsibility. In French class, I felt there were too many restrictions, so I refused to cooperate with the teacher. I made fun of her when she wasn’t around, acted out in class, and pointed out her mistakes whenever I could. She knew I hated her class, but there wasn’t much she could do. We were always at odds with each other.

I dealt with that teacher for two years, and it was a relief to finally escape from her class. The experience showed me how much I hate structure and regulation, but more importantly gave me a model for the type of teacher I never wanted to become.