Right, as of today: three exams down, two to go (both of them tomorrow, great...) and I'm ready to strangle some people. Some teachers, that is. Just now, one especially. Which is kind of paradox, being a teacher myself. Or maybe it isn't.
See, today was the written exam in music theory - you know, the stuff that's really going to save the day when I'll be teaching my ghetto kids, like how to avoid quint and octave parallels when composing a choral for four voices, that kind of thing. The class is held by this young Russian woman, and the style and speed with which she teaches is somewhat Russian too, if you get my drift. She assigns more homework than all my other courses put together and still I was by no means sure that I'd pass this bloody exam today. (Having failed the mock exam quite spectacularly.) In fact, I had already half made arrangements to repeat the course with another teacher next term, so I was over the moon to see that it went alright after all. I could do all the tasks and even had enough time for the extra tricky bit since I finished another task earlier than the others.
This afternoon before heading home I went in to see the teacher, because she always corrects the tests straight away.
And you see, I did really well. I mean, they don't give grades in these exams (you either pass or, well, not), but it would certainly have been a B+, because there were only three minor mistakes in the whole test.
But instead of saying "Ah, there you go, I knew you could do it. Just these three little hiccups over here, but apart from that: fine!", she actually gave me this sermon on how she thought I could do better, how she'd always thought I wasn't giving 100%, how these stupid, little mistakes annoy her and again how she really thought I could do more...
So I told her that if she knew what I did all week long, she wouldn't say such things. That I was in fact doing more, teaching etc. And she went: "Oh, really? How many hours do you teach? 14, is it? Well, I did 22 while I was studying." She wasn't even meaning to be extra-bitchy. I guess it comes to her naturally.
Well, she well and truly pissed me off. How dare she?!?! But what pisses me off even more is that I let this ignorant cow ruin my evening and my sense of achievement. [They did a similar thing last week in my oral exam. After a quick comment that content-wise I had done okay, they went on and on about how in future exams I might want to be a bit more formal - well, they'd offered chocolates to begin with! -, which kinds of phrases not to use - they actually quoted me! ...That, too, had been a fair bit deflating, but at least they'd had a point there (and a slightly sore one at that).]
I guess I should see the bright side of being on the receiving end of teachers' talk for a change. So here's a big mental note to myself, actually several, written in bold, black letters on oversized, neon pink post-its:
a) Don't run people down who are already down.
b) Don't insinuate laziness where people might actually have done their best.
c) Nagging never motivated anyone.
d) Whatever happened to "Well done!"?
As to criticism directed at me, I hereby return to my old maxim (in fact, I never veered away): If you want to criticise me, write in on a piece of paper and throw it in the bin.
See, today was the written exam in music theory - you know, the stuff that's really going to save the day when I'll be teaching my ghetto kids, like how to avoid quint and octave parallels when composing a choral for four voices, that kind of thing. The class is held by this young Russian woman, and the style and speed with which she teaches is somewhat Russian too, if you get my drift. She assigns more homework than all my other courses put together and still I was by no means sure that I'd pass this bloody exam today. (Having failed the mock exam quite spectacularly.) In fact, I had already half made arrangements to repeat the course with another teacher next term, so I was over the moon to see that it went alright after all. I could do all the tasks and even had enough time for the extra tricky bit since I finished another task earlier than the others.
This afternoon before heading home I went in to see the teacher, because she always corrects the tests straight away.
And you see, I did really well. I mean, they don't give grades in these exams (you either pass or, well, not), but it would certainly have been a B+, because there were only three minor mistakes in the whole test.
But instead of saying "Ah, there you go, I knew you could do it. Just these three little hiccups over here, but apart from that: fine!", she actually gave me this sermon on how she thought I could do better, how she'd always thought I wasn't giving 100%, how these stupid, little mistakes annoy her and again how she really thought I could do more...
So I told her that if she knew what I did all week long, she wouldn't say such things. That I was in fact doing more, teaching etc. And she went: "Oh, really? How many hours do you teach? 14, is it? Well, I did 22 while I was studying." She wasn't even meaning to be extra-bitchy. I guess it comes to her naturally.
Well, she well and truly pissed me off. How dare she?!?! But what pisses me off even more is that I let this ignorant cow ruin my evening and my sense of achievement. [They did a similar thing last week in my oral exam. After a quick comment that content-wise I had done okay, they went on and on about how in future exams I might want to be a bit more formal - well, they'd offered chocolates to begin with! -, which kinds of phrases not to use - they actually quoted me! ...That, too, had been a fair bit deflating, but at least they'd had a point there (and a slightly sore one at that).]
I guess I should see the bright side of being on the receiving end of teachers' talk for a change. So here's a big mental note to myself, actually several, written in bold, black letters on oversized, neon pink post-its:
a) Don't run people down who are already down.
b) Don't insinuate laziness where people might actually have done their best.
c) Nagging never motivated anyone.
d) Whatever happened to "Well done!"?
As to criticism directed at me, I hereby return to my old maxim (in fact, I never veered away): If you want to criticise me, write in on a piece of paper and throw it in the bin.
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