I was told not to offer assistance to another student in my class.

[highway17]

I'm taking a Multimedia Apps class in my senior year in high school, and another student sitting next to me had a problem with where to save his project. I'm a assistant network administrator at my high school during my off periods, so I know quite a bit about how the school's network is configured, and how each computer is set up. I'm also helping teachers with their own computer problems.

Anyway, I was explaining to the student that every student has a set amount of space to save to on the server (the server being a remote location where each student has 16MB of space to save things.) and that they needed to save the project on the desktop.

The teacher, standing right there, said to me (but didn't look at me) "um, (my name), what is the um...issue." I explained the scenario.

She said "Alright......you are not to help others, you are to just look at them and say "I cannot help you."

To be frank, I was quite offended, I looked at her and said "There's no way that I'm just going to look at somebody and say that I can't help them, it is insulting to me, and it is insulting to the person I'm helping. It doesn't help them, and they just waste more time waiting for an answer than if I already know the answer and can assist them."

She said nothing, and walked away to help another student.


Was I justified in helping the student, and was my response to her ridiculous command justified?  Many students who have taken a class with this particular teacher have said she's a bitch.

[Recusant]

To me it sounds as if the teacher is insecure, and sees your willingness to help as a usurpation of her position. Challenging her will only lead to a more unpleasant situation down the road, I think. Maybe you could try talking with her (not while there are other students around) and possibly negotiate some way that you can work with her rather than against her, perhaps by asking her permission before offering advice, so that she doesn't feel like you're flouting her authority. It's a drag, but an insecure person in a position of power can use their power to make life very unpleasant for somebody they see as a threat. I strongly recommend that you try to get her to see you as respecting her authority while still wanting to be helpful to your fellow students.

[highway17]

Strangely enough, the main network admin said to do that exact same thing. (He agrees that she's very insecure.)  I tried, but she gave the response of "I don't have the time, nor the desire to dilly dally in worthless emotions." and told me to leave the room. (This was after class, at the end of the day.) The main network admin said to accept that she's insecure, and just bite your tongue. I stopped asking the teacher questions a long time ago, as I would always just Google my own questions. Yeah, it sucks, but if someone asks for your help, make sure you apologize to them, and direct them to ask the teacher.

This really bothered me all day, and I couldn't understand how or why somebody would say something like that.

[Tank]

I think Recusent and the admin boss have it right. Try not to challenge her publicly in her classroom, that will end badly as she will almost definitely overreact. If a classmate needs help and you have the time and knowledge then help as it's unreasonable behaviour on the part of the teacher to stop you. Don't let this get to you some people are odd and there is little/nothing you can do about it.

[Crow]

See if there is a way that you can help out in the class with the teacher, its good experience dealing with people and also tests your own knowledge. I use to give software lectures at university as I knew more about the packages than my tutors, it was a great experience that helped me work on public speaking and tested my knowledge of the subject. She is a teacher so by allowing you to gain/improve knowledge of the subject by allowing you to interact with other students she is doing her job, to stop you from doing so she is failing, not only that but she may be failing other students because some may be more comfortable learning from a fellow student than a teacher and she will most likely be busy when somebody needs help.

[Tank]

^^^ What crow said, a teacher is a facilitator of learning and a good one will use all opportunities presented and if that's peer learning then great.

[highway17]

Thank you all for the suggestions!

[Whitney]

Personally, I'd file a complaint with the principle stating exactly what you told us (minus the network admin comment so as to not get him in trouble) and how it made you feel.  There are a lot of good teachers out of work right now and if your teacher isn't good she needs to be moved out so a worty teacher can be given a job.  But, that's just me and what I would do is probably affected by the fact that I am friends with a lot of teachers and know how much it frustrates and concerns even them when another teacher is not doing a good job.

[xSilverPhinx]

I really loathe this type of person in a teaching position, and yes, if you challenge her in any way she'll probably try to make your life very difficult. Pecking order means all the world to these people. Trust me, I know.

I still think you should file a complaint though, with her boss. If the boss is also involved or of no help, then file one with one higher up.

Also, I think you shouldn't give in to her insecure demands, even if it means trying to help the other students via other means, right under her nose. Otherwise she wins.  

[Stevil]

If you are defiant you run the risk of getting a bad grade, if the issue has been brought to the priciples attention first then you may have some defence if you contest the grade, but you are between a rock and a hard place.

[Asmodean]

Try not to challenge her publicly in her classroom, that will end badly as she will almost definitely overreact.

...Unless you think you can win, which may still end badly... Or force her to resign. Can take quite a bit of metaphorical bloodshed, but there are ways.

[Will]

I also believe you were justified and acting ethically in helping out your classmate. If I were struggling in a class, I would be very thankful to anyone that offered to help me, and if I were in a position to help someone else in class, I would. And as a teacher, I would appreciate the assistance.

[highway17]

If you are defiant you run the risk of getting a bad grade, if the issue has been brought to the priciples attention first then you may have some defence if you contest the grade, but you are between a rock and a hard place.

Thing is, she treats every other adult in the school...like adults. But she gets very impatient very quickly with us students. Going to the principal would just get me a "I don't believe you" response, and it'd be a made a bigger deal than it's worth becoming.

Odd thing was, she actually talked to be today, but it's almost like she was afraid to talk to me... a very quiet, very careful about how she chose her words type of scenario....

[Sweetdeath]

File a complaint. It's more than worth it to get a bad teacher out of school.  If she has no patience, she shouldn't be a teacher!

Back in 9th grade, we got a new math teacher from  haiti.  His accent was thick and his teaching methods were a joke.  At the end if the semister, 19/22 kids failed, including me.  We rallied together and signed a petition to get him fired.  It took a while, but we kept the idiotic principle under fire and it worked.

So worth it.

[Asmodean]

Yeah... Studying with a bad teacher does dent the quality of learning after all. And dented quality of learning leads to dented quality of knowledge and that may ultimately lead to not being as good at what you're doing as you could have been.