There is this teacher at my school who is constantly making threats. Everyone is terrified of her. My school psych says she thinks its really sad that students have to be afraid of a teacher. So I was wondering, do any of you have a teacher now or had a teacher that was threating? How did you deal with them?

[lynn P.]

Yes I had some very scary and weird teachers in grade school, but this was a long time ago and not relevent to how school is now. If I were you, I would get together with some other students who feel the same as you and go and complain to the principal. If you don't want to do that, you can all have your parents complain together - the more the better and mass people get better results. If that doesn't work, then your parents can go the next step and complain to the trustee of your school who works for the school board.

If you have a courageous student in your class, have him/her stand up and protest and give her an earfull. My 13 yr old daughter did this the other day to a substitute teacher who was in a bad mood and decided to embarrass my daughter for talking when she wasn't doing anything. You all have rights as students to be treated with dignity and to learn in a safe environment. This kind of thing makes me very mad. Get together with your fellow students and complain contructively until she gets the picture. Best of luck and don't take her rants.

[Travelinglady]

I'm wondering.....What kinds of threats does the teacher make?

[shezbut]

Yes, I have had very threatening teachers when I was in school. I don't think that we had school psychologists when I was in grade school...at least, I don't remember.

Interesting that the school psychologist has heard about this teacher from others, and yet she is still working there. It's definitely worth mentioning to your parents, so they can bring it up to the school principal immediately. IMO, teachers shouldn't ever be allowed to use brutality or emotional abuse to motivate students to do their work. It's ineffective and unacceptable!

Please do talk with your parents/caregiver(s) today. Gentle hugs to you!

I dont want to go to too much trouble to "fix" this teacher since it is the last semester of my senior year. Also I don't have her as a teacher per se she is actually my club sponsor. As for threats she makes usually they arent too unbearable. Usually they involve something like "dont be a minute late or i'll kick you out of the organization" or "you should do this or I will kick you out" or even sometimes "if I find out that you have done this I will make sure everyone knows about it and what you are "really" like" I don't know it just makes my anxiety spike with every stupid mistake I make. cause she knows everything not to mention the little minions she has running around that she calls her "officers". Ugh its just awful.

[nitwit99]

send an anonymous letter to the principal explaining what she does to people..

Originally Posted by katlover251

I dont want to go to too much trouble to "fix" this teacher since it is the last semester of my senior year. Also I don't have her as a teacher per se she is actually my club sponsor. As for threats she makes usually they arent too unbearable. Usually they involve something like "dont be a minute late or i'll kick you out of the organization" or "you should do this or I will kick you out" or even sometimes "if I find out that you have done this I will make sure everyone knows about it and what you are "really" like" I don't know it just makes my anxiety spike with every stupid mistake I make. cause she knows everything not to mention the little minions she has running around that she calls her "officers". Ugh its just awful.

[Perna]

My math/geometry teacher in tenth grade was a harridan and very strict and scary. If you didn't do your homework it was x points off the first time, x squared the second and x cubed the third, etc. and she'd flunk you that way, no excuses. I remember I was out sick a couple days and it was impossible to catch up because we were in a special National study so the way we were being taught and what we were being taught wasn't something my father could help me with (not my father's plane geometry :-) I ended up with a D in the course and had to retake geometry in summer school in another state so it wouldn't affect getting into college.

She got what was coming to her one day; a guy in my class' father was killed (Vietnam) and he came to school anyway but hadn't done his homework and she was raking him over the coals, she didn't know his father had just been killed but we did and for some reason he left a bit early and someone told her and she started giving us a hard time for not telling her, etc.

[Travelinglady]

Are any of the kids willing to tell their parents? An irrate parent can sometimes get a teacher back in line! Sounds like emotional abuse when she threatens to tell other kids what she know about somebody.....The kicking someone out of the club isn't quite as bad, I think, but still sounds mean. She sounds like she's "got some issues." Do you know how she acts in her regular classrooms?

[IceCreamKid]

Of course I can say this because I'm old and have nothing to lose in this situation, but I'd be so inclined to sigh and say to Ms Club Sponsor Sourpuss Pill:
"how dreadful, you're sucking the joy out of my club experience" and "I don't like threats" (I'm a big fan of the direct approach).

[Omers]

I had a high school math teacher who was threatening (come to find out my dad had him and my dad broke a 3 sided ruler on the teachers head). I also had a bully teacher in grad school. I responded to them like the bullies they were and claimed my power... and got thrown out of grad school...hmmm.... The math teacher, well the other teachers found out (I was a teachers pet with several) MAN did the put him in his place!
My advice would be to within your limits (you don't want to wreck your Sr year over them) don't let it be a secret. Make it as public as you SAFELY can that this is going on. Let other teachers know, administers, anyone who will listen and support you,

[lastyearisblank]

send an anonymous letter to the principal explaining what she does to people..

I understand the impulse behind this, but please don't do it. Teachers like this usually survive, even though everyone knows what they are like, because they have tenure. Nobody wants to rock the boat. But trust me, your other teachers are aware of what a terror your club sponsor is. Realize that she is a petty tyrant and -stay away!