THE INJUSTICE STUDENTS FACE AT SCHOOL (STUDENT POV)

​This Throwback was written by one of our Hall of Fame youth, Nidia Dominguez a few years ago…

Ring!! The bell rings; it’s time to say the hallways goodbyes. You rush to your class and take your seat. Patiently, you wait for your teacher to set up and begin class. As your teacher explains the material, you don’t seem to understand it much so you raise your hand expecting to get called on and expecting to get an answer. Instead, you receive a long stare, which states the obvious, both you and your teacher know that you have a question. After a while, you feel like a fool with your arm raised in the air and maybe even a little bit tired. It’s an exchange I’ve seen too often, and then the student and teacher tend to engage in an argument.
Student shouts out: “Hey Mrs. / Mr. I have a question.”
Teacher interrupts: “I am not answering questions right now!”
Student replies: “But I don’t understand.”
And the only response you get back is a grumpy voice from the teacher saying: “Well you should already know this.”

Should people like these be called teachers? Are they really doing their job? I don’t think so. This is one of the many examples of uncaring teachers. Many teachers seem to care more about the money they earn, instead of the knowledge a student gains. Other examples of the lack of interest towards students are:
• No second chances for a valid excuse.
• Not wanting to understand a student.
• Not explaining the material.
• Punishments (ex; quiz tomorrow) for no reason.
• Yelling at you, “I already went to college, and if you learn or not, I’m still getting paid.” (How is that supposed to help?)
• Lose your work, which leads you to do it again.
• Expect you to know the material being taught. (If you should know it, why teach it?)

Do you believe teachers like this should continue to teach? We as students are constantly experiencing situations like these, but what can we do to fix this? As students, we should address this to an adult or a parent that can take it over to the school system. “Education is very important,” something true and said by teachers everyday, but why should they tell you this and not set the examples themselves?

Nidia Dominguez