Why I Blame My Teachers for Some of My Failures

It seemed fitting that today would be the day that Richard Branson  tweeted this. "Traditional education models are somewhat limited, education needs to be practical & unbundled."  I felt empowered to know that the world's most popular philanthropist agrees with me.  (Well, at least partly.)

Some teachers, suck!  Period.

Now, do not misunderstand me, there are a lot of great teachers out there. But, the ones who aren't can hinder your progress a great deal.

I am a professional writer and it is my passion.

It wasn't easy for me to get to this point in my career. In fact, it wasn't until I started to talk to a career coach on KiniChat that I even considered it. A bad experience in school was holding me hostage and leading me to play the victim she explained to me.  This advice helped me to see my limitations and overcome living in the past.  Once I was able to do that, I was well on my way to becoming the successful writer that I am today.

Why did this debacle happen in the first place?

I blame some my teachers for it.  The ones who lacked creativity, empathy and a vision of the future. And yes, they still exist because they have tenure.  Tenure is something that should change. It allows bad teachers to stay employed longer than they should.

A Lack of consideration for social awkwardness.

I was a teenager and I lacked a great deal of confidence. Like most of the bullies in school, some teachers preyed on this.  If you do not think teachers can be bullies, you are mistaken.  They are human and they make judgements too.

I was afraid to question things, so I accepted lower grades even when I felt that I had earned higher ones.

English composition was my achilles heal. If I couldn't get good grades here, journalism was out of the question.  So, I chose marketing instead.  I wasn't good at telling other people's stories. But, I am quite capable of telling my own.

Teachers need to have good interpersonal skills. These are more valuable to students than public speaking.

Curriculum Sickness set in.

Because I do not have any other term for it, this is what I call a teacher who lacks any creative process. They follow the set guidelines and never step out of the box.  It boring and creates a lack of motivation. Many teachers seem to have this ailment.

Teachers need to step outside the box, be fun and inventive.

I am not a Robot.

Not every student learns at the same pace or can do the same tasks.  School is not created for the individual, great teachers understand this concept. They find ways to make each student learn the material even if it means trying funky ways in which to explain it.

Every student has a great subject they excel at. Teachers should focus on helping students expand on it. The current curriculum does not allow for this type of creative freedom but this needs to change.

Like many of my friends and colleagues, I was taught to believe that you shouldn't question authority. If it was not for the people who think and stand outside of the box, we would be living in the dark ages.

You must use your voice to be heard, writing is mine.  I hope that the world listens.  Our children's education is important.

The world has evolved, and so should the education system.  It needs to be more individual focused, more open to challenge and more hands on.

People learn by doing, why isn't anyone putting this concept into practice?  Seems like a plan that even Richard Branson can get behind.