Looking up Sr. Geraldine on Ratemyteachers.com reveals some extremely negative comments. While some of the nun's detractors admit she is good at her job, most are critical of her attitude. Online review sites should be taken with a grain of salt but in this case, I think those disapproving remarks are quite valid.
Contrary to the smiling educator featured on the cover of that letter, I found Sr. Geraldine to be a cold disciplinarian who largely interacted with students when they did something wrong. I had the pleasure of being sent to her office a few times, mostly for tardiness. Was I depressed about something? Were other students bullying me? Perhaps there was trouble at home. Sr. Geraldine wasn't interested in any of that. I broke the rules so some kind of punishment was needed to curtail such behavior. However, discipline without thoughtfulness fails to address a problem's root cause.
Around this time, an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced viewers to Lt. Barclay, a smart but anxious member of the crew who had trouble fitting in. When the chief engineer complained about this misfit's behavior, the ship's bar tender replied, “If I felt nobody wanted to be around me, I'd probably be late and nervous too.” Eventually, the chief engineer used understanding and encouragement to bring out the best in Lt. Barclay. The story really hit home with me. Too bad Sr. Geraldine didn't watch Star Trek!
When educators adopt a “one-size-fits-all” approach, they can do more harm that good. My quirky history teacher, Mr. Kawczynski loved playing devil's advocate because he thought it would build confidence. For me, it created a climate of intimidation. One particular discussion on morality led Mr. K to ask if we would ever pose nude in a magazine for a large sum of money. Some of us said no so he kept upping the price to change our minds. After he reached the multi-million dollar mark, I was the only one who still refused the hypothetical offer. A wisecracking student asked what I had hidden in my pants that was worth so much. The class got a good laugh but it was at my expense.
During tests, Mr. K sometimes whistled to break our concentration. He said if we had focused minds like that of a Kung fu master, we wouldn't be distracted. While discussing the need for more class participation, I got singled out as an example of a shy kid. He then proceeded to do an exaggerated imitation of me struggling to ask questions. Most reviewers on Ratemyteachers.com acknowledge Mr. Kawczynski's challenging behavior but they also praise him. One student says, “Those who left bad reviews were probably a bit over sensitive...” Call me overly sensitive but I don't think being mocked in front of the entire class made such a good learning environment.
When a teacher's personality clashes with a student, whose problem is it? Since the job of an educator is to EDUCATE, more should be done to reach struggling students even if it means changing tactics. Would the school descend into anarchy if Sr. Geraldine tried being friendlier? Did Mr. Kawczynski have to shoot down all of our arguments with such vigor? Our teen years can be extremely awkward because there is so much we don't know. Sometimes students need their teachers to be mentors, not taskmasters.
As memories of high school fade into the background we tend to remember the things that made a big impression. I don't recall many of the lessons from my classes but those bad experiences sure do stand out. Inside that Sr. Geraldine retirement letter was space to write a personal note about her “positive” impact. Sadly, I didn't have anything to say.
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