DEAR ABBY: I have read letters in your column from former students about teachers who inspired them and made a positive difference in their lives. However, my story is the opposite.
In my sophomore year of high school, my algebra teacher warped my thinking regarding mathematics. On more than one occasion, she informed me that I was a "stupid sophomore," and would "never amount to anything more than a patty flipper."
This woman had taught for many years, but no one in my class ever asked questions for fear of being ridiculed in front of everyone. Students who were in her classes long before me said she had always been like that.
I am now 25, a college graduate, and have a good job in the medical field. If there are any teachers reading this, PLEASE remember that what you say can stay with your students the rest of their lives. More emphasis should be put on the importance of good teachers and how much they are needed by new generations.
That teacher made a difference in my life, and it was anything but positive. I often wonder if I would have been better in math had my experience been different.
Thanks for letting me vent, Abby. Sign me ... DISGRUNTLED STUDENT WHO HASN'T FORGOTTEN
DEAR DISGRUNTLED: You have written an important letter. Young people often judge themselves by reactions they receive from others.
I saw a similar incident when I was an eighth-grader. In front of the class, my teacher predicted that an awkward young man "would never amount to anything." Of course, the students laughed at him -- and I learned later how devastating it was for him because his mother and mine were close friends.
The story has a happy ending, however. The boy grew up and became a successful lawyer. The only "failure" was the teacher, who didn't recognize potential when he saw it.