What do you think of students who make comments when they oppose something you said?

Question

Well, today it was the end of the period, and the teacher was telling us some random information since he is a science teacher, and then all of a sudden he just stops and says, "You guys could've started your homework right now, but you decided to pack up." That made me mad because first of all, we were listening to him, and second of all, there was barely any time. There's no point in doing one question, when it's more effective to sit down at home and do the whole thing through. I didn't say anything bad, but I did say, "There's only 2 minutes left anyway," but I guess in a mean way, and I said it loudly on purpose, because I just didn't care if he heard.

This girl was kind of laughing and saying not to be so loud, because he heard me, and then he started acting all disappointed, so I think he did. Plus, I'm 'the shy kid', so he might've not expected me to get mad.

Would you feel offended, and should I have kept my mouth shut? Should kids speak up when they disagree?

Answer 1

There is a kid in my class that opposes what I say all the time, and it makes me mad.  It's not him opposing me that makes me mad, it's the way he does it.  He also makes comments that are very critical of me.  For instance, I was teaching a Math lesson that was not going very well, and only two students were actively participating in the lesson.  He told me that more people would be paying attention if I made it more interesting.  That was a direct criticism without giving any suggestions on how to do that.  That made me mad.  I normally go to great odds to make my lessons interesting and engaging, and with this particular lesson, it was difficult to do that.  Therefore, it made me mad when he made that comment.

On the other hand, I have many students who oppose me, but in a respectful way, and I am usually willing to listen to them.  It's all in the way you go about it.  If you'd raised your hand and said to the teacher "We are packing up because we only have a few minutes left, and we'd rather do all the questions at the same time at home", he'd probably understand.  However, by your account of what happened, I would feel like you were not respecting me as a teacher.

Answer 2

It's all in how you say things.  Yelling out in class annoys teachers, regardless.  You could have said the exact same sentence in a different tone of voice and not come off as a smart aleck,and of course the girl laughing didn't help your case any.  Teachers deserve the same respect as your parents do.

Answer 3

I wouldn't feel offended, but I would peg you as a smart alec.  

That's a situation where it's just better to keep your mouth shut.  You sound like you're fairly diligent in getting your work done, but that may not be the case for other kids in class...he may have been trying to get a point across.

You're allowed to disagree with the teacher, but coming off as disrespectful is never a good idea.  Whatever you think of their methods, they're still your teacher.

Answer 4

I was like you and now I'm a teacher.   Imagine that?  Think hard about how you say something--anything--to anyone.  Words are not just the verbiage itself  (look it up     you're smart)...

And  to answer your question I wouldn't have gotten mad...middle and high school kids always say stuff off the cuff and don't think.  Just be sure you get over that when you get a job OK?   :)

Answer 5

I wouldn't be offended, but usually talking back (especially without raising your hand, since there wasn't a two-way discussion going on) isn't a great idea, and this doesn't sound like an important enough thing to risk your reputation on.  I think you should probably not have said anything, but that doesn't mean that you should always keep your mouth shut with teachers.This just sounds like he was annoyed that people were packing up during class.  I see your point, but there might be those who aren't getting their homework done and he might be trying to point out that if they handled things differently, they could easily do it.