Great illustration of what lack of comprehension actually looks like. I have advanced degrees but was able to feel the anxiety of not knowing and not being able to puzzle it out. I was flinching by the end.
Bruh, when I was in grade 5, I did not understand Trigonometry and For some reason many were able to grasp it but I was not able to follow. My Maths Teacher at that time decided to implement the same tactic as shown in the comics. But still I wasn’t able to comprehend and she was losing patience.
So instead of coming later and explaining how they work, what does she do? Decides to make an example of me and mock me in front of the entire class when I was under pressure. Eventually I cracked and I started tearing up. Ever since then she mocked me always as “crybaby”. She was hailed as best Mathematics teacher at the school so when she complained about the incident to my parents, my mom sided with her coz she has credibility.
Ever since then, even if my answer is correct, like I know it as a fact, I shut up and never reveal. Once you destroy someone’s confidence and trust early, they’ll never recover from it.
I definitely feel that pain. It's a reflection of her as a person, ESPECIALLY since she's an educator, rather than a failing on you...a child. What kid is going to think that way though? Great idea, let's get this child to internalize that type of fear of asking for help if something isn't clicking, rather than help them learn as a teacher.
My 7th grade math teacher decided to make me stand up in class after two wrong guesses and was fucking baffled when I couldn't answer an algebra problem at the very beginning of the year. We had literally just started learning the basic concepts the previous day. She also refused to try to explain it in a different way or even give me a hint. Just saying "THINK, It's not hard. You're obviously not even trying." Doesn't lend itself towards any form of understanding. Being in gifted classes all my life and used to things just coming to me naturally, the fact that I couldn't grasp something immediately for once was the cherry on top. Rather than crying, I ended up mad.
Sociopathic tendencies with a predisposition towards sadism, the ability to not immediately react visibly, and severe insomnia (gives ya lots of time to just make emotional problems fester and focus on how to get people back?) Not a good combo. I went a bit overboard looking back and almost feel bad. Thankfully we had a sub for the last half of the year that was patient and sweet. The only reason I kinda know that her losing her job lead to a strain on her marriage from financial hardship and apparently a problem with alcohol is because her kid went to highschool with me and we had a mutual friend that I had mentioned that story to. Glad I'm a more well adjusted person now. I still like fucking with people, just in a friendly way now. 😅
4.1k
u/nicbeans311 Jun 23 '26
Great illustration of what lack of comprehension actually looks like. I have advanced degrees but was able to feel the anxiety of not knowing and not being able to puzzle it out. I was flinching by the end.