Truths My Teacher Told Me

[Switch625]

This thread is about things you learned from a teacher/professor/instructor/whatever that had nothing to do with the curriculum.

The scene is a college art/design class, the first session of the semester. The instructor walks in wearing a ratty t-shirt, olive drab pants, and sandals. After greeting the class, he said the following:

"People always say that artists are different. That creative people don't think the way others do. That's bullsh!t. But, it's bullsh!t that you can use. Look at me. I couldn't get away with dressing like this if I weren't an artist. Because you are artists, people will hold you to a different standard. You can use that to your advantage."

 

[CurtSibling]

Haw!

From an art teacher, that is a classic.

Art teaching does not try and creat innovative artists,
it is geared to churning out boring mundane artists that the lecturer board approves of.

My diploma class was full of bums trying to suck up to the lecturer,
by drawing what he wanted to see, what a pretentious bunch they were!

I was the only cartoonist, and he lecturer hated my style.
I found out later he had been rejected by Marvel 6 times!

That made me grin, for I have worked for DC!

I got my diploma anyway, I now I am an artist by trade.
So I proved my lecturer wrong in the long run!

 

[insurgent]

I learned from my history teacher that Canada was the largest country of the world and that Portugal got into NATO and EU because of the liquors...

 

[Pellaken]

your history teacher hasent looked at a map, canada aint the biggest country in the world
although... this is a good topic for a poll.

 

[Becka]

Well, my Spanish teacher is always teaching us valuable life lessons.

 

[anarchywrksbest]

My P7 teacher continually tried to to teach me that there is only ONE American Continent and refused to accept that there are two event when I showed her proof....

 

[insurgent]

Originally posted by Pellaken
your history teacher hasent looked at a map, canada aint the biggest country in the world
although... this is a good topic for a poll.

Well, that's the point. The Portuguese didn't enter the EU or NATO because of their liquor either...

 

[Orioles3386]

My chemistry teacher taught us all kinds of useless information....like how to avoid a SWAT team and the proper way to play tricks on your classmates....

My history teacher in 8th grade was full of that stuff to....but he was more into teasing certain idiots in the class. He had one girl totally convinced that across the street from the hill on our town seal was a giant hen that layed exactly one dozen perfect eggs every day (really there is a convenience store called the White Hen across from the hill)....

 

[starlifter]

My high school physics teacher actually taught us that vacuums nullify gravity. That's why satellites float arond the earth, and things get lighter as you gain altitude (things get lighter!).

Naturally, I questioned him closely on this, particularly because I had already completed College Freshman Honors Physics I during the preceeding summer (at UT Arlington).

But... he then decided to prove it to us!! He diligently brought in a vacuum pump, jar, some objects, and proceeded to pump the air out --. naturally, things didn't float, so he explained it by saying the vacuum was not 100%, but the objects were really a lot "lighter" if they could be weighed. What bunk. He did not enjoy my reply.

Since the "teacher" would normally not answer me anyway by that point, I explained, over his objections, to the class that in fact the objects were heavier, as the air they displaced was now less dense. This is application of Archimedes Principle. He informed me I was no longer part of the 18 person class, and to sit in the back of the room. LOL, most of the class joined me back there (it was a long classroom ).

What did he teach me that year? Nothing about Physics that I recall. Waht did I learn? A lot about real life! And 5 years later I was teaching physics part-time (I was a full time Air Force "rocket scientist") at a local high school and college.... the right way!

<obligingly and confidently takes a seat in the back>

PS, How was my physics teacher chosen? Years later, I found out from another teacher that before the school year started, the principal met with the teachers, told them the school was obliged to offer a class of Physics because a student had used the district petition process to force it at the end of the prior school year so college bound people could be prepared. The principal asked the teachers who among them had a credential to teach physics.... several did, and no one wanted to do it -- the assignment was dreaded by teachers because it had to be offered one hour before school started to avoid the schedule conflicts of those that were taking it. But one teacher was McCulley, who added in a sarcastic quip... "and I also installed a garage door opener last summer". He was immediatly picked -- And you probably guessed... that the student learned the value of knowing the legal process at 16. And of course, the nephyte to the maze of regulations was yours truly .

 

[insurgent]

That, I must say, was an interesting story...

 

[Hitro]

What grade did you get in that year?

 

[Lucky]

Most of my teachers actually taught me correct things.

But especially my English teachers were great with their superb pronounciation!

 

[Switch625]

Originally posted by CurtSibling
Haw!

From an art teacher, that is a classic.

Art teaching does not try and creat innovative artists,
it is geared to churning out boring mundane artists that the lecturer board approves of.

My diploma class was full of bums trying to suck up to the lecturer,
by drawing what he wanted to see, what a pretentious bunch they were!

I was the only cartoonist, and he lecturer hated my style.
I found out later he had been rejected by Marvel 6 times!

That made me grin, for I have worked for DC!

I got my diploma anyway, I now I am an artist by trade.
So I proved my lecturer wrong in the long run!

Good story, Curt! So, tell me, what function did you fill at DC? Since I still buy comics, mostly DC titles, I'd be interested to know if you were published w/byline and if so, on what title(s)?

[edited for clarity]

 

[Cunobelin Of Hippo]

My history/geography teacher taught us trench hand-to-hand warefare during a WW1 unit, complete with quasi-violent demonstrations on unsuspecting volunteers

Also gave us advice on anti-burglar combat, like specifically where you ought to stab an intruder with a typical kitchen knife for greatest blood spilling effect.

 

[Sodapop]

My history teacher 2 years ago told us that WW2 began in june and finished in october

oh, and he told that it was the 40-45 war

All the same day

 

[CurtSibling]

Originally posted by Unknown soldier
My history teacher 2 years ago told us that WW2 began in june and finished in october

oh, and he told that it was the 40-45 war

All the same day

Did this guy become a teacher by collecting special cornflake tokens?

 

[Cunobelin Of Hippo]

Originally posted by CurtSibling


Did this guy become a teacher by collecting special cornflake tokens?

One of mine did. Declared that Central America was a distinct continent from North America then proceded to put a fat red line through 'Therefore' on an essay of mine, only to scrawl 'So' in its place Sorry lady, didn't mean to use such a big word.

 

[Håkan Eriksson]

I one had a teacher (math) who spent a whole year convincig us that it was a good thing investing money in the stockmarket.

One day he sad he sad he had saved money all year and now he would quit his job and become a "day-trader" (a person that spends way to much time thinking about money).

But two days after that the IT-market chrached he lost A LOT of money (never told us how much ).

He never spoke about the stockmarket again after that and is still teaching.........

 

[Kefka]

I learned that to teach health you actually don't have to be very healthy in fact you can be a huge 300 pound fat stinky guy with horrible rotting teeth and you are still qualified to teach HEALTH!

 

[History_Buff]

Ya Kefka I've seen that too. That and my science teacher taught me that noble gases dont form compounds. Then she tried to get me suspended for saying she was wrong.