"No Pressure"

"Class, now remember this test will count as fifty percent of your final grade, and you have ninety minutes to complete all ninety open ended questions. No pressure, but this grade will be carried with you throughout your high school careers."

No pressure. Right. You always say things just like this, expecting too much of us, and then add "no pressure" as if that helps us succeed. After so many years, one would think that you would know better. After all, many of you have been "teaching" for half your lives. Maybe you're the ones who need to learn. It's the students who are supposed to be getting the most out of school, and we can't do that if our teachers don't teach. Some of you just don't teach - you put problems on the board or make us read the textbook aloud. Half of you can't even explain things that we don't understand. Isn't that what teachers are for? If we didn't need that, we would be able to learn from computers.

So you don't teach, and then you expect us to get perfect scores on ridiculous tests that make no sense. I mean, half the questions aren't even based on anything in the book, or our lessons. And when half the class fails, you just say, "I thought the questions were fine. I'm surprised you had trouble with them." Yeah, and you're the one who doesn't have a clue what the answers are supposed to be. You use your little answer key if anyone has a question, and don't even notice when there is an error on it. That says something to me.

Oh, and what's the deal with those group projects? You could at least give us time in class to work on them. You assign them and then expect us to be able to present them just a few days later. Or we have a week before they're due, but you just tell us to work on them on our own time. What "own time"? The little free time we have is spent having fun or just hanging out with friends. So you want us to meet on our own time - and remember, we have to find a time and place that works for all of us - just to do your stupid work? You could have at least had the generosity to give us a few days to work on it in class. But no, that would be something different and of course you can't do that.

You don't respect us. If you did, you wouldn't be able to treat us the way you do. We're the cause of all your gray hairs, all your problems. We stress you out? Welcome to the club. Guess you know how it feels, don't you. Ever wonder why there are always a couple of students who are hostile towards you? Because they're fed up with the way you treat us. You overestimate our mental abilities, but then underestimate us as people. We are not children anymore. You have to stop treating us as if we were. I know it's hard for you, we still look young, but we at least deserve some respect.

"No pressure," it's always "no pressure." You think we believe you when you say that? Of course we don't. Because "no pressure" would mean that we would have room to breathe, that we would be allowed to make mistakes. Every little thing isn't the difference between life and death, you know. Why isn't being "very good" most of the time good enough? Why do we have to be "superior" every moment? You say you only want the best for us, but your actions show otherwise. If you keep pushing us, we'll fall. It's only natural. And when all the pressure keeps weighing us down, and we crack under the strain, you won't understand. Because you never put any pressure on us. So of course, it's our fault, like everything else is. But you know what? You're wrong. I know it's hard to admit, you're so set in your ways, but admit it. You're wrong. So, do you want to know what you can do to make life easier for yourself, and us? Change. Listen to us, answer our questions, teach us, respect us. If you do, you'll notice a change in us as well. There are many teachers that are loved and respected by the students. Why can't you be one of them? Be fair to us, and we'll be grateful. If you treat us like you want to be treated, we'll do the same for you. Just try it. We could all use less pressure in our lives, and you can help us get there.