I feel that fourth and fifth grades were very difficult for me. I always had girls who would try to make friends with me, but the “popular” girls would somehow deter them and tell them that they should not be my friends. I always got good grades and was labeled as such. My parents had high expectations for my grades, so I pushed myself to do the best I could and complete all my homework to a t. I was also a lover of many sports, although I lacked coordination. I loved horses and would discuss this subject with whoever would listen – mostly teachers. I also loved running and playing soccer. I tried softball and other sports, but my lack of coordination led to my lack of interest in these areas. I was always very shy, and the other students made fun of this. They also labeled me as ugly. I would overhear the boys in my class making fun of my looks. I don’t know if this is what you’re looking for for this class as the video did not show up, but I hope it’s alright.
Memories of Adolescence
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September 29, 2009 at 1:45 am |
Heidi,
My experience in 4th and 5th grades was similar. I was labeled as nerdy for getting good grades and only had a few friends. I was also very uncoordinated and had allergies and asthma which prevented me from joining sports entirely. My teammates would groan when I was placed on their team by the gym teacher.
Did things change for you as you got older? I know that when I was in class, my classmates were mostly nice to me because they wanted me to be in their groups so they would get good grades. For some reason, I was nice to them while they were nice to me. But these experiences had a large impact on my decision to become a teacher.
Danielle Leiter
September 30, 2009 at 8:42 pm |
Wow! I guess many of us go through the same things when we are not part of the popular crowd. I was labeled the teacher’s pet for years also. I got picked on a lot cause of my looks. And I was not too coordinated either.
I also loved horses. I did however get to show them at local events and at fairs. I was fortunate to live on a small farm and we had several horses.
October 2, 2009 at 1:10 am |
Heidi,
When it came to the relationships with the girls in my class we had a very similar experience. I hung out with the boys because the girls would try to make trouble for me. I was just being nice when I said they were a different breed. I also had the same problem that when I tried to make friends with other girls the “popular” girls would try to find a reason or a way to get my new friend to dislike me. I feel that my love of sports was another reason they treated me so badly. I was very athletic and was not always a shining start, but I was athletic enough that they dislike me.
October 2, 2009 at 6:33 pm |
Heidi,
I am sorry that you had to feel that way! Kids can be sooo mean and cruel! I am sure you looked great but you were just shy! Our experiences were different…but I also remember a time when the boys would make fun of my laugh…because I laughed a lot and my big 80′s bangs (the day my dad had to do them) that was the last time he did them!! I also tried very hard for my grades too. My mom was a great student so she always pushed me to do my very best!
Hopefully, as educators we can reach out and help those kids that feel left out or teased in some way to help build their self-esteem and self worth!