I'm sure everyone had at least one in their class. Think back, can you remember that annoying person that would remind the teacher about homework? If you think you didn't have one - I have some bad news for you. 😂

I was always well behaved, and polite student, but also I would regularly speak my mind, voice my opinion and defend my truths. That got me in trouble every once in a while; I even ended up in the Principals office because I had my own personal computer at home - and the teacher insisted that I am lying.

I'll tell you that story in tomorrow's email.

I have a few bad teachers to thank

When I look back now, I feel that I would be a different person if weren't for those few asshole teachers that made me form early animosity towards school and authority because they've helped me to confirm that I am right and they are not.

One of the examples. My language teacher always favoured same five students throughout the entire middle-school to a degree where everyone would need to turn in their test, homework, paper - except them - because SHE KNEW they aced it and automatically got the highest grade.

Don't get me wrong - they were all top students. It wouldn't even bother me if I and one of her favourite student's didn't one time swapped our papers, and he still got the highest score and got an average.

That was one of the first, genuinely profound - fuck you moments I had in my formative years that are now plating in my armour. So - Thank you!

When someone has any bias towards you, or form a snap judgement and (wrong) opinion - I've learned - it's usually about them, not you. So don't stress about it. These days I'm not even mad. I try to help if I can. If not - we go our separate ways. I feel sorry for that type of people.

I'm sorry for the teachers' pets too. Being "yes men" and "people-pleasing" at an early age - that type of relationship with the teacher robbed them of their creativity and lateral thinking. Looking back now and comparing between "I want to draw whatever TF I want" and "Teacher, what do you want me to draw?" - grew up to very different individuals. Some are in creative industry and freelancing, and some are at a menial 9-5 repetitive job. Not saying the former is better, just saying I'm lucky I ended up in one of those.

I recently came across an article from UCLA - Teacher Bias and Its Impact on Teacher-Student Relationships: The Example of Favouritism. That referenced some excellent research into the subject and made me look at my school years in a different way. Give it a read; it's not long.

Cheers.

T.

Tom Kozacinski, sir Freelance-a-lot

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