Math homework and my anxiety

[Kristina223]

Yesterday we had to post our math homework on a forum. Today, the teacher revised them and guess what ... everybody had it right, except me. I don't care if I didn't know how to make that graph, but I am almost having a panic attack because everybody will see I was wrong ... and I'm thinking how they're gonna think I'm stupid and can't even draw a graph ... I can barely breathe right now. On top of it, my sister with her family just came over to visit and now I'll have to socialize, which certainly isn't going to help. I'm just so mad at myself because something that unimportant can affect me so much. A stupid math homework, for Christ's sake ...

 

[kihira]

That's a bit mean of the teacher allowing students to see each other's work, I would never do that. Anyway, the other students probably wont care that you got it wrong, as you say its only a graph and who cares about those? In your maths forum, everyone will post a mistake from time to time, if they don't then they're cheating

 

[Kristina223]

Yeah, I'm trying to calm myself down with assuring myself that nobody will care ... But then there's also the teacher's response ... She responded to my work with something like this (it wont be exact, because I have to translate it into English): "The table is correct, but the graph isn't (yet)." And then she added that smiley with his mouth sideways .. which tells a lot. So now I'm pretty nervous about that, too ... Because I feel like teachers hate me because I never speak in class and don't participate like I should. And in a few months I'll have to ask at least 2 teachers to give a survey for my research to some of their classes .. and I don't have any idea who to ask, because nobody likes me.

 

[Feathers]

Kristina, I'm pretty sure the teacher only used the forum to make it more interesting for you guys.. And if she added (yet) it means you can correct it and send in new results, which is what I recommend you to do!
Check the theory and similar exercises again, or ask someone to help?

I was one of the better students in class and never thought any worse of someone who didn't know something or didn't solve it right, if they were trying hard.. I often helped others if they asked me too.. See if maybe someone can help?

And maybe she didn't know which smiley to use. Is this better? :: There are at least four+ worse smileys!!

You could talk to the teacher (privately) and say it makes you feel uncomfortable if anyone can see results, can there be a different way of handing stuff in? (Like e-mail or something? Or a password-protected private forum for any individual student that would prefer it?) And maybe anonymous results like with numbers? (Like at Universities?)

If you need to ask teachers anything, maybe go for those you like? Do you have a favorite subject? Can you make some extra effort and be nice to them, then they'll cooperate more easily!!
Believe me, teachers are not paid to bite students heads off!! They just have to look 'mean' because of the disorderly ones!!

Believe me, teachers usually like the quiet students much better than the disorderly ones!!

 

[Kristina223]

If you need to ask teachers anything, maybe go for those you like? Do you have a favorite subject? Can you make some extra effort and be nice to them, then they'll cooperate more easily!!
Believe me, teachers are not paid to bite students heads off!! They just have to look 'mean' because of the disorderly ones!!

Believe me, teachers usually like the quiet students much better than the disorderly ones!!

Our class is very quiet so we don't have problems with disorderly students. The problem in our class is that we are quiet. Too quiet. When a teacher asks something, we don't answer, so they get annoyed very often and they call us "passive", "without energy", even stupid ... But my classmates at least speak once in a while, whereas I NEVER do. Even when I know the answer ... I just can't speak,the words just don't come out ... I wouldn't bare hearing my voice in a silent classroom. Last week I had to read out loud and I barely made it. I couldn't breathe and couldn't even finish the whole paragraph because I was out of breath.
As for the extra efforts ... Here we have no such things. All you can do is that you do your homework regularly and participate in class.

 

[Feathers]

It's good you don't have disorderly students!

Well, in my experience often passive teachers with no energy complain why the students have no energy, and this may also be a reflection of teaching ways... In her defense, University rarely teaches how to be great teachers... and there is the curriculum and such.. It's still very unprofessional to call you stupid or such.. You (or someone braver in the class or class president) could make a complaint to your homeroom teacher, or at least ask if she can talk to that teacher to at least skip the insults?

By 'extra effort' I meant you could smile to the teacher/s or offer to help erase the blackboard or carry/pick up books/help with papers/tests (not too much though, just if they really need it) or open the door or such..

Also something else. I noticed that I could get upset over 'insignificant' things (like part-grades) in the past when I was under a lot of stress from other things. So think about it. Maybe there are other things (eg parents losing jobs or getting a divorce etc) that also contribute to the stress?

Which grade are you in? 1st grade of secondary school?

I don't think any teacher would fail you just because of not participating or not well done homework, HW is to learn from. Especially if you explain you're shy. Participation can improve your grades though. So make sure to study enough and do a lot of homework and exercises? Or get tutoring?

 

[Kristina223]

Also something else. I noticed that I could get upset over 'insignificant' things (like part-grades) in the past when I was under a lot of stress from other things. So think about it. Maybe there are other things (eg parents losing jobs or getting a divorce etc) that also contribute to the stress?

Well, my whole life is stressful. Every single aspect of it .. family, school, social life (or absence of it) ... So yes, I get upset about pretty much everything.

Which grade are you in? 1st grade of secondary school?

I'm a senior, which in our country is the 4th grade of high school.

I don't think any teacher would fail you just because of not participating or not well done homework, HW is to learn from. Especially if you explain you're shy. Participation can improve your grades though. So make sure to study enough and do a lot of homework and exercises? Or get tutoring?

They can't fail me, the only problem is that I'm afraid they won't help me with the research ... Because they don't HAVE to give my surveys to their other classes, they can only do it if they WANT to ... And why would you help somebody who doesn't say a word in your class and doesn't participate one bit?
I don't have problems with my grades though, they're quite good. But that doesn't help me much, because professors are still thinking how passive and lazy I am. So I really don't have any idea what I'm gonna do with that survey ...

 

[Feathers]

Yeah, 4th grade can be quite stressful, which University or career to choose, etc. A friend of mine was soo stressed through whole 4th year.. She then aced all exams, went to University she loved and is now working at a job she loves, has lots of friends and has a great boyfriend/partner.. (She was single for quite a long time before that!)

You don't have to have it all figured out in 4th year yet!! (even if it sometimes feels so!!) And things can get way better at University!! You'll meet lots of fun new people etc.

Okay, surveys: what happened at a school is that 2 girls would knock on the door of a random class (even of teachers who never taught them anything!!) and ask if they can give questionnaires to the students (they had a nice short little intro), the teacher usually nodded, and the kids were happy to do the questionnaires as it filled up a portion of the class!!

With the SA, you might ask a classmate to go with you, or give it to two more sociable but reliable classmates (maybe in exchange for ice-cream or something?)
Or, you could approach a nice and friendly (perhaps new/younger? or older, near retirement?) teacher and ask nicely.

If your grades are quite good, the teachers will probably wanna help you anyway...