For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for November 10, 2016

oh, joy

I’ve always disliked teachers who were masters of intimidation.

Wouldn’t it be nice if schools were to extend their ‘zero-tolerance for bullying’ policies to include teachers?

I, too, never liked teachers who used sarcasm to embarrass a student….especially for something like this. Obviously Mike is embarrassed because his face is green….couldn’t the teacher understand that and just say, “You’re late, boys. Sit down and open your books”.

While the teacher’s comments in this instance could be misinterpreted as being cruel, I have to agree with the final panel’s commentary. Sometimes sarcasm is a sanity saver.

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Sarcasm and irony have always been my weapons of choice – traits that, for good or worse, I inherited from my father, who was a master of the sarcastic quip.

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The only problem with the use of irony and sarcasm is that it is often lost on the person(s) it is directed at. I have often shot an acerbic barb at someone, only to have them take it as a compliment .

I have an old FBOFW book in black & white. I swear I have a strip that looks like this, only with a man saying “Sarcasm, the razor strap of the 1980s.”

I noticed in an earlier strip these young men referred to this as home room, a term I have not heard in many years. It is not a class. It is simply a brief (maybe 10-15 minute span) time at the start of the day for school announcements. Our school had two schedules. One had a long home room time for school level or grade level assemblies in the school auditorium. The point of all this being, no one’s education is being shortchanged by their late arrival.

I suppose it would be too risky for Michael to have a sarcastic come back like – “While I was washing I washed my butt. Would you like to see if it’s kissing sweet?”

I’m reading the teacher’s lines in a Frank Nelson voice…

I had a teacher in high school who used sarcasm like this to humiliate students. My parents had to come into school 4 times that semester because I would challenge him when he was verbally abusing my best friend. I still have a big problem with authority figures who act like this when in front of a group. I’d actually like to thank that teacher. His behavior installed a sense of social justice in me as a teenager and a willingness to defend others being mistreated.

In my area,the razor strap was reserved for kids in grades 1-6,though I think mostly5 and 6. Once you got to junior high( grade7 ) that punishment was off the table.Mr B,the crazy math-gym teacher who carried a strap in his back pocket moved on to grade 7 at the same time I did,but his hands were tied because corporal punishment was no longer allowed. I washed a lot of desks that year!

Like all “weapons”, words are “good” only when used wisely… and sparingly, if at all.

Problem is : The calendar feature seems to have been removed along with graphics?

goodness why now days any one wants to be a teacher is beyond me

Try to remember that Lynn Johnston wrote this. It does not seem right to be attacking teachers for her choosing the words and the attitude. As she is attempting to create a humorous situation, one should neither take her literally nor seriously.

I worked for me as a teacher! :- D

That teacher is a dick. Since when is it ok to humiliate a kid in front of the whole class. Met a lot of teachers like that. They loved the power they had over kids.