User blog comment:JasonAlexande08/I'd hate to double blog...but SCHOOL SUCKS./@comment-1874924-20100904045548

I know something of what it's like (or what it used to be like) on the other side of the lectern. My father was a high school and junior high science teacher (grades 8/9) from the early '60s through the early '90s.

He was not a particularly popular teacher, nor did he try to be. His discipline was not particularly harsh, but did tend to be no-nonsense. He focused on the kids who wanted to learn, and didn't waste a lot of time on those who didn't. Sad in a way, but a necessary defense mechanism. As he once said, "If you care about those kids, you'll burn out."

Part of the reason he didn't try to cultivate popularity with his students was that he had seen what happens to those who would rather be the kids' friends than their teachers. Long story short, sooner or later such teachers lost control of their classes. My dad said something to the effect that, "kids that age like to have power over adults. If you try to be their buddy, they'll run you out of the classroom."

One thing he used to do in his classes was to have his students drink (diluted) hydrochloric acid. (For those who don't know, that's the type of acid that our stomachs produce.) He did this for two reasons: to demonstrate that acids have a sour taste; and to demonstrate that, while you should respect acids, you needn't fear them.