25 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make and How to Avoid Them

Teacher Confessions of Worst Treatment of a Child
until I was done. I forgot after my direct teach to let him go and he ended up having
an accident in the classroom!
Motive Probe
27.1. Describe the problem and your specific role in it.
I was the teacher and because it was my classroom, I felt it was up to me
to give permission to go to the restroom.
27.2. Why did you do what you did?
I only wanted to go over my lesson once without interruption.
27.3. What emotions or feelings were you experiencing at the time?
I was tired.
27.4. Was your behavior justified? If so, why?
No, I should have let him go.
27.5. Do you regret your action(s)?
Yes!
27.6. Do you ever think about this incident? If yes, approximately how
often since the occurrence(s)?
Yes, about five–six times a year for 7 years.
27.7. If faced with the same or a similar situation, what would you do?
I would let him or her go to the restroom!
Commentary
In this scenario, hindsight can be very effective for avoiding this problem. As
the teacher said, just let children go to the restroom. Teachers would not say
no to an adult that wanted to be excused, so they should not say no to a child.
Mistake 14: Inappropriate Educational Strategies
Teacher # 28
A Scenario of a Teacher’s Worst Treatment of a Student
This occurred during my first year of teaching. A student constantly asked questions
in my class, and I assumed that she was not paying attention. I got very upset, and
called her attention by questioning her choice to disrupt the class environment. From
that point on she never spoke, not even to participate. Later in the year, I found that
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