My History Teacher, the SG

[KieranDotW]

So I just started a new semester at high school about two months ago, and never has a teacher frustrated me so much.

Exhibit A: Earlier this month my school had a spirit week we call "Battle of the Grades" where each day students dress up in costumes pertaining to a daily theme to earn points for their grade. At the end of the week, the points are tallied up and a winner is named. Well anyway, this year one of the daily themes was Disney Day. Pretty neat, I know. So I decided to dress up as Walt himself. It was a pretty good costume if I do say so myself -- I wore a black suit, slicked and parted my hair, and put on a fake mustache and a homemade CM-style nametag. So I walk into history and my teacher asks me where the cuts on my neck are.

That's right. The old Walt Disney('s head) was cryogenically frozen thing again.

I told him that it's just an urban legend, and Walt was cremated, but he wouldn't give up. So I let him be and hoped he wouldn't pull something like this again.

Until about a week later.

Exhibit B: I don't remember the context, but in my other class with this teacher (yes, I'm spending half my day everyday with this guy) somehow the subject of the Beatles' song "Ticket to Ride" came up. He tells us it was based on the only Disneyland A-E ticket booklets. I can't verify if that's true or not, I don't know enough about the Beatles to judge that. By this point, I was just impressed he knew the ticket booklets existed.

Until he said "A" tickets were the best.

Not only that, he said A tickets were called "tickets to ride" because they let you go through an attraction, any attraction, an unlimited number of times without queueing up again. When a student asked what something like this would cost you, he said "around the price of a full Disneyland ticket today". Really. ~$100 in the 50's for a one-attraction past. That's just common sense now.

So tell me, SGT, what advice do you give to help me survive this semester?

[WEDFan]

Exhibit B: I don't remember the context, but in my other class with this teacher (yes, I'm spending half my day everyday with this guy) somehow the subject of the Beatles' song "Ticket to Ride" came up. He tells us it was based on the only Disneyland A-E ticket booklets. I can't verify if that's true or not, I don't know enough about the Beatles to judge that. By this point, I was just impressed he knew the ticket booklets existed.

I don't know for sure, but it's pretty unlikely. By the time "Ticket to Ride" was released in '65 the Beatles had only been to US 2 times, I think (possibly 3 since I'm not sure of the exact timing of things in '65.) So far as I know, the first trip was all about the East Coast. Not sure on the other(s). At any rate, it seems unlikely that they would have so much experience with Disneyland that it would wind up influencing their song lyrics in any great way. Also, the song is talk about "the girl... is going away." Pretty hard to go away with an amusement park ride. Then of course, there's the theory that "Ticket to ride" had another meaning when the Beatles were performing in Germany in the early 1960's.

Of course, none of that is advice on how to deal. Haven't got a lot of help there.

[Buggy]

Well, when my friend insisted that Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was gone from Disneyland, removed because it promoted drunk driving, I made sure to get pictures of myself in front of it to show him. Not sure how this helps here, but you can always check Snopes and Wikipedia. Show your teacher the articles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ticket_to_ride
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_disne ... _and_death
http://www.snopes.com/disney/waltdisn/frozen.asp

Of course, you may learn an unfortunate lesson on upsetting those who have the power to determine your fate (in this case, your grade), but it may be a lesson in using tact to stand up to authority when authority is wrong. Good luck!

Mike

[hobie16]

My daughter came home from high school pretty upset one day. She said her science teacher told her I was going to get testicular cancer. How did he determine that I asked? I don't remember the context but she had told him I was biking about 800 miles a month. He said the continual pressure from the seat would cause cancer.

I knew of other issues caused by multiple hours on the bike but had never heard that cancer was one of them. After a few minutes of research the biking/testicular cancer deal came up as urban myth. I printed out the info and asked my daughter to pass it on.

So, teachers can make dopey pronouncements just like anyone else. Trust, but verify.

[WEDFan]

So, teachers can make dopey pronouncements just like anyone else. Trust, but verify.

Would that be the same as going nuclear with your teacher???? :p:

[hobie16]

Would that be the same as going nuclear with your teacher???? :p:

Let's drop the big one and see what happens.

[KieranDotW]

Not sure how this helps here, but you can always check Snopes and Wikipedia. Show your teacher the articles.

Doesn't work. Today he brought up this story and I even pulled up the article on my phone but he still denied it.
http://www.snopes.com/military/lighthouse.asp

[YANXWIN]

Doesn't work. Today he brought up this story and I even pulled up the article on my phone but he still denied it.
http://www.snopes.com/military/lighthouse.asp

That's always been one of my favorite myths, but that doesn't make it any more true. I go back to my old saying, some people don't want to cloud the issue with facts.

I'd throw out a few good myths his direction and see how he responds. That may not work though, he might believe them.

[Zazu]

Let's drop the big one and see what happens.

We'll spare Australia.

[hobie16]

We'll spare Australia.

Don't wanna hurt no kangaroo
We'll build an All American amusement park there
They got surfin', too