For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for December 08, 2010

LOL. I think I predicted this yesterday, but I didn’t think Michael with be singled out for punishment when they were all acting out…

I’m so glad I have a sense of human.

Mrs. Hardacre sounds more like a Harda**. It’s a reasonable question from a 7 year old. Unfortunately, some people in the teaching profession have no business being there.

When our amateur adult chorus chorus performed with the symphony orchestra, the separate children’s chorus all appeared in concert attire for the “dress” rehearsal, while everyone else was in ‘street’ clothes; and I have seen an occasional first-time adult choral singer appear in a tuxedo. Why couldn’t they understand the English language — (Oh!)

Oh, the inhumanity of it all!”

It’ll build your character when you have to be corrected for being a character, Michael.

Hey catlady…it’s a comic. :-) Other than that encouraging a kid to be a smartaleck isn’t being a harda**.

Micheal says his teacher had no sense of humor I wonder what teachers today are like? the teachers I had when I was in school at least a sense of humor.

I love his no sense of “human” ! Our youngest had a Kindergarten teacher like that. No one should teach K’s if they don’t enjoy that wonderful age! She really inhibited a lot of children’s creativity, all to make sure they color inside the lines and write correctly inside the lines…. OCD’s do not belong in teaching!

It easy to see how a stressed teacher can single out the one kid not acting up or not acting up as much; had a front row seat to that. Had a class where we had one jerk constantly saying something smart, making the teacher mad. The quiet classmate turned to him and asked him to be quiet; the teacher went nuts on her. Gave her two months of detention for speaking in class and really yelling at her. The class erupted and we all started shouting at the teacher. We all calmed down and the right person causing the trouble got the detention.

Newworldmozart–

And the teacher left to become an NFL referee, right?

Would you rather that Michael were encouraged to be an Anarchist, Catlady1?

We have lines and rules for a reason, people. Constantly insisting that people just be allowed to do their own thing, without regard to the consequences as they apply to other people, simply because “that’s who they are” doesn’t foster creativity – it fosters social anarchy, in my opinion.

I refer you to the famous story of the Line and the Dot. In the end, creativity can and should be rewarded, as long as it’s used to a productive and useful end. Otherwise, people like Michael will end up being like the Scribble – outwardly free, but eventually getting nowhere and accomplishing nothing in life.

Mike is right “costume rehearsal” is a better choice. :-)

Michael’s 7 years old. What if he wasn’t being a smart aleck? What if that was an actual, serious question on his part? Sometimes, people take things other people say literally, especially when they’re as young as this and haven’t heard all the expressions and slang words we’re exposed to as we’re growing up. The teacher’s reaction should have been dependent upon Michael’s meaning behind the question and since we didn’t get to see that part, it’s hard to say whether or not he deserved the detention he got.

(Of course, Michael does have a smart attitude every now and then so it’s possible he was, indeed, asking for it … and with a teacher already frazzled and teetering on the edge, that would have been just enough of a nudge to send her right over to the other side … exactly where kids don’t want any adult in charge of them to be!)

Legaleagal is right. Gretchen’s Mom has a point - but geez, these aren’t real people guys, it’s a COMIC!

Is this the way you go through life, critiquing everyone you pass by, analysis by amateur?

When my son was about that age, he came home from school one day and said. “They know I am smart but they don’t remember my name…they think it is Alec.”

As I recall, kids do go through a stage when they take things literally. Michael may not have meant that as a smart remark, or as a joke. But, even if he did, was the punishment appropriate?

It does make for a cute comic, however.

Why not just call it practice?

Night-Gaunt49 - see todays strip :p

The teacher’s response to that question ought totally to be dependent on the tone in which the question was asked - and that you can’t possibly see in a comic.

The reason it is called dress rehearsal is because everyone is suppose to be dressed in their costume and put the play on just as if it was opening night. Sometimes family is allowed to dress rehearsal to help the actors with having a live audience. But some people shouldn’t put on a kids play if they can’t handle how kids actually act. It’s more of redirecting chaos as it happens.

Hey fogey - not sure if you’re still reading these comments. I’m in an adult chorus that performs with a symphonic orchestra with an occasional children’s chorus as well (hey - if you live in the Bay Area, we might be in the same one!)

For choral concerts, dress rehearsals do not require concert dress, because they can’t really affect the performance (aside from the occasional soprano who trips on her high heels). For plays, on the other hand, costumes require practice, or else lots of things can go wrong. (Sorry if this is an obvious point - dress rehearsals mean two different things depending on the culture.)