In Memory of Eddie

Sally Olsen · Post by **Sally Olsen** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 4:47 pm

I have just had shocking news that one of my teaching friends has committed suicide. He was in his 50's so could have had many more years of a productive life. He wrote me in March that he was so depressed because of the behaviour of his students. He taught secondary school English as a Foreign Language. He couldn't understand how the students could be so cruel and badly behaved and as this has been going on in his classes for the last 30 years he finally broke and complained to the principal. He was promptly fired.

I don't know if all this contributed to his final choice but it makes me thoughtful about whether to stick to a situation that is so stressful and demoralizing if it seems to be never ending. As you can imagine, I wrote often with ideas of how to overcome or motivate the students. I wish now I had written with suggestions of something he might have done instead. He had so many talents in other areas of life.

woodcutter · Post by **woodcutter** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 6:11 am

I'm sorry to hear that Sally. Don't blame yourself. If you can be sacked for complaining in NA public schools then we might blame the system.

Sally Olsen · Post by **Sally Olsen** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 6:50 pm

Thanks for the support. It wasn't in North America though but I suppose the principle is still the same.