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Illustration by Emma Guerard, 14, Venice HS

Please, teachers!


"Don’t bring up personal things in class or use profanity to look cool."
—Karina Levitas, 17, Monroe HS in North Hills

"Don’t comment on our clothes or looks or stare inappropriately when we talk to you."
—Whitney Stefko, 16, Monroe HS

"Don’t give students massages."
—Eltina Chan, 16, Marshall HS

"Don’t discourage us from taking harder classes when we have good grades."
—Lea Mouallem, 15, Marymount HS

"Don’t insult students in front of the whole class."
—Ann Beisch, 15, Marymount HS

"Don’t come to class unprepared."
—Nicole Bryant, 16, King/Drew Medical Magnet

"Don’t roll your eyes when someone asks a question."
—Hayley Roberts, 17, Marlborough School

"Don’t intimidate students who ask questions and don’t flirt with students."
—Jennifer Gottesfeld, 16, Beverly Hills HS

"Don’t talk about your sex life."
—Jenny Lee, 16, West HS in Torrance

"Don’t make us do busy work while you’re sitting there listening to jazz music."
—Howard Hwang, 15, Marshall HS



Please, students!


"Don’t ask what page the assignment is on after the teacher has announced it three times, wrote in on the chalkboard in six-inch high letters, and everyone else in the class is turned to it."
—Laurel Dreher, English teacher, Hawthorne HS

"Don’t offer dumb, transparent excuses why you are unprepared for class. Say, ‘I’m sorry. I should have come prepared. It won’t happen again.’ Then see to it that it doesn’t. Your teacher will have much more respect for you."
—R. Diamond, English teacher, Fairfax HS

"Students, please don’t act like you know more about my job than I do or make statements about how EASY my job is!"
—Alice O’Grady, Library media teacher, Wilson HS in Long Beach

"Don’t ask, ‘Are we doing anything today?’ ‘Do we have to read?’ ‘Is there a movie about this book?’"
—Araceli Garcia, English teacher, Glen A. Wilson HS in Hacienda Heights

"Don’t steal my wallet, my cell phone or items off my desk. Don’t ditch my class but go to the other classes. Don’t pluck your eyebrows or put on make up in class. Don’t misspell your parent’s name when forging notes. Don’t blame me for your failing grade or wait until the last week of class to ask how to improve your grade. Don’t swear, brag about your sex life, put down or threaten others. Don’t wear clothes that reveal things that shouldn’t be seen in public."
—Judy Chiasson, Resource teacher, Monroe HS

"I hate it when I ask students to stop talking, and they argue, or say, ‘I wasn’t talking—she was talking to me!’"
—Candace Lawrence, English teacher, Jordan HS in Long Beach

"Pet peeve #1: students who come to continuation school and think they are going to be given credits without doing substantial work."
—Lynn Rabin, Central HS in Los Angeles