[we'll stand forever this way]

[2005-06-16] - [12:17 a.m.]

[french rant]

[I'm still bored. It's quater past midnight & I can't sleep. I also can't think of anything to write for my English homework. So I'm gonna rant about French, cos that always makes me feel better.
For those of you who actually read this shit & want to know what I'm on about, allow me to bring you up to speed. The school I go to is a language college, which basically means they get a lot of money & a pretty sign that says [school name] language college on it. Well, that's just great. But it also means that we have to take two language if we're in the top five sets (I believe).
In year seven we studied just French. In year eight if you were in the top five sets, you started to study German. I could live with that. Sure, it got a little confusing at times, but I was doing pretty well in both subjects. I got a level six at the end of year eight in French.
It was in year nine that the problems started. Because I am in the top set (although this applies to those in set two as well) I have to do French GCSE a year early. This means that instead of doing year nine work in year nine, we start the year ten course, if that makes sense. We didn't get a choice about whether or not we did it a year early; you did it regardless of if you felt you could cope or not. I was firmly against it from the start. I was constantly in trouble with my French teacher. I didn't understand & she wouldn't listen. She was picking on me every lesson, because she knew I couldn't do it.
By the time parents evening came around (in December), my level had fallen from level six to level four. I wasn't coping with the work, & I was falling further & further behind. We had skipped out the entire of year nine; was it any great surprise that I was lost?
However, despite my obvious struggle & abismal marks, I was kept in set one. It was mentioned at parents evening that perhaps I should move down, but she simply said I was staying. I had potential. Yes, but there was no way I was going to pass a GCSE, not going at this speed.
My work steadily went downhill as I fell further & further behind of what she expected. I had other priorities at school (namely, revising for my SATs & other important subjects) & I just didn't have time to try & catch up all the time. I spent every lesson so confused that everything just went in one ear & out the other. But still she picked on me. I made one mistake, but I was the one she chose to pick out & complain about.
For one piece of coursework, for one reason or another, I forgot to finish the sentence at the end. There is a word limit on our coursework & I had gone over anyway. The sentence didn't count towards my mark. But she made me redo it. Fair enough. I hadn't done my homework, so I had to do it again. She then added that I had to do it for tomorrow & then wouldn't give me my original copy! I had no idea where my mistakes were from my draft copy. I spent hours, & worked well into the night to finish it, but I handed it in the next day. I was then told I had detention at lunchtime, regardless of the fact that I had done as she asked & been polite about it. I could have made a fuss, but I didn't. I arrived for my detention & she spent the whole time having a go at me. But this is what really gets me. There was another boy, call him Luke, who hadn't done his coursework at all. Throughout the year Luke hadn't done anything much at all, yet he arrived later than me for his detention (litter duty) and got away earlier. Does this not prove that she was deliberatly picking on me?
I'm just so sick & tired of French to be honest. I didn't want to do it in the first place. All this year she's made my life a misery! It just isn't fair! Why do I have to suffer just because she wants her reputation to stay intact? Does she not see there is no way in hell I will pass that GCSE, so why is she still pushing?

A x]

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