I entered high school expecting to have a fun school life, but in my first year I didn't get along with my homeroom teacher at all, and I had a rebellious attitude every day. I entered high school with good grades, but I had a careless attitude to studying like I owned the place, and adults would frown upon that. For example, I spent most of the time sleeping through subjects that I could pass the test if I memorized the material, and I must have been an annoying student to my homeroom teacher who taught civics. I'm also very good at memorization, and I think the fact that I always scored high on those tests despite sleeping during class was another reason the teacher didn't like it.
When I was in high school, I was more rebellious than I am now, and I thought the issue was how the teacher was teaching uninteresting classes, which was true. However, now I realize that my attitude must have hurt the teacher's feelings a lot.
Perhaps in an attempt to somehow force my rebellious self into school, my homeroom teacher decided without any discussion that a male student and I would be in charge of managing the class for the school choir competition. The reason was that I took music lessons. I protested, saying that I couldn't play the piano and that I wasn’t a conductor, but he didn't accept my excuses, and I ended up doing the job reluctantly.
It was hard to get the unmotivated students together, and the other male student went on a family trip a few days before the competition and was away, so I remember doing my best to get the job done.
I don't remember the results of the competition or the songs we sang, but after our performance was over, the teacher looked at me and grinned. I remember that face.
I wonder if the teacher wanted me to say thank you. Or that I enjoyed it? Should I have said that? I still can't stand being judged or forced into a box, but this was probably the first time I realized that I really dislike it.
I finished studying with that teacher in my first year of high school, and I haven't had a single conversation with him since.