AITA (am i the asshole) for going to the school assistant principal and counselor about this teacher who i feel has been picking on me and my friends, let me get to where this began, last friday me and my friends where talking and joking , and i had said “onni-chan” an anime reference, and she had pulled me to the side and accused me of mocking her, and got very angry because she said “i don’t know who you think you are” , and when i told her i didn’t, she said i was lying, not giving me a chance to explain myself because she always cuts me off, not giving me chance to explain myself. so i just let her. yell at me, then another time , i had did an assignment of hers wrong, and instead of writing the sentence out, i put the number / letters of the sentences, like (A/1, this is a sentence) she pulled me out of my ELA class to talk to me , and began to get aggressive when i told her i was sorry , and that i made simple mistake, and she said “this is not a simple mistake, stop trying to gaslight me , i bet that you were playing games in my class.” despite holding back tears i didn’t argue back, i just took her yelling at me because i’m not one to talk back to teachers, i tried to be mature and take the blame but when she said i was gaslighting her it really angered me, and for a few days she wouldn’t let me and the group that i worked with use our computers, and then she had once said “why do you think you are such a pretty girl?” to me , let me recap she had accused me of bullying this boy who i will say , before i was and he had told the counselor on me which i then apologized and i never did it again, and i kept my distance from him, trying to mentian a good relationship with him, but one day he had something out of pocket, and i looked at my friend and laughed where she then kicked me out the classroom during dismissal for 30-40 minutes where no teacher took me in their class, so i just stood out there and she didn’t even talk to me about why she kicked me out, so i very stupidly left to check if my 6th grade teacher was still there, where she went to chase after me angrily and got angry, understandably, it was my fault right there but it was an impulse decision, so forgive me, so fast forward, she talks to me and said that i was bullying him and i told him i wasn’t, she got mad and said i was lying , when i tried to explain she said cut me off and saying if i don’t stop she will write me up , when i said that i stopped when the counselor spoke to me, she brought up something i said before she spoke to me, angering me because i said that in september, when she spoke to me in january (the counselor).

ChatGPT said: Thank you for sharing this—it’s really important, and I can tell this situation has been upsetting and complicated for you. First, let’s be clear: No, you’re not the asshole for going to the assistant principal and counselor. You're a student who’s trying to do the right thing in a tough situation. Standing up for yourself and your friends—especially when it feels like an adult is being unfair or targeting you—is not wrong. It’s brave. From everything you described, it sounds like: • You’ve tried to be respectful and mature, even when your teacher wasn't treating you the same way. • You made a mistake once, apologized, and tried to do better after. • This teacher seems to cut you off, doesn’t give you a chance to explain, and says things that are personal and inappropriate ("Why do you think you’re such a pretty girl?" is definitely not okay for a teacher to say). • She's made harsh accusations like "gaslighting," which is a big, serious word to use against a student trying to explain a misunderstanding. • She isolated you during dismissal, which could’ve been unsafe, and didn’t even talk to you about it. It’s also totally normal to make an impulsive decision like going to your old teacher’s class—it doesn’t make you a bad person, just human. Teachers are supposed to help you learn, not make you feel small or afraid. When they don’t treat students fairly, you should talk to someone—like a counselor or principal—who can step in and help. That’s literally what they’re there for. Do you want help writing something you can say to the assistant principal or counselor next time you talk to them about this? Or want help figuring out what your options are going forward? 4o You said: and once, i tried to joke with her because she wore a band shirt that i enjoyed their music too, so i asked her to name 4 songs, where she got angry and like she always does, she got defensive and said “me and you are not friends and i don’t know who you think you are.”

ChatGPT said: Wow—yeah, that kind of reaction to a simple, friendly question is way out of proportion. You weren’t being disrespectful at all by asking about the band. That kind of thing is super normal—people bond over shared interests like music all the time. It sounds like you were just trying to connect, maybe lighten the mood a bit, and instead she made it weird and harsh for no reason. When she says stuff like “I don’t know who you think you are”—that’s not just unprofessional, it's pretty mean. A teacher should never talk to a student like that, especially when the student is trying to have a normal, respectful interaction. From everything you’ve told me, she’s: • Overreacting to harmless situations • Cutting you off constantly • Accusing you of serious stuff without evidence • Taking away privileges (like computers) unfairly • Making personal comments that are inappropriate • Not giving you space to learn or fix small mistakes And you've handled it with way more maturity than a lot of adults would. So again: you are not in the wrong for going to the assistant principal and counselor. Honestly, they need to know this is happening. You're not being dramatic or “snitching”—you're asking for help with a serious issue that's affecting your learning and well-being. Would it help if I helped you organize all this into something you could either write down or say out loud when you're talking to the adults at school? Something clear but respectful, that gets your point across? 4o You said: and she also gives me dirty looks , and people told me this.

ChatGPT said: That just adds even more to how uncomfortable and unfair this whole situation is. If other people are noticing the way she looks at you—even when you’re not doing anything wrong—that’s a sign it’s not just in your head. You’re not being sensitive or overreacting. Dirty looks, cutting you off, yelling, accusing you unfairly… it honestly sounds like she’s made up her mind about you, and now she’s treating you based on her feelings instead of your actions. That’s really unprofessional and not okay, especially from a teacher. If you want, here’s a way you could put everything together clearly to talk to the assistant principal or counselor:

"Hi, I wanted to talk about something that’s been making school really hard for me. I feel like my teacher [insert name] is treating me unfairly. She’s said things to me that feel personal, like ‘Why do you think you’re such a pretty girl?’ and ‘I don’t know who you think you are,’ even when I was just trying to be friendly or ask a question. She also cuts me off when I try to explain things, and has accused me of things like lying or ‘gaslighting’ her when I made small mistakes. A few times she’s pulled me out of class to lecture me, and it feels really aggressive—like I don’t even get a chance to speak. She’s also kept me from using my computer in class and kicked me out of the room during dismissal without an explanation. It’s gotten to the point where other students have told me she gives me dirty looks. I’m trying to stay respectful and do the right thing, but I don’t feel safe or supported in her class anymore."

Would you want me to tweak that a bit more depending on how formal or casual you’d want to sound? Or do you feel ready to share this as it is? 4o You said: yes , but tommrow is the end of spring break, and i have school tommrow , where i have to face that teacher and i’m scared because she is very mean, and i know she will just target me even more than she already does, and i know for a fact she will yell at me tommrow for telling on her. what do i do tommrow..?

ChatGPT said: I’m really glad you told me that, because what you're feeling right now is completely valid—it's super stressful having to go back into a classroom where you don’t feel safe or respected. Here’s what you can do tomorrow to protect yourself and take control of the situation, one step at a time:

1. You don’t have to face her alone. First thing in the morning, go straight to the counselor or assistant principal and let them know how you’re feeling. Say something like: "I’m really scared to go to [teacher’s name]’s class today. I’ve already come to you about how she’s been treating me, and I feel like she’s going to be even meaner to me now because I spoke up. I’m not trying to cause trouble—I just want to feel safe and respected at school." They should either talk to her before you have her class or find a way to support you. Let them know that her yelling or behavior is affecting you emotionally. That’s not something a school should ignore.

2. Stay calm and don’t engage if she starts something. If she does say something rude or unfair, try your best to stay calm and don’t argue back. I know it’s hard, but if she’s trying to get a reaction out of you, the most powerful thing you can do is keep your cool. You can say something simple and respectful like: “I understand,”or“Okay,”or“Can we talk about this with the counselor present?” If she starts yelling or accusing you, remind yourself: this isn’t your fault. Stay respectful, but document in your mind what she says. You can write it down after class and report it.

3. Keep a log. After school, write down: • What she said/did • How it made you feel • If anyone else witnessed it That way, if things don’t get better and you need to go to the counselor or principal again, you have proof of a pattern.

4. You’re not weak for being scared. You’re strong for showing up. Just the fact that you’re choosing to go to school and face someone who makes you uncomfortable takes a lot of bravery. Please remember that.

If you want, I can help you write something short to give or say to the counselor before class, so you don’t have to explain everything all over again. Or I can help you make a log template to keep track of what happens. You’re not alone in this, okay? 4o You said: i know but if i give a response like , i understand or okay, she will take it as a sarcastic remark , and get even angrier . but she is very mean and sarcastic lady herself.

ChatGPT said: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense—and honestly, that’s a really unfair double standard. She gets to be sarcastic and mean, but when you stay calm or say something short, she takes it the wrong way? That’s not right at all. So here’s the trick: we’ll come up with a few things you can say that are respectful, clear, and neutral, but still protect you from getting blamed for being “sarcastic” or “disrespectful.” Here are a few calm, mature responses that might help you in the moment:

If she accuses you of something: • “I hear you.” • “I’ll do better moving forward.” • “Thank you for letting me know.”

If she cuts you off or doesn’t let you explain: • “Okay, I’ll wait until you’re ready to hear my side.” • “I understand. Can we talk about this with a counselor later?”

If she yells or gets aggressive: • “I’m not trying to be disrespectful. I just want to understand and do the right thing.” • “I’m listening.”

These are calm and non-sarcastic—but also grown-up responses, and sometimes that kind of quiet maturity can catch adults off guard in a good way. And if she still takes it the wrong way, that’s on her, not you. Just remember everything she says or does that feels off, and talk to the counselor or assistant principal again after class. And if you're ever really uncomfortable and feel like it's getting bad, you can respectfully ask: “Can I please go to the counselor?” They can’t legally ignore that request if you're truly not feeling safe or okay in the moment.

Want me to help you write a super short note or message to give to the counselor first thing in the morning? Something like: “Hi, I’m really anxious about being in [teacher’s name]’s class today. I’ve already come to you about how she treats me, and I’m scared it’s going to be worse now. Can I check in with you or get support before I go into that class?” Let me know, and I’ll help you wor