--- title: When the teacher gets it wrong — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «When the teacher gets it wrong», a lesson of the myths course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: Teachers know a lot, but they are people, and some of them learned myths at school too: "glass is a liquid", "bats are blind", "lightning nev --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [Myths](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/) / When the teacher gets it wrong # When the teacher gets it wrong Lesson 33 of the myths course of Mova's primary school: 19 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/0/) — Teachers know a lot, but they are people, and some of them learned myths at school too: "glass is a liquid", "bats are blind", "lightning never strikes twice". - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/1/) — When you think a teacher is wrong, first check you're right, with a good source. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/2/) — Then ask, don't attack: "I read that spiders are arachnids because of the eight legs, is that right?" - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/3/) — Choose the moment: at the end of the lesson or in private works far better than in front of the whole class. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/4/) — Start by agreeing with what's right, and offer your evidence instead of demanding to win. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/5/) — If a teacher gets cross, step back and say sorry for the tone; tell a parent calmly at home. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/6/) — And the rules of a place, like a pool's eating rule, still count even when the reason given is a myth. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/7/) — Chameleons change colour mainly for mood, signalling and temperature, not only to blend in. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/8/) — Spiders are not insects; they are arachnids with eight legs, while insects have six. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/9/) — Glass is a solid; some old windows are thicker at the bottom because old glass panes were made uneven. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/10/) — Warming up with movement is better before running than long still stretches, though stretching won't harm you. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/11/) — Mount Everest is the highest mountain above sea level; Mauna Kea, a volcano in Hawaii, is taller measured from its base on the sea floor. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/12/) — There is no good evidence that eating before swimming makes you cramp and drown, but a pool may have its own rules. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/13/) — Moss grows wherever it is damp and shady, which can be any side of a tree, so it is not a reliable compass. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/14/) — Lightning often strikes the same place, especially tall things; the Empire State Building, a very tall skyscraper in New York, is hit about 20 times a year. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/15/) — Bats can see; echolocation adds to their sight. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/16/) — A good teacher who isn't sure says "I'll check", and thanks the pupil who asked. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/17/) — A question asked privately, politely and with evidence is far more likely to be welcomed than a public "you're wrong". - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/33-when-the-teacher-gets-it-wrong/18/) — If a teacher gets cross, it is wise to step back for now and tell a parent calmly later. - ← previous: [Siblings, cousins, grandparents — and the whole playground](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/32-siblings-cousins-grandparents-and-the-whole-playground/) - next →: [Teachers who listen, teachers who get cross — and when the teacher is right after all](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/34-teachers-who-listen-teachers-who-get-cross-and-when-the-teacher-is-right-after-all/) - ↑ back to [Myths](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/myths/)