Life as it Happens
I’ve Been Accused of Gaslighting
2023’s Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year
Gaslighting.
I never heard the word before until 2021 when one of my students, Abbey, claimed I gaslit her after trivializing her feelings. This was after she poured on the tears hoping I would change her final grade from a C to an A.
“I need this A. I won’t get into Brown without it,” Abbey said.
“Sorry, Abbey,” I replied. “I hardly think one C is going to destroy you.”
“You have no clue. Now, you’re gaslighting me!”
Abbey got that right. I was clueless.
I had no idea what gaslighting was and didn’t even bother to look it up. I suppose I was a bit tough. So much so that she told the administration, and somehow I got written up for my insensitivity. Was this the definition of gaslighting?
I continued to hear the word over and over again. Gaslit this, gaslit that.
Were there other insensitive teachers out there also unwilling to give an average student an A after hearing their sad personal stories and saying the wrong thing — “I’m sorry, next time study.”
Fast forward to 2023.
