The evident favoritism, coupled with discourteous teacher behavior, can substantially impede students' academic achievements!
Encouraging students to improve in their work is one thing; undermining them in an effort to maintain control is another. While society often highlights the teachers who create a turning point in students' lives, the ones who quietly single out students and erode their self-esteem and confidence are disregarded.
The comments directed at me during my junior year chemistry class epitomize a disquieting motif of improper conduct. Statements such as, "Your sister was so much smarter than you. She always had free time in my class because she knew what she was doing, but you never have free time," and, "If you didn't complete this in class, that's unfortunate because the rest of the class did," were made publicly, in front of my friends, my peers. Over a short period of time, similarly demeaning remarks -- "Hurry up," "You should be done by now," and, "It's not that hard" -- became a routine.
Antithetical to common misconceptions, poor grades themselves are often much less hurtful than the belittling comments that may accompany them. Within the past five years, Micheal Linsin conducted surveys with a variety of educators, many of whom openly agreed to exhibiting favoritism in their classrooms. Linsin characterizes the tendency as "an insidious snake that wriggles unnoticed under your classroom door, poisoning morale from the inside out. Left unchecked, it will slither into every area of classroom management" (Linsin 5).
Shin, Huiyoung;Gyeong, and Sunjeong report that around 42.7% of students around the world continue to experience bullying within the classroom. Although this percentage reflects a decline compared to previous years, it remains suggestive of a tenacious and very serious problem. The decline in occurances should not be misinterpreted as evidence that bullying has been annihilated; rather, it emphasizes the need for immediate attention and comprehensive safeguards. A numerical decrease does not imply that classroom environments have become uniformly safe or supportive. Contemporary portrayals of schooling—particularly on social media platforms—often present idealized images of teachers and classroom life. However, these depictions rarely capture the complexities and challenges that many students face daily. The polished public image of a classroom frequently obscures the less visible dynamics in which certain students continue to feel marginalized, dismissed, or emotionally unsafe. Educational environments should not be sources of dread, diminished self-worth, or social exclusion. Instead, they need to promote a sense of engagement, belonging, and most importantly, psychological security. Despite ongoing efforts to address these issues, a high number of students still, to this day, struggle to receive the impartial treatment and precautionary measures to which they are sanctioned. The tenacity of these conditions highlights the need for continued research, policy development, and school-based interventions aimed at creating environments where all students can thrive and be successful.
Madeline Will presents a counterargument, posting that hoisted stress levels among educators may aid the behaviors that students elucidate as ill-mannered or overly severe. Will references data from a nationally representative RAND Corporation survey involving 2,360 teachers and 1,540 principals, administered in January. The survey results indicate that "educators navigating pandemic-era schooling are faring worse than other working adults these days" (Will 2). To frame these findings, the researches posed the same set of questions to a representative sample of the general workforce. The comparative analysis revealed that educators reported reported significantly lower levels of well-being across all five indicators measured in the study.
Anastasia Betts likewise contends that the perceived discourteousness of some educators may be a byproduct of the “impossible expectations” imposed upon them. Drawing on cultural commentary, she references America Ferrera’s well-known monologue in Barbie, stating, “Most of us are familiar by now with the powerful monologue delivered by America Ferrera in the Barbie movie—you know, the one about the impossible expectations of being a woman. Seeing all the Teacher Appreciation posts today had me thinking about the very similar impossible expectations that we place on teachers” (Betts 2).
Betts’s viewing emphasizes the significant and often impractical demands placed on teachers; however, it also points to a significant challenge. Even if such pressures play a part in heightened stress levels and emotional exhaustion, it remains crucial to question whether these conditions actually justify the expulsion of frustration onto students. Professional duties require educators to endorse standards of respect and emotional management, guaranteeing that classroom collaboration supports rather than undermines students’ psychological and academic development.
Tim Walker offers an additional explanation for educators’ perceived rudeness, suggesting that prolonged stress may diminish the enthusiasm teachers once had for their profession. He references a 2023 study by Brown and Catherine Biddle of the University of Maine, which examined the emotional toll of teaching and potential strategies for alleviation. Based on interviews with 540 teachers, the researchers found that levels of secondary traumatic stress (STS) and burnout among educators were comparable to those reported in high-stress professions such as nursing and emergency response (Walker 34). These findings indicate that chronic occupational stress may impair teachers’ emotional resilience and contribute to less supportive interactions with students.
While the challenges of teaching are meaningful, the stress of the profession do not excuse directing anger and frustration toward students. When educators isolate or speak harshly to specific students, the classroom’s role as a safe and supportive environment is discredited, creating a setting students must undergo rather than one in which they can thrive. For most students, disparaging comments leave a more lasting impact than any academic lesson. The harsh words are what sticks with the student for years on end.
Although teachers pretend to support students and provide improved working conditions, students are entitled to respect and collaborative communication just as much as the teacher. As the academic world in todays society continues to evolve over great periods of time, stronger focus must be placed on preparing and pursuing kindness and increasing emotional safety in the classroom, rather than focusing only on academic success and consistent results.
Comments
Post a Comment