Teachers Picking Favorites
Argumentative Piece
Introduction
You walk in your new school, it is your first day at a new school and you are scared because you don’t know anyone. You get to your classroom, and everyone turns and stares at you. Then your teacher helps you get unpacked and find your seat before someone shows you around the school. A few weeks later you forget your homework at home, and your teacher yells at you. It is not fair because the kid in front of you forgot their homework too, but she just smiled at him and let them continue. But since you had forgotten now you have to miss recess. That kid forgets their homework almost every time, and she just smiles at them and still lets them have things like recess. When anyone else forgets she gets mad at them. This is not fair and you know it, but she is your teacher and you all must respect them and so you can’t say anything about it. Teachers often choose favorites and that can cause an unhappy classroom environment.The teachers choose favorites for tiny reasons and that should be stopped. Teachers shouldn't pick favorite students because it isn't fair, it can make kids sad, and can cause the students to dislike the teacher.
Picking favorites
When I was in second grade my teacher had chosen favorite students . I was not one of the teachers favorites, and it was harder to learn and focus on what the teacher was saying because she had taught the “favorites” more efficiently and effectively. The teacher had about five kids who were her “favorites” My teacher had given those kids extra privileges like going to recess early, and being able to get first pick on which class pet they wanted to play with. What ended up happening was the other kids never got first pick of what pets they wanted to play with and they were almost never allowed to go to recess early. It had caused a lot of problems with the kids learning and the other kids were falling behind academically. I had already learned the content at another school, so it did not affect my personal learning process. I could always tell that the kids that were not her favorites, and that didn’t get a lot of attention were always lost and couldn’t keep up with what she was saying. In all after that year those kids that were the favorites were up to standards and above but no one else was or they barely were at the point of success that they needed to be.
Fair and equal
Teachers are supposed to be fair to all students and treat all students kindly. They are supposed to treat everyone equally, and teach the students all the same material that they need to know. It is in their job description that they are supposed to treat every kid they have kindly, fairly and with respect. They are also supposed to help kids reach their highest learning potential (Faith,Rosenya). It is not fair to treat anyone differently because they need extra help or are smarter than others. Kids are all at different levels and teachers shouldn't ignore you no matter if you don’t need all of the extra help, then checking in will help the students with the learning process. Teachers are supposed to teach everyone no matter what. They are supposed to keep everyone involved and learning and keep them on track of what they are saying the whole time. If they do not there would be no point coming to school if the teacher does not teach you, you don’t understand or already know. Everyone should be able to learn because that is why they go to school.
other students
When a teacher chooses favorites it discludes others, and makes only a few students feel fully included. But what happens to the other students who are not the favorite? The students who aren’t the favorites feel like they are never included and the teacher could care less about them. Kids will start to disrupt class and annoy others, just so the teacher will actually notice them. They will most likely not like the teacher because they feel like the teacher does not like them. Sometimes when teachers have obvious favorites,and it can make the students sad and angry toward the teacher. They get angry not only because the teacher has favorites but, because other students get to do things things like to go to recess early or have time to finish homework in class. Don’t blame the kids blame the teacher because they have a favorite and it is not that student. It is not the students fault they get excluded from the teachers care, and are not the teachers favorite. In Arca’s case she went to her second grade daughters back to school night, and the teacher has said “Fairness is not giving everyone the same thing. Fairness is giving everyone what they need,” (Sylvester, Lisa). Fairness isn’t what every student needs to be treated with what they really need to keep them focused and paying attention not what ever the teacher thinks is fair.
Benefits to the favorites
Why they do pick favorites
Teachers tend to pick favorites for simple reasons like outfits, attitude and other simple reasons. People make up their mind on who they like or not in the first seven seconds of meeting the person, because the brain decides who we like or not in that short amount of time. That is not enough time for the teacher to get to know the students at all and there may be the student who is scared and doesn’t want to talk.There will also be the kid who is so happy they are not paying attention and they accidentally spill something or drop their books. The teacher will have already preferred one over the other but both students may end up being very kind and responsible, but they were just caught up in the moment. Teachers also choose students based upon gender because they feel more comfortable around kids that are the same gender as them. People also tend to like the kids that have the same personality and character traits as them, because it reminds them of themselves. They like these students because they can relate on how they think, and it will be easier for them to teach those kids. Teachers also may unintentionally or not make a seating arrangement so they will only call on certain students and not others. Most of the time a teacher does not mean to pick favorites, but they do without even thinking that they did they need to realise that they did that.(Butterman, Eric) I do not think that it is fair that a teacher will pick favorites from something like looks, or attitude it shouldn’t happen at all no matter how much you may think that one kid is like you. All kids are different and they should be allowed to be.
Negative effects
When a teacher picks favorites it makes the others feel left out and neglected. All students do deserve an equal learning opportunities some. A lot of kids do can’t afford a tutor if they end up falling behind in their classes and are not getting the help they need. Sure some students do need less attention from the teachers, or they don’t need the teacher to explain everything. But those students should get help if they ever need it. I also know that other students need extra help, and I get that the teacher should help them more so they understand the curriculum. There are also students that don’t talk a lot and need to be talked to in a more direct way to make sure they understand. One way teachers should help everyone who needs it no matter what they act or look like. They also need to check in with all students to make sure they know what they are doing and understand the curriculum. A few ways teachers could make sure that they are not picking favorites is by calling on all students. They should also make sure they explain the correct answer if they get the answer wrong.They also can help improve learning by giving all students the same opportunity to do things, for example they could say whoever brings back their homework tomorrow gets to go to recess early. Not only let a few kids that they choose to do it. Teachers also could have all students take turns doing things like feeding the class pet or being the line leader. That would even the playing field for the kids more so they do not feel left out and no kid would feel left behind.
Conclusion
I think that if teachers stop picking favorites in classes they will see an improvement in kids attitudes. They might also see improvement from more students both academically and socially. I also think that it will make the students be will be more ready to learn and prepared for class (Linsin, MIchael). It will create more of the perfect image of a classroom that teachers are looking for. This can all be achieved if teachers stop picking favorites and step up to the challenge of equal learning. I think that teachers should not pick favorites and teach everyone the same way. Kids can’t help if they are quiet and calm or loud and annoying, it is in their personality. Are you up to the challenge of having no favorites in a classroom of any kind at all? If we all step up we can completely stop favorite kids, and make learning in the classroom more equal and fair to all students.