Forum for student expression since 1977

The Patriot Press

Forum for student expression since 1977

The Patriot Press

Forum for student expression since 1977

The Patriot Press

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    Favoritism

    There is one in every class: the kid that is always praised for their academic talents and glorified for their ability to comprehend the subject with ease by the teacher.

    Of course, it only makes sense that a student with such an elite academic stance should be pampered and praise by the teacher, but to what extent? As years have gone by, the favoritism shown by teachers in each and every one of my classes has gone up, almost to the point where I am able to pin point their favorite students.

    I understand that it would be easy to grow favoritism towards a certain student, especially if they are participating frequently and apprehend the subject. The teachers calling on these students to answer questions when no one else knows the answer, or commending them for their well written paper or good test score could only become a habit. These students are examples of how to succeed in the class: perfection, so how could they not reference their work?

    Although it may seem like a harmless act at the time, other students realize what is happening. After the endless recognitions given to these students, the others begin the feel useless and unable to become such students, the opposite effect of what the teacher would want to occur.

    So although I feel that it is appropriate to reference the academic works of star students, this can only be to a certain extent. As a teacher, it is their obligated duty to take bias out of their teaching. Whether a student is doing well or poorly in a class, all students need to be treated in the same way. One of the best solutions to this problem is to show these students’ works without showing their names or reference them without saying their name.

    Praising the academic all-star is always easy and predictable, but what about the underdog?