Of course they do. They may deny it, but it does happen even if it is subconcious. Some things just aren’t fair.

I think teachers like some more than others but good ones don’t let anyone know who their favorites are. A good teacher wouldn’t pass them or grade them easier.

Some tips to be a better student are… be respectful and if you need help ASK!! Remember when you were little and you thought you got away with everything? Teachers/Parents know what’s going on… sometimes you just have to learn things for yourself. Teachers realize which students have a hard time catching on to concepts and how much effort a student puts into their work. They should grade on which answers are right but sometimes you weigh in how much effort was put forth.

I am a 6th grade middle school teacher. I will tell you this. I do not like any one student more than another. I deal with each student as an individual based on needs and skill level. Not sure what grade level you are asking about so, I am trying to generalize as a elementary/middle school teacher.

In my level, I deal with behavior issues which translate into learning issues more often than not. Does this mean I like one student more than the other? I do not think so. I spend more time with my needy students than I do with the well behaved ones. So, they kind of grow on me in the sense of having a personal relationship.

So the questions become this for me…

Do I like the student who follows directions, that I do not need to spend a ton of time on, or redirect on a frequent basis?

OR

Do I like the student who I have a more one on one contact with and get to know on a more personal level, even if they are not on the same pace as the well behaved student?

In all reality, any “True” teacher should feel this way. If they don’t give every student the same chance to learn, then they are not doing their job!

Every person is different and we each should take away something positive from each person we deal with personally. This includes teacher – student relationships.

But, in the end of the day, it is the misbehaved student who is talked about and remembered!!

Absolutely. Some students are just plain rude and irritating. It is usually the same students who are distracted and don’t want to be there. Not content with not doing their own work, they want to disrupt everyone else.. self-centred and ego is the problem here. Attention seekers.. Unless of course they have a learning disability which places them in a different category.

Usually teachers will find out which category.. No teachers don’t really discriminate… if the pain in the butt does the work they will get marked accordingly. But usually the pain in the butt never gets down to it…too busy being a pain…being distracted, wanting to get sent out, wanting to go to the toilet, wanting to score points, or just plain nasty…

Note some of these kids come from abusive backgrounds so teachers also get the drift….

Each student on his/her merits.

Some of the nasty one’s become the teacher’s greatest ally – just a matter of time and maturity….

Teachers are very patient… unless they are continually abused… Does that help?

I’m a teacher. And yes. I do like some students more than others (*she admitted it!!!*) BUT unfortunate for them. I like them because I see potential. The type of student I like are the little bit rebellious ones who don’t give a crap in my class. So I actually make them work MORE probably, than they work in other classes. My goal is to make more fun projects so that learning doesn’t seem like such a pain in the you know what. A lot of times–and you’ll understand this as you get older–teachers are quicker to give the ones they *dislike* a good grade because they want them out of their classroom at all costs. THAT is a shame. But yes, on the other hand, I’ve seen the teachers that play favorites and pass their pets easily for very little work. I hate that.

Teachers are people, just like students. And just like students prefer some teachers over others, of course teachers prefer some students over others. Unlike students, however, teachers have a professional and ethical standard to uphold that requires them to treat students equally and to grade them on the same basis. Bias is not permissible in grading students. If you see it, you should report it.

Yes, teachers like the students that actually cares about education

You betcha and not only that but we talk amongst the different grade levels. Interestingly behaviors don’t really change from when students are in kindergarten and when they are in middle school! We also talk about the families and what we know. Not all is negative – mostly it is positive. Teachers care more than you know!

I’m in college to become a teacher and in my student teaching there are some students I like more than others. I like out going kids who really question what is being taught and participate, but just b/c the others are quiet doesn’t mean I’m going to fail them. They get the grade according to how they do their work.

Absolutely. I think there are a lot of sexist teachers as well. I think when teachers grade their favorite student’s, they’d be more lax compared to grading a student that always gives them a bad time.

Just think about it. Say you were babysitting 2 kids. One kid you absolutely LOVE and you always get a good feeling when being around that kid. But then the other kid is a nightmare. They hit you, they scream, they’re everything that irritates you. Yes, you put up with it since its your job but you get negative feelings. You’d obviously be more lax if the kid you loved did something terrible such as break a lamp, compared to if the kid you hated did it.

I hope that makes sense.

Yep. Teachers are only human. I had one where she gave straight A’s to her and… well , she wasn’t aexactly a straight A student but she was nice to the teacher. A year ago, the same teacher totally favored these students in my class. She had a good reason though; they were very nice and quiet.