Teacher's_Pet

The Negative Approach of Being a Teacher’s Pet In today’s society, some students think the closer they are with their teacher or just because they are athletes, they can get by with not turning a paper in, getting a sneak peek at the answers to a test, or just passing the class. Teachers need to be cautious and aware of the possibility that some students expect special treatment, or that they may try to deceive them. An experienced teacher can easily identify a student who is genuinely trying to do well from the one who is trying to take advantage of them. Having a close teacher-student relationship is not the way to make a good grade. It is not fair for the students who work hard and make good grades while the athletes get an equal or better grade without putting forth any effort other than playing sports. Athletes in the class should not be given special privileges because they have practice or other sport related obligations. They should be capable of doing both the class work and the sport. If they cannot, then they should make a choice between their education and sports. Another negative aspect of a teacher’s pet is a student that speaks informally to the teacher in front of the class. For instance calling them by his or her first name, asking inappropriate questions, or complimenting him or her on the way they look. This creates an uncomfortable atmosphere for everyone in the room. It may make some students feel that they cannot compete or put forth an effort to do well in the class. Even though the student thinks he or she is just getting by with a late paper, or a few extra points on a test, it does not mean he or she is going to make it after high school. Students who act on a friendly basis with their high school teacher think they can have the same relationship with their instructors in college, and assume they will automatically pass the class. College professors are nothing like high school teachers. Students either make it to class or not. The grade that is posted is the grade the student deserves. No exceptions are made based on whether the student was an athlete, the most popular kid in school, or his or her economic status. Most students who are like this while be less likely to remember the things they are taught to them in high school. In “A Subtractive Education” by Herb Childress he quotes “’I wonder how many of these people could resolve a trigonometric identity’” (67). If it comes down to it, most people could not. A student who is pampered by high school teachers may expect to be treated the same by everyone once he or she graduates. According to “Education” by E. B. White, teachers in smaller country schools do more than just give a student a couple extra points on an assignment. They are concerned about health of the student, their habits, and what they are wearing. In other words they become a substitute parents in some ways. “She cooks for the children on the stove and heats the room…She conceives their costumes, cleans up their messes…My boy already regards his teacher as his great friend, and I think he tells her a great deal more than he tells us” (43). More bad consequences may occur if the student and teacher act as if they are best friends. The school can get in trouble for discriminating against other students who work hard for their grade. Maybe one student hears another student say to the teacher, “Hey Amy, let’s say that I can turn this paper in on Wednesday instead of Tuesday because I have a huge game on Monday night and won’t be able to finish it.” If the teacher is in agreement the student that over hear the statement could inform the principle or a parent. This could be grounds for discharging the teacher especially if it has happened multiple times and there have been other complaints. The whole school could get into a mess even with something as simple as that. Another thing that teacher’s pets often do is compliment their teacher on the way he or she is dressed, or joking around, telling teacher to give them a call sometime. All of those things can lead up to major consequences. If the teachers act the way they do in some schools as E.B. White mentioned, the students may take it back home with them and expect the parents to treat them the same. Chores the students have at home could slack because the teacher takes care of those responsibilities at school. Having a child run to the teacher for help or for someone to talk to before he or she does to the parent could be discouraging the mom or dad. The parents would want their own child to come to them or tell them more information than they would want a teacher to know. It is not the teacher’s job to take care of the child’s every need. They are there to teach and not to coddle them with work they assign or taking care of the student’s health. In conclusion, being a “teacher’s pet” has many downfalls. A student may think he or she is getting a “get out of jail free” card when hard work is not required for a good grade. In reality no one gets something for nothing. Teachers may get an ego boost when a student is nice and acts as if he or she is a friend. There are other students all the while in the background who work for their grades and do not have time to deal out compliments. The goals of many high schools across the country are to never leave a child behind and therefore there is no need for anyone to be favored over anyone else. Works Cited White, E.B. “Education”. Conversations: Readings for Writing. Eds Selzer, Carpini. 7th ed. New York: Pearson, 2009. 43-45 Childress, Herb. “A Subtractive Education”. Conversations: Readings for Writing. Eds Selzer, Carpini. 7th ed. New York: Pearson, 2009. 66-75