Have you ever felt discouraged in a classroom because you realized your teacher was playing favorites?
Although many teachers claim that they do not play favorites, they are still human. It’s natural for individuals to have biases.
Teachers’ impressions of students can be influenced by the grades they received throughout their academic careers or even the attitude they exhibit in the classroom on the first day of class. Based on these first impressions, teachers will likely assume which students will and will not do well in their class.
According to Scholastic magazine writer, Eric Butterman, studies show that individuals often determine whether they will like someone or not within seven seconds of meeting them. Based on this claim, one can assume that whether a teacher likes a student or not is simply based on the first impression they receive from that student.
All teachers have different methods of instructing a class and holding discussions. Most will have bigger connections and closer relationships with the students who participate in the classroom instead of the students who sit quietly in the back. Teachers favor those students who get their work done and listen in class without interrupting rather than the students who constantly disrupt the classroom and waste time.
According to child psychologist, Adele Brodkin, teachers will have connections with children, simply because they are human.
Julie Henry reported on research done by The Department for Education in the Telehraph.co article titled, “Teacher ‘bias’ gives better marks to favourite pupils, research reveals.” The study involved more than 2,000 teachers judging essays written by their students over the course of a year.
“Nearly two thirds of the moderators said they thought that ‘teachers personal feelings about particular pupils influenced their assessments’ on some occasions or on a regular basis,” Henry wrote.
This implies that a teachers experiences or interactions with students can influence the grade that he or she will receive on a particular assignment or in the class.
In any classroom, there will be students who are outgoing enough to impress their professor. There will also be introverted students who will keep to themselves.
Wouldn’t it be hard for you to set aside your biases and interact with all of your students the same way?
Whether both students are performing the same way on the assignments in class, professors will be more inclined to assign the better grades to those who interact with them more often. Therefore, the more you like someone, the more inclined you are to favor them, whether you are a teacher or not.
