Most teachers have a favorite student. What makes that student your favorite? And how do you feel about them

Hello all,


I know for a fact that one of my teachers favors me. I'm just wondering what makes that student your favorite? Are there any traits that go along with a favorite student? Or do you just like the ones that are in a certain ring of the social status of the school, or does popularity not matter to you? Which students, which kinds of students can you trust? What traits and personalities do you like?





THanks for your time,


Phoenix

Most teachers have a favorite student. What makes that student your favorite? And how do you feel about them
I'm a 5th grade teacher, and I don't believe in having a "favorite student," although there are some students I like more then others. I think students who work hard and have positive attitudes are the best. They make teaching more fun.
Reply:I honestly try to like all of my students. I admit that there are a few that get on my nerves more than others, though.





I guess you could say that my "favorite" students are the ones that come up with interesting ideas. I have one little girl that is a wonderful, humorous writer. I love reading her journal entries! I have another girl who is always smiling and is very sweet and helpful. She constantly makes real world connections in math and catches on very quickly in all areas.





I have one little girl that is a model citizen. She is very helpful, respectful, and compassionate to adults and children. She understands WHY we do things instead of just WHAT to do.





Finally, I have students that turn in their homework on time, don't cry or whine when they make ocassional mistakes, and go above and beyond. One little girl actually created a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast aspects of a book she read at home. She brought this to me! This was after a lesson on Venn Diagrams. I was impressed with her enthusiasm!





This year, I have several very bright, sweet female students. I tend to favor them. The boys are often fighting and off-task, for the most part, and I have to admit that many can be very annoying to teach. I try to be fair to everyone though. Who knows, next year I might favor the boys? That's just my honest appraisal for this year.





Thanks for asking.
Reply:I teach 17 year olds through adults and I have never had a "favorite" student, but have had and have many students who are a true pleasure to teach! These are the students who truly want to learn and do their best to achieve this goal!
Reply:Teachers are people too. They have friends like everyone else. The students that they favor have the same traits and characteristics as their other friends. I don't think that it has anything to do with social status or popularity in most cases. If you want a teacher to like you, you should start by trying to be their friend. Of course, doing you homework and behaving in class probably doesn't hurt either. :)
Reply:Simple





1. You do the work


2. You have a good attitude


3. You don't cause trouble


4. You care about your grades and yourself





Its just that simple
Reply:I am not sure that favourite student is an appropriate term. I think as a teacher, you almost favour weaker students in the sense that able ones will get there anyway, and you know weaker ones rely on you.


Respect might be a better word, and coming out of mutual respect, a good learning partnership. i remember one student, fairly new to me, challenged her grade. I had given a B and she though she deserved an A. Lots of teachers can't cope with challenges like that, and it was the first time I had come across it in such a way so early in a course. But a constructive discussion ensued and we each learnt about each other in the course of the discussion. The student was one who liked to be independent and keep a distance - but she certainly taught me how positive discussions like that could be and because I knew she set herself high aims, I knew how to help her progress in the future.


Other students you sometimes identify with on a more personal level - I find it is often those who have had a real problem needing some tricky manoevring - perhaps they don't like one of their teachers and as an intermediary, you need to coax them a bit, coax their teacher a bit etc until you get them back into a good way of working together. It is not really favouritism, it is just you know them more thoroughly!
Reply:I haven't had any "favorite students" in a long time, but I do respond more to outgoing students who are always willing to make interesting, personal observations and connections to what we are covering in class. I especially like students who take responsibility for their actions. They don't blame me when they do badly on a test, and they don't get defensive when I call them on their behavior.





In the past when I have had "favorite students", they always seemed to be trouble-makers, but not malicious. They had potential, but needed a push to reach it.





I work really hard not to show favoritism in class, but at the end of the day, there are students I enjoy having in class, students who might as well be wallpaper, and students who are a thorn in my side. I obviously prefer the first group.
Reply:Teachers show favoritism. It's not fair or right. It's also a sin.





Is Showing Favoritism a Sin?





ACCORDING to the Bible, sin is anything that does not harmonize with God’s personality, standards, ways and will. Since man was created in God’s image, a failure to reflect that image properly is sin. (Gen. 1:26, 27; Rom. 3:23) Does the showing of favoritism mar man’s reflection of God’s likeness and glory? It most certainly does, for “God is not partial.”—Acts 10:34.





Hence, Christians must guard against showing favoritism. It is a sin that can easily ensnare them. In fact, there were believers in the first century who yielded to this sin. The Christian disciple James wrote: “My brothers, you are not holding the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, our glory, with acts of favoritism, are you? For, if a man with gold rings on his fingers and in splendid clothing enters into a gathering of you, but a poor man in filthy clothing also enters, yet you look with favor upon the one wearing the splendid clothing and say: ‘You take this seat here in a fine place,’ and you say to the poor one: ‘You keep standing,’ or: ‘Take that seat there under my footstool,’ you have class distinctions among yourselves and you have become judges rendering wicked decisions, is that not so?”—Jas. 2:1-4.





Consider what James was here saying. Could a person adhere to the faith that is centered in Jesus Christ and at the same time manifest favoritism toward people? This is impossible, for Jesus Christ “gave himself a corresponding ransom for all.” Furthermore, it is God’s will “that all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth.” (1 Tim. 2:3-6) Therefore, it was contrary to the Christian faith for a believer to imply by his actions that the rich were more deserving of hearing the “good news” than the poor.





Yet that is what some Christians were doing. If a wealthy man came to one of their meetings, they would make special efforts to welcome him and to conduct him to a fine, comfortable seat. However, when a poor man in ragged clothing attended a meeting, he was virtually snubbed. He was told in effect: ‘Just stand where you are. Or, if you prefer to sit, seat yourself on the floor.’ The one saying this had such little regard for the poor man that he thought nothing about the man’s having to stand or his sitting on a level lower than a footstool. What did the disciple James call persons who made such class distinctions? They were “judges rendering wicked decisions.”





By failing to welcome the poor man, they were not treating him as a person for whom Christ died and who had a right to come to “an accurate knowledge of truth.” They were evaluating the worth of a man on the basis of his possessions. This was certainly wicked, totally contrary to the view that Jehovah God and Jesus Christ have of people. It also violated the spirit of Christ’s teaching that all members of the congregation are “brothers,” with an equal standing before God.—Matt. 23:8.





Additionally, the disciple James indicated that the showing of favoritism to the rich was unreasonable. We read: “Listen, my beloved brothers. God chose the ones who are poor respecting the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he promised to those who love him, did he not? You, though, have dishonored the poor man. The rich oppress you, and they drag you before law courts, do they not? They blaspheme the fine name by which you were called, do they not?”—Jas. 2:5-7.





The believers to whom James directed his words knew that the majority of those who embraced the Christian faith had come from among the poor. As the apostle Paul had earlier written to the Corinthians, this could easily be observed. “You behold,” said Paul, “his calling of you, brothers, that not many wise in a fleshly way were called, not many powerful, not many of noble birth.” (1 Cor. 1:26) Unlike many of the poor and afflicted who had a real longing for God and who recognized their dependence on him, the rich generally trusted in their wealth. Because the poor had the right attitude toward spiritual things, Jehovah God saw fit to exalt them. In the world, the poor had nothing—no dignity, no influence, no prominence. But Jehovah God favored them with priceless spiritual riches, making them rich in faith, and constituted them heirs in the heavenly kingdom. So, then, it was unreasonable for Christians to dishonor the poor who might come to one of the meetings of the congregation, to view them as being unfit even to have a seat.





Likewise, a person’s giving preferential treatment to the rich was unreasonable. As a class, the wealthy did not deserve it, for their actions did not commend them as fine persons. They were oppressive, harsh and unloving. They were among the leading opposers of Christianity, blaspheming the name of Christ.





Then, too, partial treatment of individuals violated the new commandment that Jesus Christ gave to his followers. The Son of God stated: “I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:34, 35) Jesus Christ manifested a self-sacrificing love. He willingly surrendered his life for others. Hence, since the Law given through Moses only required loving one’s neighbor as oneself, the new commandment really called for more. Viewed in this light, a Christian’s dishonoring a poor man was a serious violation of the law of love.





The disciple James stressed this very point, saying: “If, now, you practice carrying out the kingly law according to the scripture: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing quite well. But if you continue showing favoritism, you are working a sin, for you are reproved by the law as transgressors.” (Jas. 2:8, 9) For Christians under the new commandment to show neighbor love for a poor man would be commendable, though not the complete fulfillment of their obligation toward him. However, by dishonoring the poor man, they would be disregarding the “kingly law,” the law of the great King Jehovah, which is also a royal or an excellent law. On the basis of that law, all who showed favoritism were sinners.





Accordingly, if we desire to stand as approved before God and Christ, we must root out of our hearts any tendency to show favoritism. A person’s position in the world, his educational background or financial standing should not affect our judgment of him as a person. Nor should we look down on anyone, regardless of how lowly he may appear to be. If the Most High God views a person as deserving of his love, who are we to say that such an individual is unworthy of our love? That would indeed be wicked. A person would thus imply that he is greater than God.





Your teacher shouldn't be showing favoritism because it's probably making the other students feel bad.
Reply:I never allow myself the privilege of liking or disliking my students. I am there to do a job. I do like it when students make my job easier by participating appropriately, respecting others, etc.
Reply:My favorite students are not necessarily the 'smartest' in the class. In fact, they probably aren't . My favorite student is the one who is low but works really hard and never gives up. This student has a really great attitude about learning and always tries his best. The ones that I don't like are the ones that are very smart but don't try at all.