How to deal with an unfair teacher
The duty of a teacher is not only to teach students the knowledge they need, he or she also needs to be fair and honest in order to give each student the same opportunities. Some teachers are stricter than others, but that’s normal. However, if you notice a teacher treating you different than the other students, there is a problem. Disclaimer: if a teacher punishes you for behaving disruptive in class, it doesn’t mean he treats you unfair, you just need to behave according to the rules. If the teacher just doesn’t seem to like you, for whatever reason, and punishes you for not doing anything wrong, then he is unfair to you. There are some examples of this:
- Giving you a bad grade on a test whilst you clearly got more answers correct than he/she marked.
- Sending you out of class whilst it was obvious that someone else was behaving incorrectly.
- Criticising everything you do, including in papers, and not seeming to notice any mistakes if other people do the same.
Here are some tips to avoid/solve your problem:
- Make sure you get the reputation of being a good student
Not only classmates gossip about other students, also teachers gossip in the teacher lounge. Not only good things are said about the students, sometimes, bad things are spread. Make sure you are not one of those students that teachers fear of. Try to do according what is being said. This will give you an advantage when you get a new different teacher. Tip: Look at the classroom rules, and analyse it carefully to make sure you don't break any rules.
- Try to ask your teacher why you did wrong according to him/her.
This is one of the most important things from this list. If you still don’t understand why you did wrong, ask your teacher. However, don’t try and argue with the teacher, since it will only make it worse. Try to see it from the teacher’s perspective: ‘was it really necessary to disrupt the class?’ or ‘did the teacher just mark my paper according to the criteria?’
- Look at the bright side
You probably won’t be stuck with this teacher forever, see this experience as a learning moment. Next year you might have a different teacher, and then you will be nailing that class. Even though you might be dealing with this teacher for a long time, try to accept it. Your teacher is also just a human being at work; it is probably not something personal. However, if it is personal, your teacher shouldn't treat you differently because of that. Inform a different teacher or even the principal about the situation.
