BY ROSA PRESTON

I’m going to go ahead and say it, no one’s perfect. Not students. And not teachers.We can always strive to improve ourselves, but no one can be perfect. But even knowing that, there are certain things a teacher should never say to or about their students. I’m not a teacher, but especially over the past few weeks, I’ve heard some things a student should never have to hear. So without further ado, here are some things a teacher should never say.

1. “I don’t care if my students like me.”

While I personally haven’t heard any teachers say this, I’ve had some in my previous years with this sort of attitude. And that attitude could rub off on students, which can lead to a general bad learning environment. Jason Morton, Truman assistant principal, agrees—saying, “It is important to create classroom environments where students feel welcome, valued, and validated as individuals. Teachers do not necessarily have to ‘like’ students, but it is essential they treat students the way they want to be treated to build the reciprocal trust needed.”

2. “I’ve already gone over that, you should’ve been listening.”

It’s understandable to be frustrated at not understanding something for the first time, but no two students are the same. One may be able to understand a topic after one lesson, the other may need a bit more practice. The only time a student should be scolded for not understanding after a lecture is if they were genuinely goofing around and not paying attention. But other than that, no student should have to try and understand things for the first time in one lesson.

3. “This class is the most boring part of my day.”

This one is my personal favorite, not just because I’ve actually heard this recently, but also because of how plain wrong this quote is. For starters, I doubt comparing classes to each other in the fun department fosters a healthy learning environment. Not to mention, no student should have to hear this if they consider the class an essential for their future. Saying something like this undermines the class’s importance, and generally can make the class feel lackluster.

I’m sure there are plenty of things that other teachers have said that are far worse than the three listed, but I’d definitely say that they still have a big impact on student learning. No student should ever have to hear from their teacher something that disregards their own needs and feelings. To the teachers reading, I’m sure some of you may be surprised that these things have been said, as am I. Please, for the sake of your students, watch your words carefully. Because as Morton says, “No matter how challenging a day may be or frustrated a teacher may be, every conversation matters. What may be insignificant to a teacher may be the most pressing thing on a student’s mind. It is thus imperative to avoid comments that are condescending, dismissive, or personal in nature. Trust is earned and can easily be broken; this goes both ways with teacher and student.”