We are all aware of our favorite and least favorite teachers. Some will cheer you on and never give up on you.  Others will kill you with their negativity and attitude, which can in the end psychologically affect us students.

When students are in school, they have to balance seven periods of homework, tests, quizzes and even AP exams. It is horrible, however, when teachers believe that their class is the only class that matters. It creates an issue when students do not perform up to par due to the workload, and some teachers only make it worse by discouraging their students.

According to a March 2012 article on sociology.org, a website where doctors write articles to evaluate different societal scenarios, teachers can hurt students by isolating and degrading them in class, as well as not supporting them or helping them achieve.

Teachers must realize that if a student fails, discouragement is not going to help. The student will continue to underperform if teachers do not do something proactive. Instead, teachers should try to actually encourage and be proud of their students, which will improve students’ preformance.

The most embarrassing thing about high school however, is the fact that students are afraid to ask for help. It is insulting that some students feel that they cannot approach their teachers and would rather fail or “wing” their tests instead of ask their unapproachable teacher for help.

This is not right by any means. If a student feels terrified to ask their teacher for help in the class, then something is definitely wrong in the class environment. Instead of being annoyed with questions or insulting the student for not knowing the information, teachers should open up and relate to their students and understand that sometimes there are some things that students will never get unless they get the help they need.

According to an article on greatschools.org, a website dedicated to discussing performance in schools, sometimes teachers can be bullies, and this bullying can cause the student much stress, including even causing them to skip school.

Bullying is a serious issue that is usually related to students, but when the teacher becomes a bully, it can completely ruin the school environment for students. If a teacher “bullies” a student, either by yelling at them or insulting them for their academic performance, it becomes a problem. Students should never want to miss school because they feel bullied by their teachers.

What happened to the days when teachers were the role models and leaders? Do they exist anymore? It seems that they do not, as many students consider their teachers “mean” or even mention how the teachers don’t teach.

However, not all teachers are mean.  There are teachers who actually work hard to encourage their students, and in the end, they are the teachers who give their students all of the tools to be successful.

According to the University of Berkeley’s official website, it is easy for teachers to engage students. Just from learning names to encouraging students to see them for extra help, teachers will positively affect their students and help them succeed through police behavior.

On the other hand, during my years at CHS, I have seen an overwhelming amount of incidents where teachers will negatively affect fellow classmates. I’ve sat through many classes where my teacher will scold other students and even insult them for their behavior in class, such as “flirting with other boys.” Although it is appropriate for a teacher to tell a student to pay attention, accusing the student of flirting is inappropriate, as someone’s personal life or personal actions aren’t known by the teacher and shouldn’t be revealed to the rest of the class.

No better is the effect of negativity the teachers’ attitude has on students.  It can cause students to become angered, isolated, discouraged, likely to fail and even victims to bullying.  Teachers, please take a minute to look at the way you teach in the classroom. Even if you do not bully your students, try to always encourage them to improve. Your attitude can take your students a long way and even affect their daily lives, so make sure the influence is positive.