Any Teachers About?

[MindBoggled]

This is such a bizarre question!

When I send my child off to school, I do always wonder what teachers think of them - I wonder if they genuinely are a 'pleasure to teach' or if they're a bit cheeky that day, they always have a little bit of hate towards them. I was then thinking, do you ever look at their appearance? Do you think some kids are cute and some are not so cute, or if as a teacher you never even think that... I just always wonder. I'm BU to wonder that, but I suppose I wonder what people think about my children!

[Pinkgeek]

I'm a primary teacher!
Not too sure what you're asking tbh but if it's simply a case of do teachers like every child then yes they do!
Every child has lovely qualities, some may take longer to discover than others but they are always there!
We have to take some notice of a child's appearance due to child protection but I've never disliked a child based on their appearance! Just like any other human!
Hope that helps :)

[PennyPebbles]

Secondary Teacher:

If I say your child is a pleasure to teach, then they are. If they aren't, I don't say it.

I don't hate any child, I have some I find it hard to warm to, but I work extra hard to make sure they don't know this.

I never look at their appearance other than to make them remove piercings, nail varnish, non-school uniform hoodies etc.

Mostly I just want all the children I encounter to be happy and do well. Some of the children I teach I think about a lot because I worry about them/their circumstances, most I don't really think about apart from planning work for them, teaching them and marking their books.

[Iggi999]

Don't worry, we always think your dcs are adorable and a delight to teach!
Am a bit at the "always have a bit of hate" comment though. I don't even hate those who have sworn at me, so why would I hate someone for being a bit cheeky?

[monkeysox]

Even real naughty kids are usually likeable in some way. Very very few you'd ever dislike. Hth

[MindBoggled]

But I suppose my son has a 'cool hairdo' (his teacher's words, not mind!) and they're allowed black trainers and he goes in in nikes, etc.

It was parents evening and she made a remark that she was pleasantly surprised, by his look, she thought he'd be a trouble makes. Does that really happen a lot? Like the whole name thing? If he was a trouble maker, would you hate him? I'm not sure if it's coming across right, but I do worry how they're perceived, ever since that comment

[winewolfhowls]

I've never met a teacher who loves all children, they have different personalities just like adults. Some are little sods, some are delightful and most are different shades of the two depending on the time of day and day of the week.
Don't think staff ever hate them though!

[Curioushorse]

Hmmmm. There are a lot of questions here!
In my experience, when you say they are 'a pleasure to teach' you do tend to genuinely mean that! You definitely don't say that about everybody.
The only thing is that children always think we spend our whole time in the staffroom talking about them. We don't. We spend much more time chatting about biscuits. I do sometimes think about a child's appearance....but I think much more about their personality and how I'm going to be able to get them to improve their work/ engage them. I spend most of my time thinking about that.
Sometimes children/ parents think we're picking on their children or don't like them. Honestly, I think this is really, really rare. It is rare that you're actually going to personally bothered enough by a child to actually dislike them. It's a job and, whilst you do see the children as individuals, you don't tend to take things that they say or the way that they act as a personal insult. You might take poor behaviour as a sign of your own failings, but you're rarely going to actually feel that an individual child is important enough in your life to actively dislike them.

You really do feel like it's a job. While you get a joy out of the interactions with children- you do keep a professional distance and don't tend to feel anything personally for individual children.

[QueenofLouisiana]

I'm a yr5 teacher- they tend not to be cute by then! However, I genuinely like the children I teach- every year I am amazed that I have been given yet another fabulous bunch of kids- conveniently forgetting that I felt like that last year too! I'd agree that sometimes it takes longer to find all the great qualities in each child, but it's always worth while.
I can't say I have ever hated a child- I've been exhausted by their behaviour or exasperated by their attitude, but never hate. I've cried over children, but only because I am upset for them- not by them.

[winewolfhowls]

I don't think that was an professional comment for the teacher to make to a parent.

A lot of staff do judge on names I guess rather than appearances. But then you meet the child and they create their own impressions.

[HouseAnxiety]

I do love teaching all the children in my class. Sometimes there are children in other classes who drive me nuts! However, the kids you work with all day, you really build a relationship with.

Some children are particularly cute/beautiful physically. Mostly, I find children sweet dependant on their nature.

Love cheeky children. You often bond very strongly with naughty children as it's amazing when you finally get them to do what you want.

I love teaching enthusiastic and independent children the most. I find these qualities v important!!

[Curioushorse]

Oooooh. I'm seeing your update. Yes, I suppose as a Secondary teacher I would make a quick judgement about a child initially based on appearance and attitude- just for practical reasons (where to put them in a seating plan etc.), but I would also be absolutely prepared for that judgement to be wrong. Teenagers put a lot of effort into appearing to be a particular sort of child- and often that's just a mask for them to hide behind. I wouldn't base too much on that teacher's comment. After about the third lesson with a child you're starting to get to know them for who they really are.

[HouseAnxiety]

Also, I adore my children and I do get quite attached to them. Every teacher is different but I cry every year saying goodbye to my class.

I teach little ones and I love the bond we have as a mini team.

[MsColouring]

All the kids I have taught have been awesome in one way or another. Some take a little bit longer to warm to than others but I always put a bit of extra effort into building those relationships. Don't care what they look like. Agree that if teachers say they are a pleasure to teach it is generally true - it's not something we just say.

[SawdustInMyHair]

One of my worst behaved last year (actually one of the worst behaved ever!) was one of my favourites. I could have quite happily just taught him on his own, following him around the school and occasionally dropping some maths into the conversation. Of course the behaviour effected the others' learning, so that was a problem, but it never made me dislike him. On the one hand if he was off for the day it meant you could actually teach, but it was a little boring :p

Behaviour in my experience doesn't effect my liking of a child. Even ones who can have really nasty moments have wonderful moments too when you see them with their friends, or when you're working 1-1 with them, or hit on something they love in the curriculum.

[Gwenci]

I'm a primary teacher OP and just to really add to your paranoia; I've always liked all the children I've taught, you really do find something to love about each of them. Some of the parents on the other hand...!

[IoraRua]

As a primary teacher, I've taught some kids who were genuinely very difficult to like. So yes, there have been some that I've liked better than others - just as in any job, there are some you personally get on with better. But I would never show this or mention it to a parent. And the worst behaved ones don't automatically equal least favourite.

Appearance, never really noticed tbh. I would notice anything that looked like neglect, and might note something like a new hairband/haircut to mention to the child (the kids love when you spot this!).

[Disabrie22]

I have taught across secondary and primary - the primary children were lovely - everyone had special qualities and I found it easy to care about them.
Secondary were great too - but there were some kids whose behaviour was pretty tedious lesson after lesson - so they were a grind to teach - but I pretty much liked them
Anyway.
The only ones I found hard to like were the ones who verbally abused in a personal way - or physically hurt me (yep it happens) - it crossed a line. But as always you are professional and do your best for them.

[PurpleAlerts]

I have never hated a child I have taught in all the 30 years I have been a teacher. However I can't say the same for some of their parents some of whom are vile.
Actually I often have an even softer spot for those with vile parents

[ChampagneTastes]

Secondary. I rarely say "pleasure to teach" as it's a bit of a meaningless compliment which doesn't tell you anything about their learning. However it does sometimes come out with students who aren't achieving what they might be but are trying really hard.

There are kids I struggle to like. When that happens I tend to sit down and have a conversation with them where I ask them what I could do differently. Except in a very very small number of cases this always helps me understand why they have been misbehaving and thus it becomes easier to like them.

I am reasonably confident that the two children that I have never been able to like are actually psychopaths.

[cannotlogin]

Secondary teacher. Some children try very hard to make you not like them!!! I see every lesson as a new start and opportunity to turn it around. Some of the more naughty children are fab - there is a huge difference between loud, active, happy spirits than deliberately offensive and unkind ones. I don't generally have time to worry about liking or disliking - more about getting through schemes of work and doing the best we can to pass the final exams.

[Haggisfish]

I very rarely hate a student-only the one or two who have physically hurt me tbh or who lie, sneakily and relentlessly. Behaviour and appearance don't upset me unduly. Names-there is a reason some names have a rep, but I would never prejudge a child or not allow them to be yhmselves if that makes sense. I care very very deeply about 99% of my students and they know it, too. I'm secondary btw and still tell them I'm proud of them, I care for them etc etc. I never say it's a pleasure to teach someone unless I mean it!

[glamourousgranny42]

I'm secondary / 6th form teacher.
No I don't like all the children I have taught.
no I don't hate them.
it has nothing to do with looks or 'style' though sometimes it can give an indication of where priorities lay (Full face of make up and perfect hair but late for a lesson with no books, pen etc)
Taught a boy once who made my skin crawl, felt sick being in the same room as him, was sure he would end up in jail. He did.
If I say your child is a pleasure to teach they are very special.
some of my students feel like my own kids, I worry about them, cry with them, laugh with them and genuinely miss them when they leave.
Hth

[acasualobserver]

I used to like the children who were likeable. However, I tried (successfully I think) not to treat the dislikeable children differently. And some were certainly dislikeable. I hated a few, I have to admit.

[Zippidydoodah]

Im pretty sure a professional wouldn't feel "hate" towards a child in their care

I have had children who have driven me insane but I've always managed to find something to like about them! I have also found many, many of the year 1 children I have taught to be "cute". Actually.... They are all cute! They're 5