I just get so bored of hearing or reading this, and think it is so far from reality that I wanted to start a poll on it - this is a poll for teachers. ( of course I know this is MN, and a certain number of posters will come on and pretend to be teachers just to be contrary or to prove a point, - but hopefully if we ignore them we should still be able to discern the basic truth
Imagine planting a thousand sunflower seeds and fertilising and watering them diligently and then transferring them to pots. Some may to better than others, or need different care to others, but at no point are you going to suddenly choose a random individual in the middle of a seed tray and start hating on it.
When I see on posts "the teacher doesn't like my child" or 2 the teacher is picking on them" or whatever, I just think no, the chid is behaving in such a way they are getting automatic consequences they don't like. If they had a virtual teacher, AI, without any feelings at all, they would be getting the same consequences. It is a mirror of themselves.
I like children, and I teach children, and I discipline children. I don't dislike any. But I get parents who think I do. I get some children who get a total bee in their bonnet over my (completely imaginary) antipathy when nothing more is happening than they are getting told off for talking when they are consistently the noisiest and most disruptive person in the room etc. I ha.ve been accused of hating children and picking on them and have had to go and check on the seating plan to check I even have the right child in mind when I am told their name, it is so random
As a teacher, I most have taught over 8 000 students. Genuine dislike? I can think of 3, all in the very early years - after the first 18 months or so I guess I lost the capacity to feel dislike for a child. Irritation and boredom over poor behaviour, yes, but dislike, no - I don't have the head space or the energy! And those 3 did not know I disliked them, in fact one I still see around as an adult and am very fond of her and proud of her now.
I do remember one head of department mentioning she disliked 1 student once, and a friend teacher also mentioned one recently. The HOD was talking about a very distinctively cruel child who she had taken out of lessons consistently over many years, and the friend was talking about teaching children who were involved in a gang murder, ( they were awaiting trial at this point) and said how fond he was of all of them, except one. So in all the thousands and thousands of pupils my friends have had, the only two I have heard friends say they dislike were both showing extreme, consistent and rare sadistic behaviour.
Getting irritated and bored of poor behaviour is not the same as disliking the child doing it
I like all my children, and I care about them. Even the naughty ones. But I do discipline them, and they don't like it, and nor do the parents.
I have an email this morning from a parent complaining I pick on her child and dislike them. Not true, I am fond of their child, and spend a lot of time and planning caring specifically for them. This is quite common in the children teachers are accused of picking on! They are often the ones you are putting extra planning and attention into!
This child was sent out of my last lesson for a dangerous act that could have seriously harmed another child. I don't think it was deliberate, more careless, but he did it less than two seconds after I had told him not to, and it is the second time this year he has been sent out for dangerous behaviour.
YABU - l am a teacher and dislike students
YANBU - I am a teacher and do not dislike any students