“She’s horrible; avoid her as much as you can.” “He gave me a 4! He sucks.”
A normalized habit taints our community: students discussing teachers as if they were emotionless robots on sale, readily bracing for harsh criticisms and offensive gossip. Many even personally attack teachers based on their subjective experience, expecting educators to uphold a golden standard of morality. On one hand, constructive criticism enables teachers to improve their classes and provide the optimal experience for their students. However, the culture now crosses the line of helpful feedback into unjustified and exaggerated attacks on their personhood. As students, it is our duty to clearly distinguish the line between constructive criticism and addressing teachers without the grace of their humanity.
When we choose which product to purchase at a store, we pick apart their qualities, weigh the pros and cons, and impose our subjective standard of a “good product” to determine their utility. The same happens with teachers. Students each have very arbitrary standards of a “good teacher,” such as how “well” they grade, how kind they are, and how early they let students out. Once a teacher doesn’t fit their standards, they are labelled as a “bad” teacher, tossed around in gossip and jokes to express absurdity. However, we must recognize that there are varying definitions of a good educator, from detailed explanations to entertaining lectures. And even if the teacher does not teach in the most effective way possible, that does not justify students attacking a teacher’s entire personhood, equating one’s teaching abilities to their worth as a human being. Much like how students all vary in character and talents, teachers also differ in their teaching methods, personalities, and ways of expressing care. Thus, we should not designate them into a category of a “good” or a “bad” teacher, merely based on our subjective experiences.
It may be difficult to determine the fine line between constructive criticism and objectification. At times, it seems as though harsh words or phrases are necessary to provide criticism to teachers, especially because they belong to a place of authority. Despite this difficulty, finding that line is important in providing helpful feedback while also maintaining a respectful manner. At times, teachers may make real mistakes, beyond merely grading harshly or letting students out late. The first step to approaching a discussion with a teacher from a good faith is to acknowledge their humanity. It is fair to hold educators to a higher moral and personal standard, as they are often viewed as the ultimate role models for students. However, we must understand that they are still human beings, fallible to mistakes and emotions. It is nearly impossible to please all students, and it can be unfair and hurtful to criticize teachers for failing to meet the needs of every student based on their subjective standards. Teachers are not machines, so it is important for students to give them the grace to make mistakes, explore, and take time to help out students.
However, this does not mean that we should completely ignore the mistakes that teachers may make or the concerns we have about a class. It is natural that teachers may accidentally say something or take an action that does not suit your needs as a student. In this case, we have to directly approach them in an open mindset, understanding their perspective and where the mistake came from to have an honest conversation about how to move forward. Despite the difference between the experiences of a teacher and a student, we can still have productive and helpful conversations without crossing the line and acting disrespectfully behind their backs. Respectful communication allows us to bridge the gap and view teachers as humans with emotions and experiences, without treating them as merely machines.
Although respectful communication is the ideal outcome, students’ actions of talking about their teachers are also partially understandable. It can be frustrating when we are given a grade or disappointing feedback, or when a teacher hurts our feelings. Critiquing teachers in harsh language is often an expression of such culminated anger and exhaustion of factors that are beyond our control. Thus, rather than blaming only the students or the teachers, we should create a campus culture that encourages dialogue between the two groups without condemning students for expressing their true feelings. Students and teachers compose the core of our community, and creating a friendly relationship between these groups is the first step to establishing a warm campus environment.
