(April 13, 2007) — A student with a 4.5 GPA gets by with catching up on her sleep in the middle of a stoichiometry lecture, whereas a D-average student constantly gets yelled at for all the noise in the classroom. Everyone else is chatting away, having the time of their lives, but your teacher only observes the D student for the next possible thing to nag about. Like a predator hunting for its prey, the teacher has already decided to whom the ATS will be written with no need for justification. Sound familiar? From what I see, a teacher’s main responsibility is not only to teach but also to encourage students to excel. Just because the “D guy” doesn’t meet the average standards of the class, it doesn’t give the teacher the right to ignore and crush his spirit. In fact, the D guy may need much more encouragement and attention than the A students. It may even be that the D student doesn’t put in any more effort because he thinks he can’t do any better after all the disapproval he’s received. Teachers need to understand that we are all deeply flawed individuals. In other words, no one is perfect; but people certainly do have their special talents. Who knows? Maybe the D student you have today will be the next Bill Gates. Why is it that the teachers praise the math whizzes and discourage those who aren’t excelling in classrooms? This causes the average students to compare and put themselves down to a point where it affects their attitudes toward school in general. Eventually, students end up beating themselves up to become “good” students, going beyond what they can handle. Unfortunately this isn’t the end. In extreme cases, some desperate students become cheaters and habitual slackers. I once had a teacher named Mrs. Cleverley back in the fourth grade, and she always made sure to compliment her students – even for the slightest things. Taking a look at it now, those compliments may not seem like much. But for some people like myself, her kind words on my improving multiplication skills will last me throughout the rest of my math career. One kind word of encouragement can make a life-changing difference in a person’s future.