Life isn't supposed to be discriminatory. And for the most part, it isn't. And neither is school. And yet, people are undermining and ignoring this unspoken rule of ethics - that school, a place of LEARNING, should not be discriminatory. Where did it go? Why are people not following this creed? For that matter, why are there stuck-up jerks for teachers who only care about giving a few selected kids A's, being fair with a few, and then giving the rest E's? Why are the teachers absolutely HELLBENT on gushing over the mediocre work of the favored, while passing over the extraordinary work of the unfavored? These are very good and valid questions, and I can give you a very good and valid answer.
It all comes down to popularity. Ah, popularity. The sick and twisted system in which the self-centered, stuck-up, "holier-than-thou" jerks are put into the higher ends of this caste system of society, and the good-natured, humble, good-charactered people are treated as Untouchables. This system is what has seized schools everywhere, and not just with the students. The sad fact is, if you happen to be a self-centered, stuck-up, "holier-than-thou" jerk, you're automatically popular with the students. And if you're popular with the students, then you're popular with - GUESS WHO? - The teachers. And if you're popular with the TEACHERS...you receive special treatment. And not any kind of special treatment, oh no. In fact, here’s a translation of what the teacher is thinking when he/she does this. It’s you-are-disrupting-the-class-and-I-should-really-call-you-out-but-you're-popular-so-I'll-call-out-that-innocent-good-kid-who-didn't-do-anything-wrong treatment. It is that bad. The teachers are going RIGHT ALONG with the students. And everyone's accepting it! There could be a popular kid who's always laughing loud enough to deafen and shouting out while the teacher is talking, and that kid is sitting next to a good-natured, humble, good-charactered kid, and the good-natured, humble, good-charactered kid happens to open his binder, and it makes 1/5 of the noise that the self-centered, stuck-up, "holier-than-thou" jerk is making, WHO DO YOU THINK THE TEACHER WILL CALL OUT? The good-natured, humble, good-charactered kid. Why? Because that kid isn’t popular and the other one is.
I’ve been wondering something for a very long time. Why do kids not notice? Or maybe they do, but they are afraid to tell anyone for fear of being bullied by the popular kids? Maybe the popular kids notice, but they like it that way, with themselves at the top of the social pillar and having these outcasts to tread on mercilessly when they have to take out their anger. Maybe even the teachers notice, but if they tell anyone they’ll get in trouble with the principal, for favoritism.
This is the screwed up policy that is inadvertently strangling the roots of schoolkids. Brilliant, wonderful, bright, honest, humble, good kids are being bullied and trampled on by not only the “holier-than-thou” jerk kids, but the teachers are automatically switching to default mode: “Oh, that person’s popular, therefore that person must be smart too.” There are just SO MANY THINGS that are ABSOLUTELY WRONG with that mindset. And will I sit back and let it happen. Will I let myself be trampled on by teachers who only grade stuck-up jerks fairly? Will I continue to be the smartest person in my class, yet receive the lowest grades - because of a GOOD THING? Will you guys? Will you guys keep on succumbing to the highest members of this caste system because they have the support of teachers? No. No, we will not stand by and let the teachers continue to stand by the bullies, to bring you down. If you get an unfair grade - talk to the teacher! Ask him/her why you got that grade, and if their reason isn’t valid, or is false, then do something about it! Tell your parents about it, and if this kind of thing has been happening a lot, do something! Stand up! Arrange a meeting with the teacher! You CANNOT SIMPLY continue to receive the worst grades on the best papers! If JERKWAD teachers are TRAMPLING ALL OVER YOU then FORCE them to be fair!
I’m sure that many of the people reading this have experienced something like this, at least at some point in their lives, and I am also sure that some of you disagree with me. Either way, no matter what you think, I want you to walk away with this: School should not be what it is today. The kids are turning it into a maelstrom of lies, insults, taunts, and just general badness going all around. The teachers (not all of them) are turning into tyrants. But there is a way to stop it. You just have to take that extra step. Stand up for yourself. In your eyes, one of the tyrant teachers is just another pesky bully. Do something about it.