Middle school math teacher accuses entire class of cheating on an exam after they outperform her own students: ‘The accusations were completely baseless’ – FAIL Blog

Is it the teacher’s or the student’s responsibility when the entire class performs poorly?

That is a difficult question to answer, and the response will depend on who you ask. Almost all members of my family are teachers, so I guess I might be a little biased. Still, one of the most important skills a teacher needs to have is the ability to do some self-reflection and evaluate their own methods. They are constantly learning, as much as the students, which is why that self-reflection is so important. Not all kids learn in the same way, and every class is different. 

I understand that it must be a huge hit to any teacher’s ego when their students like another teacher better. It’s really easy to always blame the kids for not studying, not being interested in school, or being too lazy. And don’t get me wrong, that is one hundred percent possible and often true. But it is also true that some teachers have the ability to make the students feel more engaged. Then again, teachers have many responsibilities, and it is not humanly possible for them to cater individually to every single kid’s interest; they have a program to stick to. It’s a never-ending cycle and a never-ending debate. 

For Redditor u/Being-Wordy-2000, it was a bit of both. Their division was usually problematic, and that didn’t change, but they met a math teacher who made them feel interested in the subject. So much so that they outperformed other divisions during exam week. That was suspicious to another teacher, who ended up accusing them of cheating.

Both the students’ and the teacher’s sides are understandable. If the teacher already knew how they usually performed and behaved, it could be suspicious to suddenly see them act so differently. And the students must have felt frustrated by the accusation, since they were doing exactly what all teachers expect from other classes. The issue is not the distrust itself, but the motives behind it. The teacher was motivated by jealousy and a crushed ego, and students should never have to take the blame for some adult’s inner insecurities.