As scheduling rolls around and people begin to think about what classes they will be taking next year, a factor that plays into that decision for many is who teaches the courses they are selecting. Is it an easy teacher? A strict teacher? Do they click through a bunch of slide shows and expect you to keep up? Or do they create different ways to teach? Do they give a lot of homework, or perhaps none at all? Which is more beneficial? They all play a factor and they are all valid questions, considering that the class will become a significant portion of your life for the next year.

These decisions are important; however, your friend shouting that she hated that teacher is not. The difficulty of the course and the weight of the workload is important; however, the reputation that the teacher is a terrible person is not. People are people, and there is a reason you don’t get along with everyone. A teacher’s style of teaching and who they are as a person are two very different things.

You’re not going to get along with every teacher you have. Just because they’re not a good person does not make them a bad person. Not everyone is good at everything, and while it’s highly unfortunate if you have a teacher who is bad at teaching, that doesn’t mean you should judge their character on just a single portion of their life. You only see that section, and you have no idea what’s going on in the numerous other parts of their life, what they have been through, and what they are going through.

They are probably trying their best, and while that may not be sufficient, sometimes that’s all they can offer. Your teacher is a human, too, and it’s important not to forget that. Refrain from walking through the halls bashing them and complaining about horrible they are. Refrain from rolling your eyes in class and refusing to participate. Refrain from giving up just because you don’t like them. The words you say travel back to them, just as the words someone say about you do. And it hurts, because they are doing their best.

So when figuring out what classes you want to take and signing up for next year, refrain from choosing a course because you have heard negative connotations about them. Not only may you have a different opinion, but they are doing their best.