My brother was not always the best student. School was rough for him and he got into the wrong crowd. Being only a couple of years younger than him, I was bound to have some of the same teachers that he had since I went to the same school that he did. One important thing to remember is that I absolutely hate math. So, I had to pay extra attention in class because it never came easy to me and I found it completely useless. To my luck, my math teacher my seventh grade year had had brother previous to me. In the first week of class she learned that I was his younger sibling and she did not seem happy. One day I was caught talking when I was not supposed to. I thought “Well this first time ever doing anything wrong in this class, I can’t get into that much trouble.” I was very wrong. I remember her face, a look of disgust and hatred. Something a teacher should never give to a student. She said “I’m not dealing with this again; you’re just like your brother.” She then proceeded to put me on an “island” by my lonesome. A desk alone, in the back of the classroom, isolated from the rest of my peers that were in groups. Throughout the year, she treated me differently and my grades for the class reflected it.

There is no happy ending to that story, I did poorly in the class and my skills in math dropped because of it. I would go into high school two years later and think in the back of my head “don’t tell anybody who your brother is.” Being a dumb first-year at the time, I didn’t even take into consideration that I look just like my brother. It worked; I was under the impression that nobody knew my secret, so I proceeded to take it into my sophomore year and somehow my teacher found me out. I was prepared to just move my own seat to the back of the classroom and the “L” for that class. Turns out, that teacher had always known. It was towards the end of the year and I asked why they hadn’t treated me differently. They responded with “because you aren’t your brother.” While I was having an epiphany, my teacher moved on with their day.

I then became aware of the impact that a teacher actually has on a student. They not only serve as an educator, but as a role model. Me, being me, likes to relate everything back to politics. I think to how I learned about how the President of The United States wears many “hats.” They have one position, but take on many roles under said position. Teachers are educators, mentors, guides, consultants, advisors, and everything in between. I was personally lucky enough to have some amazing teachers throughout high school, but not everybody is so lucky. But if you are lucky enough to get a teacher who cares about your wellbeing, make sure you treat them with all the respect and appreciation that they deserve.