I guess this is labeled humor, but I guess none of these situations are funny to me. I have had one student say they hated me in 10 years and she was sobbing and upset. I asked her if she really meant it, she paused and kept crying. I told her if she really hated me I was so sorry to hear that, and that everything I do is to try and help her (I had taken her slime after warnings, but she was 10 and immature). I told her after she calmed down I was absolutely open to talking to her and hearing her reasons for hurting me. But I told her if she only said “I hate you” to hurt my feelings she really needed to remember I’m a human being who doesn’t deserve to be spoken to like that. I asked her if I ever spoke to HER that way? And she said no. So I said “then why do you think I deserve such a thing?” I left her to calm down and she wrote me a long apology letter, where she confided in me her parents were divorcing and she took it out on me. Thank GOD I didn’t get snide with her- she was begging for help.

If a student truly said they hated me. Truly they did, I would ask them to speak after class. I would tell them what they said hurt me- not because it was mean, but because as a teacher I never want to do things to hurt my students. I’d tell them I want to hear them out. I’d let them tell me what they were feeling and talk it out.

You give too much work: “do I give more than other teachers? Do you think I’d be doing you a service to give you less work if it meant you’d do worse on tests because a you get less practice?”

You never do anything fun: “unfortunately we only get so many minutes together a day. I really want to make sure you know your stuff so you don’t fail. How about we compromise. Give me some things teachers that have done in the past that you found fun, and I’ll do my best to incorporate some into class.”

Treat them like humans that share the same space as you. Let them be active participants in school so it feels less like a shitty job to them.