MIRANDA, Bellevue, Washington, USA

Middle School Student
Caucasian
Female 


Q: What do you have in common with your teachers? 

A: I do not have a race. All of my friends have different races though, which has made me learn so much. My best friend Laura is Asian and my other best friend Megan is Filipino.  

Because I am a white female like many public school teachers​, I have had things in common with teachers. It is good I have things in common with my teachers, but they are not diverse, like all of my friends. I would also like my friends to have things in common with their teachers.

Also, my parents are divorced, and my brother has moved away to Utah, so my family is somewhat broken apart, but we make it work. I rarely see my dad, only every other weekend. I am with my mom during the weekdays, and every other weekend. None of the teachers I know have had divorced parents, or at least don't speak of it.

Students are so diverse. Teachers are not diverse. It is not fair for the kids to not have any teachers like themselves. Teachers and students need to be equally diverse. People should have things in common with the people they spend the most time with and learn from. 


Q: Does it matter that students and teachers have things in common? 

A: Yes. Very, very, very much.

Even though few students may have things in common with teachers, very many do not. Kids have to have someone to look up to, and teachers can have an impact on that. If teachers were more diverse and kids had things in common with them, then kids would look up to their teachers more, and trust them.

If a kid is going through a tough time, the teacher could help a lot more if they had things in common and they went through the same experiences. You have things in common with your friends, which is why you are friends, right?

I think that may be why kids do not like school, because they have nothing in common with their teachers.

It is easier to learn with a teacher that you have things in common with. There are so many people on this earth that are diverse and most public school teachers in America are white women and public school students in America are diverse. I find that something is wrong there, and we need to fix it so more kids can have things in common with their teachers.

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