Teachers overcome assumptions about siblings

English teacher Amanda Scholz said when she calls a student by his or her sibling’s name, she feels like she has failed as a teacher.

“It seems like a very basic right a student should have in a classroom, that people should be able to get their name correct,” Scholz said.

  Math teacher Steve Goodman said he also deals with name confusion among siblings.

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The Ramachandra siblings, Shalini (left), Avani and Yasmine (far right), pose with math teacher, Steve Goodman, who has taught all of them. Photo by Jessica Lee.

“There have been times when … I couldn’t remember the name, so I would just call the student by their last name to sort of escape it,” Goodman  said.

Scholz said she tries not to confuse siblings’ names, work ethics or personalities. She said each student is his or her own person and teachers should not make assumptions based on older siblings.

“When I know that I have a student whose older brother or sister [I have also had], I try very hard to actively fight those assumptions,” said Scholz. “I don’t want to assume that I know someone.”

According to sophomore Shalini Ramachandra, she knows what it is like to be compared to siblings, having two older sisters with whom she has shared teachers.

“My [oldest] sister was sometimes quiet, so they assumed a few things about my personality,” said Ramachandra. “But after a few weeks I think they realized how different I am.”

Goodman, one of five kids in his family, said he knows the feeling of being compared to siblings in the classroom, so he does all he can to avoid it.

Scholz said a teacher should not make assumptions about which academic areas a student will be best at based on a sibling, such as writing versus reading. She also said she has been pleasantly surprised by two siblings being very different.

Ramachandra said in classes where she has the same teachers her sisters have had, she tries to let her distinct personality show.

“I kind of feel like I have to be a little like [my sisters] because that’s what [the teachers] assume,” said Ramachandra. “In a class I would try to answer questions in a way that best fits me and try to not act like them.”

Goodman admitted to having some expectations due to older siblings, but he said he quickly gets over them.

“I think if you know someone comes from a great or hard-working family, you have some expectations that a kid might be great,” said Goodman. “But I’m not expecting the kid to be a carbon copy [of his or her sibling].”