She sets the standard for her peers, and so she is ostracized. She wins an award but, knowing it will draw biting comment, begs that no one be told, no attention be drawn to it. When the pressure is too great, she may simply decide to fade into the pack. Just go with the flow. For years we have watched high-achieving students suffer such treatment in certain classrooms.
Researchers say it is a determining factor in why bright kids sometimes choose to under-achieve.
But an unpleasant reality of education is that teachers sometimes face it as well. And all too often, there is nothing to abate it, no easy way to address it, and no advocate to intercede for them. In the best-functioning, healthiest schools, the opposite is typically true. A teacher with high standards, creativity and a strong work ethic is not only admired, but emulated. He or she sets a standard for the staff, is given a leadership role in decision-making, and mentors other teachers.