This teacher felt it was important to inquire about the student's reason for stealing the money. She also knew that she could not pretend that it did not happen. She continued by calmly explaining to this student that breaking the rules brought consequences. The student was strictly but fairly disciplined. It is very important that teachers keep their personal difficulties out of the classroom.
Students can easily misinterpret their teacher's bad mood.
If the teacher is cranky or depressed, students may feel that they are somehow responsible. Teachers who are excessively critical or punitive, who are moody, or who shout often, are unfairly imposing stress on their students. This is disturbing to the students and may cause them to be apprehensive in the classroom. Ultimately, their discomfort with the teacher could interfere with their ability to learn. In order to assure that this does not happen, teachers must continually re-examine the ways that they relate to their pupils.