Have you ever had a teacher who seems to hate you? What did you do about it?

If you're having difficulties in class and it seems like your teacher's being unfair to you, take some time to think hard about what's happening. Try to figure out if your teacher really does dislike you, or if something else is going on. Here are some

Are you the only person being treated badly, or is your teacher being rough on the whole classroom?Ask your classmates if they've been having trouble with the teacher too. If they say yes, perhaps your teacher is having problems outside of school, or is new and feels overwhelmed.

Is your teacher's anger aimed at you personally, or at something specific you've been doing?All teachers have certain pet peeves. Maybe your teacher hates it when people whisper in class, or maybe it's late homework assignments that really get your teacher steamed. If you try hard not to do these things, the situation might get better.

Are you working up to your ability?Maybe you got a C on your last test, and your teacher told you that you could do better. But the kid sitting beside you got a C too, and the teacher didn't say anything to her! Isn't this totally unfair? Well, it could be that your teacher knows that you could get a better grade if you put more effort into it. Teachers often grade students by different standards, especially if they feel that someone isn't doing the work they're capable of doing. It's their way of motivating a student to try a little harder.

Are you more sensitive than most students?One mother became upset when her nine-year-old son told her that his teacher hated him. But eventually she found out that her son was just extra sensitive to criticism, and got upset when the teacher corrected his work. The other students weren't as sensitive, so they weren't bothered even though the teacher treated them exactly the same way. There's nothing wrong with being sensitive, but if you react to criticism differently than most kids, this could be a factor in why you think your teacher doesn't like you.

Does your teacher seem to act unfairly all of the time, or just once in awhile?Think about the harsh things your teacher has done or said to you. Are these things happening practically every day, or just once or twice a month? If your teacher really does hate you, you would probably be getting picked on all the time. If your teacher has acted unfairly only a few times, then there's probably something else going on.

If you take the time to ask yourself these questions, you'll get a better sense of what's happening between you and your teacher.

What if you do this, and you still think your teacher is unfair? Well, you might be right. In Why Does This Happen?, we look at some of the reasons why your teacher might be acting unfairly.