Teachers Who Are Narcissists Aren't Fun
Narcissists (and those who are Narcissistic) make terrible Teachers! They don't make good teachers, they make terrible teachers. The former student who reports that a Narc. teacher was "the best teacher" was almost always either one of the teacher's "Golden Pets", or the student was conditioned to be co-dependent (respect Controllers/misinterpret the flags).
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A teacher, coach, professor or instructor who is Narcissistic does the same behaviors with students as with any other relationship: It's all about HIM or HER. The only students the N. Teacher "likes" are those who fit in with his or her expectations, comfort zone, and ego for whatever reason. Any students who DON'T FIT are ignored, cast aside, dismissed, and even sabotaged, depending on the severity of the particular teacher's Narcissism issues.
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Consider a music instructor with Narcissism: He already believes himself superior, right from the get-go. He's most likely teaching because it gives him automatic "subordinates" who are subject to his scrutiny, judgment, and criticism, and who SEEK HIS APPROVAL, quite literally; they have to get it in order to pass the class!
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How does he conduct his class... He assesses which students he LIKES, first, and actually coaches those particular students along (hopefully, for their sakes). He makes "normal" eye contact, giving them neutral and positive feedback, giving them accurate feedback (hopefully). He may allow the ones he really favors to receive extra instruction after class. If there is a student that he really favors, he may REALLY "coach" that student, trying to mold them into a prodigy, his personal "project". That student will get "First Violin", or be featured regularly in solos. The N. Teacher will focus his or her instruction often directly on that student, as if there's no one else in the class, or as if that student is a "fellow Peer" to the Teacher, and they are "among novices". That student will be put in the awkward position of "Leader Of The Class" whether they like it or not. That is the "Golden Student" of the class.
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Being the "Golden Student" is NOT that student's fault, not in the least. Yes, some students are also Narcissistic, so they would JUMP on the chance to lord over the other students and be the Teacher's "Pet" or "Assistant", but it's still the N. Teacher's doing. The relationship is authority/subordinate, the student is in the subordinate role. That student is actually in the most danger of sabotage of all the other students, because if he or she makes any "wrong move", he or she is going to receive the wrath of the N. Teacher's injured ego. Also, if that student, say, writes a brilliant new song, the odds of the N. Teacher claiming it as his own are pretty high, and then the N. would probably "cover it up" by discrediting the student with a smear campaign and bad grades. Or, the N. teacher might try to use the student as a Trophy or a Winning Horse, and parade him or her around as much as possible, which means the student can't do anything else and must be at the N's beck and call, or be REJECTED.
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There are other students in the N. Teacher's classroom that are also in direct danger. Those are any student who fits the profile of the N's personal prejudices. So if the N. is racist against white people, all the white students are probably going to get treated poorly. If the N. is racist against Asian students, same result; African-descent students, same result, and so on.
If the Teacher has prejudice against female students, then the male students will get "normal" or favored treatment, and the female students will be treated like "losers" and "idiots". If the N's prejudice is anti-male, then the result will be the opposite.
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Narcissistic Teachers don't TEACH OBJECTIVELY, or with caring, or with empathy, or even sympathetically. Their goal is not to educate the whole CLASS, and treat all of the students with equal respect, and be a positive, respectfulROLE MODEL and MENTOR for all of the students. He or she is ONLY interested in the life and future of him or her SELF, and perhaps a little bit in chosen "Golden Students", but only because he or she wants their attention or company, and also wants them to reflect well on him or her.
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If a Narcissistic Teacher finds ANYTHING"unlikeable" about a student, that student WILL BE TREATED with disdain, dismissal, or worse, literal sabotage or abuse. A student who exhibits anything that the N. Teacher feels uncomfortable about, annoyed by, prejudice against, or threatened by will cause the N. to treat them with disdain, just like a classroom PEER might. It could be anything at all, something like a facial scar, or a certain last name, or a certain hair cut or clothing, or their family's "wealth" or "poverty", their family's Political Party, the student's tone of voice, the student's mannerisms, body type, height, face, etc, Ad infinitum.
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A student with a high level of talent, capability, apparent intelligence or "good looks" will immediately catch the attention of a Narcissistic Teacher, and the Teacher will either make that student "Golden", or make that student a TARGET, to be "knocked down" and "put in place", or just generally sabotaged. There will be no in between, no neutrality; Narcissistic people don't have neutrality with other people. It's either "good" or "bad", "winner" or "loser", "Favored" or "Rejected".
Obviously, the more savvy N. Teacher will be keen on hiding his or her real motives and behaviors, just like any other Narcissist, especially toward other adults. So if a student complains about them, the student will be ignored.
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There is NO field of work that is immune to Narcissists. Any jobs that place one in a position of authority over other people, and that also place one in a position to receive admiration and recognition from others are very attractive to Narcissists.
~
A teacher, coach, professor or instructor who is Narcissistic does the same behaviors with students as with any other relationship: It's all about HIM or HER. The only students the N. Teacher "likes" are those who fit in with his or her expectations, comfort zone, and ego for whatever reason. Any students who DON'T FIT are ignored, cast aside, dismissed, and even sabotaged, depending on the severity of the particular teacher's Narcissism issues.
~
Consider a music instructor with Narcissism: He already believes himself superior, right from the get-go. He's most likely teaching because it gives him automatic "subordinates" who are subject to his scrutiny, judgment, and criticism, and who SEEK HIS APPROVAL, quite literally; they have to get it in order to pass the class!
~
How does he conduct his class... He assesses which students he LIKES, first, and actually coaches those particular students along (hopefully, for their sakes). He makes "normal" eye contact, giving them neutral and positive feedback, giving them accurate feedback (hopefully). He may allow the ones he really favors to receive extra instruction after class. If there is a student that he really favors, he may REALLY "coach" that student, trying to mold them into a prodigy, his personal "project". That student will get "First Violin", or be featured regularly in solos. The N. Teacher will focus his or her instruction often directly on that student, as if there's no one else in the class, or as if that student is a "fellow Peer" to the Teacher, and they are "among novices". That student will be put in the awkward position of "Leader Of The Class" whether they like it or not. That is the "Golden Student" of the class.
~
Being the "Golden Student" is NOT that student's fault, not in the least. Yes, some students are also Narcissistic, so they would JUMP on the chance to lord over the other students and be the Teacher's "Pet" or "Assistant", but it's still the N. Teacher's doing. The relationship is authority/subordinate, the student is in the subordinate role. That student is actually in the most danger of sabotage of all the other students, because if he or she makes any "wrong move", he or she is going to receive the wrath of the N. Teacher's injured ego. Also, if that student, say, writes a brilliant new song, the odds of the N. Teacher claiming it as his own are pretty high, and then the N. would probably "cover it up" by discrediting the student with a smear campaign and bad grades. Or, the N. teacher might try to use the student as a Trophy or a Winning Horse, and parade him or her around as much as possible, which means the student can't do anything else and must be at the N's beck and call, or be REJECTED.
~
There are other students in the N. Teacher's classroom that are also in direct danger. Those are any student who fits the profile of the N's personal prejudices. So if the N. is racist against white people, all the white students are probably going to get treated poorly. If the N. is racist against Asian students, same result; African-descent students, same result, and so on.
If the Teacher has prejudice against female students, then the male students will get "normal" or favored treatment, and the female students will be treated like "losers" and "idiots". If the N's prejudice is anti-male, then the result will be the opposite.
~
Narcissistic Teachers don't TEACH OBJECTIVELY, or with caring, or with empathy, or even sympathetically. Their goal is not to educate the whole CLASS, and treat all of the students with equal respect, and be a positive, respectfulROLE MODEL and MENTOR for all of the students. He or she is ONLY interested in the life and future of him or her SELF, and perhaps a little bit in chosen "Golden Students", but only because he or she wants their attention or company, and also wants them to reflect well on him or her.
~
If a Narcissistic Teacher finds ANYTHING"unlikeable" about a student, that student WILL BE TREATED with disdain, dismissal, or worse, literal sabotage or abuse. A student who exhibits anything that the N. Teacher feels uncomfortable about, annoyed by, prejudice against, or threatened by will cause the N. to treat them with disdain, just like a classroom PEER might. It could be anything at all, something like a facial scar, or a certain last name, or a certain hair cut or clothing, or their family's "wealth" or "poverty", their family's Political Party, the student's tone of voice, the student's mannerisms, body type, height, face, etc, Ad infinitum.
~
A student with a high level of talent, capability, apparent intelligence or "good looks" will immediately catch the attention of a Narcissistic Teacher, and the Teacher will either make that student "Golden", or make that student a TARGET, to be "knocked down" and "put in place", or just generally sabotaged. There will be no in between, no neutrality; Narcissistic people don't have neutrality with other people. It's either "good" or "bad", "winner" or "loser", "Favored" or "Rejected".
Obviously, the more savvy N. Teacher will be keen on hiding his or her real motives and behaviors, just like any other Narcissist, especially toward other adults. So if a student complains about them, the student will be ignored.
~
There is NO field of work that is immune to Narcissists. Any jobs that place one in a position of authority over other people, and that also place one in a position to receive admiration and recognition from others are very attractive to Narcissists.
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