Both of my sisters have been public school teachers for years. I spent almost 10 years teaching adults about hotel management. Yes, we have had our favorite students. For me, they were the ones who truly desired to learn the subject(s), asked questions, and weren’t afraid to challenge me on a topic while doing so respectfully.
Did we show favoritism in class? No…at least I hope not. We had the benefit of being brought up by parents that did not show favoritism towards any of their children. I watched both sisters raise their children using the same template as our parents did. No child, or student, for that matter, was treated the same way in all cases. What works for one doesn’t always work for another, so the guidance gets customized. Maybe this is why students or children get labeled the ‘favorite’.
Note: The older sister, a high school English teacher, died several years ago. The turnout for her memorial service was overwhelming considering it is a small town. Many of the attendees were her present and former students. One group of them made a CD for her when she was bed-ridden. They sang their favorite songs and recited bits of their favorite literature or something they had written. Before the service, one of her former students asked if he could be included as a speaker. And he was.