Students can be cruel, but good teachers jump on this. They open te behavior up for discussion, and in my case, to shame the perpetrators. I don't put up with bullies.

When my daughter came to my school (BIG mistake), she was a gentle, confident girl. When she left in year six, she had not one friend...absolutely her teacher's doing. Sure she was going through a bad patch, she has the rest of her life to live with her shame.

Treating students badly, no matter the reason, is a teacher's shame.