What do you hate most about teachers?

I am a teacher. I am tired of parents complaining. You cannot please all the parents in your class. Why are so many people down on teachers and why do you get angry with the teacher before you even find out the whole story?

You can answer if you choose.

List what you hate about teachers, please use reason.

List what you love about teachers, if you do.

__________________

I'm a fellow teacher (I teach university biology), so take this with a grain of salt...

Things about GOOD teachers that I love:

willingness to help

knowledge of the material

the way they care for their students

willingness to learn different teaching methods for different students

Things about BAD teachers that I hate:

ignorance of the material

picking and choosing what to teach (my high school bio teacher absolutely REFUSED to teach evolution)

giving busy-work that doesn't actually teach anything

inability to control a class

favoritism towards certain students

Being an almost teacher myself, I can honestly say I've never had a real gripe about any of my kids teachers. Its hard work and its doubly hard to treat with respect and fairness kids who push your buttons when you have no emotional connection to them in the way you do your own kids.

But I admire teachers who realise that their expected or desired outcomes are not everybody's desired outcomes.

When I first began studying to be a teacher, I was 36, so old enough to have some life experience. Yet I still focussed on my own upbringing, priveledged white middle class, privately educated, now stay at home mother with a six figure family income. I was motivated to teach when I left school but the employment marked in 1985 in Victoria was abysmal, so I didnt do it - and lucky because I would have sucked at it as a 19 year old.

What I've learned over the last few years is that education is a chance, an opportunity but its not my business to try to teach kids that professional employment is the only respectable outcome, or that academic achievement is the only worthwhile achievement. I'm there to facilitate not direct to one end only.

So whilst I may one day come up against teachers who are not technically wonderful, our education system in Victoria is pretty darn good and provides a great framework that makes most teachers able to teach adequately. I care a lot more about the moral influence and guidance teachers have on my children - I want them to be accessible and helpful but entirely neutral. I do not want my kids growing up thinking that to be successful you must fit a certain set of attributes - which is definitely what my snobby girls school taught me. Its taken me 22 years of my life to reach a level of comfort with my life and how its turned out, and to undo the damage that my schooling caused me. In all fairness, that was a lot to do with the school and the hidden curriculum led by other students, not only the teachers.

I would have a big problem that expressed religious or political views or similar, but one who wasnt great at teaching maths, I might take action but it wouldnt be in a hostile or aggressive manner, I'd want to find a way to work with the teacher and my child.

Wonderful teachers, well we've been lucky enough to have one or two and some people just have it, dont they? Some people are born to be fantastic teachers, and its more to do with their rapport with the kids than with technical competence.

The favoritism thing is a big issue with me. I believe that behavior is deplorable. I also believe the teacher (and any others who behave similiarly) who said, "how sad" to the child regarding the Christmas story should be disciplined. I'd have been to that school immediately to complain.

I love it when a teacher inspires children in a positive direction through his or her passion for the subject they teach. I love it when a teacher guides students to think for themselves regarding any subject on any level and doesn't have an attitude of "my way or the highway".

What do you hate most about teachers?

I am a teacher. I am tired of parents complaining. You cannot please all the parents in your class. Why are so many people down on teachers and why do you get angry with the teacher before you even find out the whole story?

You can answer if you choose.

List what you hate about teachers, please use reason.

List what you love about teachers, if you do.

__________________

Sue, this is addressing the post from the other thread that you are in the wrong profession. I think you are absolutely in the right profession if you care enough and have the courage to ask these types of questions. I sympathize with you regarding your experiences re: the parents who feel their kids can do no wrong and behave accordingly especially before they learn the whole story behind a situation. These parents are far more detrimental to their children than any teacher could/would be and I'm sure are a pain in the butt in which to deal.

Thank you Uniqueone, I am trying all the time to be the best teacher I can be to the children. My principal says she loves the way I am with the kids. The kids know I love them also. You cannot fool them. I am tired of dealing with parents. There are always some very unreasonable ones and they throw their opinions around more than the others. They seem to have a chip on their shoulder and we, the teacher seem to be the one they want to take it out on. We are now allowed any mistakes. Just like the teacher saying, how sad. I wonder if she regreated that as soon as she said it. No, we cannot say anything or make a mistake, not one. Well, every teacher I have met makes mistakes.

Well, every parent I know has as well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the way, what grade do you teach?

My kids are adults now but they were lucky to be in the best elementary school in an excellent school district. The principle was phenomenal and she hand picked every teacher there. I went out of my way to cooperate and participate as much as possible. It is very difficult job and I have deep respect and admiration for folks who are willing to do devote so much to a vocation. One the few occasions where a teacher was not so hot, daughter had an art teacher who really was in the wrong profession, I overlooked a lot of things and reinforced to my daughter that she was doing a great job. I didn't think it was worth antagonizing someone who was going to be spending so much time with my kid.

My kids got a great education and they were lucky enough to finish elementary school the same year that the principle retired. That school went downhill after that.

What I like is a teacher who can recognize a students unique ablities and bring out the best in them.

What I don't like are unimaginative, dogmatic people who really shouldn't be teaching because they are so close minded. People who have no spark themselves and fail to get a kid interested in learning really shouldn't be around kids.

But most of all I am thankful that there are people who can spend all day with a roomful of kids and return the next day to do it over again, and enjoy it.

One more thing and then I will be quiet. I started this post because I want to learn. I want to understand you, the parent. I guess I do not want to leave my profession yet. I still get a lot of pleasure from my students and teaching them. I am afraid I will miss them very much and regret leaving. I do not teach for the pay check. I have a husband with his own business. I guess I am hoping this will help me become a more tolerant teacher and whether you believe it or not I want that.

P.S. When you want people to really listen, lighten your tone.

I don't feel any different about teachers vs. any other profession. I don't hate teachers.

I'll use examples from my past for this.

What I hate about teachers:

Labelling students. Although, my grade 11 science teacher labelled me as volatile, and that's a pretty accurate statement!

Being impersonal. A caring, thoughtful word now and then goes a long way.

What I love about teachers:

Seeing kids' strengths and pouncing on that.

Using humour as a way to teach.

Teaching with hands on things rather than just with words -the visual impact.

Taking a personal interest in a student and helping them achieve goals (whether academic or not)

Words of encouragement and praise.

The best teachers stick with you through the years - the things they might have said, how they were kind or thoughtful. Even though I've never personally gone back to thank any of my teachers, the favourites are in my mind a lot - so keep up the good work SueSue!

I dislike teachers who refuse to acknowledge that their students are individuals. Example; My 2nd grade teacher called my mother into a parent teacher conference to complain that I was goofing off in class. My mom was prepared for this. She brought in all of my graded test papers, where I had gone over the 0's on the paper so many times that there were holes on the paper; because I was done with the test and there was nothing for students to do who were done earlier than everyone else. The teacher refused to give me more challenging work.

In contrast, my 5th grade teacher knew that not all of his students would be interested in the same books. He provided 3 or 4 books at a time that students could choose from instead of making the whole class read the same book. My reading level was already good, but it soared in his class. For other reasons I give this particular teacher a goodly amount of credit for saving me from my childhood in some ways. I'm not sure I ever thanked him in words, but I spent my afternoons after school in his class helping out, since middle school got out over an hour before elementary school.

But most of all I am thankful that there are people who can spend all day with a roomful of kids and return the next day to do it over again, and enjoy it.

I agree with you Phyllisc.

From a parent that has three children, who are all different. My girls are excelling at everything they do. They are top of their class. They are doing awesome. Now my son, is smart as a whip like his sisters, but is strong willed. He wants to do what he wants when he wants. I as his mother, have a hard time with him. So can you imagine what his poor teacher's have to deal with. A child that refuses to do what you tell him and then throws tantrums.. It is not easy for his teacher.. And she has another 15 or more kids in the class to deal with. I as a parent have to take responsibility for my child and work with the teacher to teach him that it is not appropriate behavior. I could like so many parents get defensive or try to avoid it. But for what, who will suffer in the end. My son. Teacher's need to be commended for the work they do.

As a parent, you have to be involved. Do your part. When I worked as an ESOL teacher to highschool kids, the parents that were involved were always the ones you didn't need to see. Meaning their kids were doing great, by chance?? I think not.. It was because their parents were involved. I make time to go to my children's schools, I go have lunch with them (yes, I eat school cafeteria food), I participate in the PTO, I help with fundraisers, I send treats for the teacher and the students.. I chaperone field trips.. which are not always so much fun...There are so many things you can do. Get involved, we are all busy, we all have jobs and tons to do. From my experience the uninvolved parents are always the fastest to pass judgement and what is sad is that they are not only failing as parents but they are failing their kids. And the pride my kids feel, when their mom is the one that sent some special stickers for the teacher to pass out, or the Cookies as a treat, or when I join them for lunch. Their smiles are priceless to me.

Tell your children't teachers what a great job they are doing.. If they goof, their only human not super heroes.. talk with them, sometimes they are just little misunderstandings.. Don't make mountains out of mole hills. I think we have gotten too damn sensitive now a days.. you almost have to walk on eggsells to not hurt anyones feelings, be politically correct.. Don't take things to heart and you will be much happier..

Well, that is all I have to say..:clap2:

I don't hate anything about teachers. They're just people doing a job for some reason, and by and large I have no moral objections to what they're doing.

One thing I would really like to see change is requiring teachers to learn how to teach. Learning types, group behavior, instructional integrity, etc.

In addition to my regular job I also contract in my field. A large number of my jobs have been with educational establishments - trying to help the teachers understand what it means to teach from the perspective of instructional congruence and classroom dynamics. When I first started doing this, I was dismayed by how little teachers knew/understood about what they were doing instructionally, and even their understanding of group dynamics in a classroom. (I've only worked with high school and up, so I can't speak to anything under that, though I can't imagine you suddenly get a surge in skillset/knowledge because of the age difference of the students).

This is a far cry from "why I hate most about teachers" and much more along the lines of, "what I hate that someone somewhere isn't providing nor requiring of teachers."

Marposia, Very well said. You can tell you have been around the school. You understand it well.