My child is so well behaved and smart...but...
My child's teacher is...
too strict, too lenient, too structured, not structured enough, gives too much homework, doesn't give enough homework, doesn't give the right kind of homework, doesn't recognize my child's abilities, doesn't recognize my child's disabilities, doesn't recognize all of my child's personal needs, doesn't protect my child from every single incident of disappointment or hurt feelings.
Am I forgetting anything?
Can anyone else appreciate just how difficult this job must be?
Talk about being all things to all people! If you work in this field my hat's off to you!!!
Thanks everyone! I do agree that there are some people who are NOT cut out for this profession and yet make their way into our kids' classrooms at some point over the years :(
I just wanted to give a little perspective/shout out to ALL the amazing teachers I have worked with (both professionally and in volunteer capacity) over the years. I love kids and I love school and yet I could not possibly imagine doing their job full time, they are some of the most patient, caring and tolerant people I have ever met :)
Outstanding post. And not at ALL what I thought it was gonna be!
A resounding THREE CHEERS for teachers who somehow miraculously keep at it in spite of all the grief WE all give them every day!!
:)
Well, I'll be the first to say teachers are the best! Without them, we wouldn't be able to write these awesome posts lol. I trust my daughter's teacher, I'm certain she has her best interest in mind. My daughter's teacher is my best ally when it comes to her education.
There will be no way in the world I could teach a room full of Kindergartener's for 6 to 7 hours a day. The mere thought of it frightens me. I said it once, but I think it bears repeating. Teachers are the best!
I have raised four kids, two of them to adulthood. I have only had to deal with three bad teachers. Actually not true I dealt with two of them the third one the child dealt with herself.
I can assure you if I take issue with a teacher it isn't for the reasons you listed. Everything you listed is good for a child, teaches them the real world. If they can't handle that they need to start buying lottery tickets at 18 or poisoning grandpa cause they will never hold a job without having a difficult boss.
My sister quit teaching a year ago. When I asked her why...she said..."The parents."
Well, I'll tell you, I could certainly never be a teacher! It has to be a very tough job.
That said, just as there are good parents and bad parents, there are good teachers and bad teachers. Some people seem like they are born for the profession and some just aren't suited for it at all. Just as I remember fondly all the excellent teachers I had in school, I (shudder) can never forget the bad ones!
My Mom taught 6th grade in public school for over 30 years.
She would never recommend that anyone should go in to teaching.
Daycare providers too. I guarantee you that the parents expect a lot from us too. It IS what we are here for. Our job is to care for the kids and that means whatever it takes.
A Grandpa I know... was talking to me yesterday, about how his daughter is a Teacher... and how it is the most thankless jobs. And how they work, 7 days a week for their classroom/kids and buying things for their classroom out of pocket, and how... no parent is ever satisfied. And how they grumble that Teachers get such long vacations and still get paid.
But well, his daughter likes teaching.
I appreciate how tough it must be, but that's why I chose not to do it. If one chooses this profession, balancing these things is part of the job.
I am grateful that in my experience, lousy teachers are the exception not the rule. But that means that if 95% of teachers can get it right most of the time, the other 5% can learn from them or find a new profession. There is no room in education for teachers who lack patience, humor, compassion, and flexibility. There is no reason for someone who dislikes children to spend a career with them. I think that especially in the younger grades, a bad year can have lasting effects. My oldest son had only one awful teacher, and she's the one who when people hear that your child has her for 1st grade, they give you condolences. I have tutored kids who 10 year later as high school juniors remember being humiliated and demoralized by this same teacher when they were 6 years old. Why was she allowed to keep her job year after year?
Hats off to those who like their profession and choose to do the best that they can most of the time. But to those who are burnt out, unsupported or just can't do this? Spare our kids the misery and find another profession please.
A lot of times it's the parents not the kids that teachers can't stand. But sometimes teachers really are a pain in the rear, like the 4th grade teacher that thought she knew better than we did because she'd taught for 25 years and only wanted parent-teacher conferences to tell us we were all wrong about SD. Or the one last semester that gave our A student (but didn't like on a personal level) an F on the final exam "by mistake."
TONS of great, wonderful teachers out there. But sometimes....
These are the qualities of a good teacher as listed by greatschools.org:
Great teachers set high expectations for all students
Great teachers have clear, written-out objectives
Great teachers are prepared and organized
Great teachers engage students and get them to look at issues in a variety of ways
Great teachers form strong relationships with their students and show that they care about them as people
Great teachers are masters of their subject matter
Great teachers communicate frequently with parents
To all the great teachers, thanks for all that you do! A child's life is changed by the experience with that great teacher.
*It should be noted that it is illegal for a teacher not to recognize a child's diagnosed disabilities, be they physical, emotional, or learning disabilities.
YES, I can ...I will admit there are times when I have been flippant in thinking that teachers have it easy. I mean, you know, Christmas Break, Spring Break and summers off.....who wouldn't want that?? The fact of the matter is that teachers probably need those breaks for their SANITY!
There have been times where I've thought about trying to get my teaching certificate so that I could have time off with my daughter when she gets school aged, but I know I'm not cut out for it. My hat is off to them as well!
I was a teacher for 12 years. I now have had to deal with teachers for my child and others in my care.
I realized there are BAD teachers who should never be allowed in a classroom. They are real and they hinder learning. Too often people give them the benefit of the doubt and shouldn't. If people had been speaking up before they got tenured, they would not be here hurting kids today.
bless you. I taught public school for 15 years and I always said if I quit the job it would not be because of the students but because of their enabling parents.
Had a not so pleasant teacher last year. She taught primary grades, due to staff cuts she was tossed into the preschool 3 yr old room. I have a strong willed daughter, likes to do things on her terms. good days with the bad ones. But i would get butterflies in my stomach picking her up from school because everyday her verbal report at pickup was ALWAYS criticism. From the petty( crumbling her crackers at snack time) to the serious ( hitting/pushing).She never seemed to smile or be happy. She was not comforting or kind. It was difficult. I found comfort in other moms who were going through the same thing with the same teacher. This year in prek4 i am happy to have a 25 yrs of experience teacher who has ALWAYS taught 4 yr olds and is just amazing. My daughter loves her and i am so thankful i can breathe a sigh of relief this year. I understand how difficult it is, but some people are just not cut out for the job. plain and simple.
