Distinctions between Good and Bad Teachers... (Education System)

Member Name: Cwej1

Product:	Education System
Date:	28/11/01 (187 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good Teachers!

Disadvantages: Bad Teachers!

...having just read an opinion by a teacher on the subject of work overload and the endless administration that individuals in this profession are subjected to, I felt compelled to write almost a direct response but from a student's perspective.

What many adults outside of the education system don't realise is that there is an incredible (and I MEAN incredible) difference between the amount of work a good teacher puts in, when compared with the amount of work a bad teacher puts in. Most adults say EITHER that teachers are completely overworked, putting in 60+ hour weeks, coping with intolerable stress levels OR that teachers work ridiculously short (9am-3pm) days, with 13 weeks holidays and that they have an easy job. Well I, like most students, see both sides of this argument. I have seen teachers who are completely overworked, putting in 60+ hour weeks and coping with intolerable stress levels - but I have also seen teachers that work ridiculously short days, take advantage of their 13 week holidays and make their jobs easy.

My form tutor at school was an amazing man. As deputy head boy at my school I actually found out a hell of a lot of the staff room politics that went on (considering I was a 16 year old student) and I was well aware that he was very unpopular with other teachers. He was adamant in his teaching methods and was not afraid to tell other teachers if he felt they weren't doing their job properly. However, I would often go and speak to him as late as 5.30pm and he would be working at his desk still at that time, having been there pretty much since 8.30am. I would also go in, in the summer sometimes, and he would still be working, thus making a myth of the 13 week holidays. He gave up extra time for extra-curricular activities and would listen to me a lot when I had some huge problems (bullying, home problems, etc), so he took the pastoral side of his job very seriously too.

This is one extreme. On the other han
d was my English teacher.

I was determined to get an A* in my English GCSE back in 1999. He used to mark my coursework on its first draft and not put any comments on it, merely just tick it and say 'well done' at the end. I'd ask him if that meant the coursework was A* standard and he would say, 'well not really, I'd probably give it a high B'. When pressed for comments on how to improve my work to a better grade I was given the response 'A B is a good grade'. This combination of laziness and a lack of a desire to motivate students is what gives teachers a bad name. This teacher also condoned drug taking openly in front of students, swore and talked about sex regularly. Now believe me, I ain't no prude, but even at the age of 16 I knew this was unprofessional and a negative influence on students.

As a result of this teacher's incompetency I was forced to go to my head of year, who also happened to teach English to get advice on improving my coursework grades. This upped her workload and lightened his. Where is the fairness in this? There was none. My head of year received nothing for giving me extra help (even though she wasn't my English teacher) whilst my so-called English teacher lost nothing by not helping me.

These are extreme examples of good teachers and bad teachers. Most teachers fortunately lie somewhere in the middle.

But how can this problem be tackled? The government's implementation of 'Performance Related Pay' is complex and I am unsure of the foundations of it. If it is based on results then this is totally unfair. I eventually gained an A* in both English Literature and English, but this was not down to my teacher at all, it was totally down to extra help from other teachers' revision classes and my head of years advice on coursework, plus a lot of extra work from myself.

To me the problem lies in the assessment of teacher's skills in the cla
ssroom (and outside it). A teacher is assessed by an OFSTED inspection. However, they are given months and months notice before this comes around and therefore can totally prepare for their lessons on the week that the inspection comes in, plus the inspection only comes round every 6 or so years. Surely a better way to assess their performance would be to spring random checks on all teachers, by a senior member of staff and for them to receive a teaching appraisal afterwards? Most teachers would disagree saying that this is in infringement on their rights, but isn't it an infringement on the rights of a student if they are being taught by an incompetent, unhelpful individual, especially when we are entitled to free education to the age of 18?

As you can probably tell I feel quite strongly on this issue, despite having finished secondary education in 1999. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that teachers shouldn't complain about their wages or their long hours - but it really gets to me when I overhear a teacher that I've never seen at school after 3.30pm complaining that their days are too long, especially when I was involved in so many councils and extra-curricular activities for my school for no pay whatsoever, and was often at school till 5pm 3 or 4 nights a week.

In conclusion, I just want to make it clear that the difference between a good and a bad teacher is beyond imagining unless you have actually experienced the education system in recent years. Don't write teachers off completely, but don't believe all of their sob stories - some teachers really do put in an amazing amount of work, but some really do not.

Nick xxx

PS Sorry this was so long, just had to get it off my chest!!! :p

PPS Don't hate me teachers. This is just my honest view from a hard-working student's perspective!

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